The girls line up with New Zealand, France, Tonga, Canada and Japan flags for Pool A!
Pool A has an Ulster Quotient of 2 with John Afoa the only Ulster player involved.
Looking through the team lists below there are a few names in those squads that I’d have loved to have seen running out at Ravers with the Red Hand proudly emblazoned across their chests, so my honorary Ulster men in this group are Imanol Harinordoquy of France, Jamie Cudmore of Canada and Conrad Smith of New Zealand.
Oft criticised for his temperament, Harinordoquy just reeks class and grace in the line out and his open play is something every backrow forward should aspire to but he never seemed to get the same international recognition as Parisse of Italy or Fernández Lobbe of Argentina because he was always playing in a better side, and can move seamlessly across the back row, but he’s the best No 8 in World Rugby in my book.
It’s probably too late for the rambunctious Cudmore to pull on a Red Hand but there were a good few years in the not too distant past when his aggressive, and somewhat punchy, attitude was exactly what Ulster needed up front – anyone who will go toe to toe with O’Connell in his prime in Limerick has to be given more than a passing thought given some of our dire performances down there.
To me Conrad Smith is the real touch of class in an oft overrated All Blacks backline. Forget your boy racers, your pretty-boy out halfs and the crash and bash monsters that they churn out by the bucket-full in the land of the worried sheep, they would swap them all for another old school centre like Smith. Never rushed, always composed, always the right decision – the only centre in World Rugby comparable to O’Driscoll.
Pool A Fixtures.
| Date | Time (UK) | Match Details | Location | Stadium |
| Fri Sept 9 | 09.30 | New Zealand v Tonga | Auckland | Eden Park |
| Sat Sept 10 | 07.00 | France v Japan | Auckland | North Harbour Stadium |
| Wed Sept 14 | 06.00 | Tonga v Canada | Whangarei | Northland Events Centre |
| Fri Sept 16 | 09.00 | New Zealand v Japan | Hamilton | Waikato Stadium |
| Sun Sept 18 | 09.30 | France v Canada | Napier | McLean Park |
| Wed Sept 21 | 09.30 | Tonga v Japan | Whangarei | Northland Events Centre |
| Sat Sept 24 | 08.30 | New Zealand v France | Auckland | Eden Park |
| Tues Sept 27 | 05.00 | Canada v Japan | Napier | McLean Park |
| Sat Oct 1 | 06.00 | France v Tonga | Wellington | Wellington Regional Stadium |
| Sun Oct 2 | 03.30 | New Zealand v Canada | Wellington | Wellington Regional Stadium |
Apart from putting France in the same group as themselves so they won’t have to face them again until the final the All Blacks actually have a tougher task in qualifying than first meets the eye!
The Tongan’s have a host of good honest pros in most positions but a potentially wonderful weapon of maul destruction in their front row. Believe me the Tongan’s will do some damage in this pool. New Zealand v Tonga first up, opening ceremony, expectations of the nation, nervous knock-on’s, monster hits and Tonga sneak it!
New Zealand have to beat France to qualify but the French have coasted through serenely, building up slowly as they cruised past Japan and Canada and they are one team that would take a disproportionate amount of pleasure at dumping New Zealand out at the Pool stages.
France sneak it and throw the final match against Tonga to ensure that they qualify together. Riots in Wellington! French Embassy raised to the ground!
Nonsense? Well, don’t put your house on it, but it’s all about as likely as Ireland getting to the Semi-Finals. 
