Rugby World Cup – Group A – Matches and Tickets 2015

Hal 10/09/2014 no comments »
Rugby World Cup – Group A – Matches and Tickets 2015

24.10.2013 Group A of the Ruby World Cup 2015 will be one of the highlights of the tournament. Host England will face the elite teams from Australia, Wales, Fiji and an additional playoff winner.

Group A

England

There are not many people in England who don’t remember Johnny Wilkinson’s incredible drop goal extra time winner in the 2003 World Cup final. Now England Rugby, under the guidance of head coach Stuart Lancaster, face the task of going into a World Cup without their talisman of 2003 with a new squad looking to make history for the second time. England will be hoping that the advantage of having a home crowd will at least see a better tournament than that of 2011 when they were eliminated by France at the quarter-final stage. England’s opening opponents for the 2015 World Cup remain unknown however Twickenham will be rocking no matter who the opposition is.. The current England squad which is captained by Chris Robshaw contains the likes of Fly-half Toby Flood and Scrum-half Danny Care who will be tipped to impress in 2015.

Australia

Two time Rugby World Cup winners Australia will have their eyes on the prize yet again come 2015 with the Wallabies not having lifted the Webb Ellis trophy since their triumph in 1999. Australia will be desperate to reach the final of the 2015 World Cup having fallen just short in 2011 where they were defeated by rivals and eventual winners New Zealand in the semi-final. Australia head coach Ewen McKenzie will hope his team can make a good start to their campaign by winning their group although they will face stiff competition from England who are currently ranked one place higher than fourth placed Wallabies in the IRB World Rankings. Experienced Centre Adam Ashley-Cooper and Hooker Stephen Moore will be hoping to make a big impression during the tournament under the leadership of Captain James Horwill of the Queensland Reds.

Wales

The Welsh rugby team were very impressive during the 2011 World Cup reaching the semi-finals of the tournament thanks to solid defence throughout before losing to France in controversial circumstances. Wales are the current Six Nations champions after retaining their title in 2013 with a win over World Cup 2015 group opponents England and fans of the Welsh national side will be wondering whether under the stewardship of New Zealander Warren Gatland they can continue that success by winning their first ever World Cup in 2015. Welsh rugby is known for its passionate support and games played in the Millennium Stadium such as Wales’ opening match could provide the team with the inspiration they need to succeed in the tournament. In terms of squad Wales have many well known names to choose from. They can call upon the services of Prop Gethin Jenkins, Lock Alun Wyn Jones and influential Cardiff Blues duo Sam Warburton and Leigh Halfpenny to name a few.

Fiji

 

Venues

Twickenham

Twickenham is nationally recognised as the home of English rugby union and will host three of England’s group games during the 2015 World Cup. Twickenham will have a very big role to play during the 2015 tournament as it will stage a total of ten matches including the final. The stadium is over 100 years old and can hold 82,000 people making it the largest stadium in the world devoted solely to rugby. This iconic stadium in English rugby culture has hosted many England home test matches as well as the Aviva Premiership Final and Heineken Cup matches in its long history. Located just outside London, Twickenham has also been the venue for major concerts for the likes of Rihanna and Jay-Z as well as many important rugby matches. Within Twickenham Stadium is the World Rugby Museum which makes Twickenham a must visit venue for all rugby fans.

Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium will host eight matches during the 2015 World Cup including two quarter-finals. Local supporters will be most looking forward to visiting the Millennium for the two matches in which Wales will be playing so they can turn the stadium into a cauldron and really get behind their team as they are famous for doing. The Millennium Stadium was originally built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup and has a history of hosting rugby matches which includes four Heineken Cup Finals and more World Cup matches in 2007. The 72,500 capacity stadium has also hosted major sporting events outside of rugby such as the FA Cup Final. Opened in 1999, the Millennium Stadium is an incredible modern venue which the Welsh are very proud to call their national stadium and is a unique setting with it being the second largest stadium in Europe to contain a fully retractable roof.

Villa Park

Villa Park will host two group games in the 2015 Rugby World Cup featuring South Africa, Samoa and Australia. The 42,000 all-seated stadium is not normally associated with hosting rugby matches despite having hosted a handful of internationals in the past. The upcoming tournament will be a big event for Villa Park as it will be the first time the venue has hosted a World Cup event since 1966. Home to English Premier League side Aston Villa, Villa Park was built in 1897 and has proved over its long history to be a very popular venue among football fans. Tournament organisers will be hoping rugby fans can embrace the history of the venue and create a good atmosphere to mark the occasion.

Stadium MK

The brand new Stadium MK in Buckinghamshire will host three group games during the 2015 Rugby World Cup which will see the likes of France and Samoa visit the stadium. Stadium MK is mainly used as the home to Football League One team MK Dons however the venue also hosted a Heineken Cup match in January 2011 when the Northampton Saints defeated Ulster and a Guinness Premiership fixture which featured Bristol and Saracens. The 2015 Rugby World Cup will be the biggest event that has been staged at the 32,000 capacity Stadium MK in its short history and will hopefully be a sign of big things to come at the stadium.

Manchester City Stadium

The City of Manchester Stadium is primarily the home of English Premier League club Manchester City. The 47,000 capacity stadium was opened in 2002 and will play host to one of England’s group games in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Although the City of Manchester Stadium has never hosted a rugby union match it has staged rugby league matches including a Tri-Nations match and one of rugby league’s Magic Weekends. The City of Manchester stadium can be a fantastic sight with a terrific atmosphere on match days especially when the stadium is full. Before being converted into a football ground the City of Manchester Stadium included an athletics track and was used at the 2002 commonwealth games.


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