The English side and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Pool E
Pool F
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