To Qualify: 1. New Zealand, 2. France
Outsiders: Tonga
Match of the Pool: France v Tonga
Squads
| Canada | France | Japan | New Zealand | Tonga |
| Forwards (16) | Forwards (17) | Forwards (16) | Forwards (16) | Forwards (17) |
| Ryan Hamilton | Guilhem Guirado | Yusuke Aoki | Corey Flynn | Aleki Lutui |
| Pat Riordan* | William Servat Hooker | Shota Horie | Andrew Hore | Ilaisa Ma’asi |
| Hubert Buydens | Dimitri Szarzewski | Hiroki Yuharas | Keven Mealamu | Ephraim Taukafa |
| Scott Franklin | Fabien Barcella | Nozomu Fujita | John Afoa | Halani Aulika |
| Jason Marshall | Luc Ducalcon | Kensuke Hatakeyama | Ben Franks | Taufa’ao Filise |
| Andrew Tiedemann | Nicolas Mas | Hisateru Hirashima | Owen Franks | Kisi Pulu |
| Frank Walsh | Jean-Baptiste Poux | Naoki Kawamata | Tony Woodcock | Sona Taumalolo |
| Jamie Cudmore | Romain Millo-Chluski | Justin Ives | Anthony Boric | Soane Tonga’uiha |
| Brian Erichsen | Lionel Nallet | Toshizumi Kitagawa | Brad Thorn | Paino Hehea |
| Tyler Hotson | Pascal Papé | Hitoshi Ono | Sam Whitelock | Tukulua Lokotui |
| Nanyak Dala | Julien Pierre | Luke Thompson | Ali Williams | Sione Timani |
| Adam Kleeberger | Julien Bonnaire | Takashi Kikutani* | Jerome Kaino | Joe Tuineau |
| Chauncey O’Toole | Thierry Dusautoir* | Michael Leitch | Richie McCaw* | Finau Maka |
| Jebb Sinclair | Imanol Harinordoquy | Sione Vatuvei | Adam Thomson | Samiu Vahafolau |
| Aaron Carpenter | Fulgence Ouedraogo | Ryukoliniasi Holani | Victor Vito | Sione Vaiomo’unga |
| Jeremy Kyne | Raphaël Lakafia | Itaru Taniguchi | Kieran Read | Sione Kalamafoni |
| Louis Picamoles | Viliami Ma’afu | |||
| Backs (14) | Backs (13) | Backs (14) | Backs (14) | Backs (13) |
| Ed Fairhurst | Morgan Parra | Atsushi Hiwasa | Jimmy Cowan | Samisoni Fisilau |
| Jamie Mackenzie | Dimitri Yachvili | Fumiaki Tanaka | Andy Ellis | Taniela Moa |
| Sean White | David Skrela | Tomoki Yoshida | Piri Weepu | Tomasi Palu |
| Nathan Hirayama | François Trinh-Duc | James Arlidge | Dan Carter | Kurt Morath |
| Ander Monro | Fabrice Estebanez | Murray Williams | Colin Slade | Alipate Fatafehi |
| Phil Mackenzie | David Marty | Yuta Inamura | Richard Kahui | Suka Hufanga |
| Mike Scholz | Maxime Mermoz | Ryan Nicholas | Ma’a Nonu | Andrew Ma’ilei |
| Ryan Smith | Aurélien Rougerie | Koji Taira | Conrad Smith | Siale Piutau |
| Conor Trainor | Vincent Clerc | Alisi Tupuailai | Sonny Bill Williams | William Helu |
| Ciaran Hearn | Maxime Médard | Kosuke Endo | Zac Guildford | Alaska Taufa |
| Taylor Paris | Alexis Palisson | Hirotoki Onozawa | Cory Jane | Fetu’u Vainikolo |
| DTH van der Merwe | Cédric Heymans | Takehisa Usuzuki | Isaia Toeava | Viliami Iongi |
| Matt Evans | Damien Traille | Taihei Ueda | Israel Dagg | Vunga Lilo |
| James Pritchard | Shaun Webb | Mils Muliaina |
Key Players.
Canada: DYH van der Merwe.
The South African – Canadian currently playing for Glasgow Warriors has a tremendous strike rate of 11 tries in 17 games for Canada (13 in 30 for the Warriors) with the Centre/Wing/Full Back one of the few full time pros in a largly home based squad.
France: Aurélien Rougerie.
I could have picked a dozen players here but the return of Rougerie to full fitness is really the icing on the cake for Lièvremont’s World Cup preparations with the Clermont Centre/Wing adding so much more to the team than his individual skills. A much needed go to player when France start to self destruct the supremely confident Rougerie could be the man to pull them out of a “self dug” hole!
Japan: Takashi Kikutani.
Japan have participated in the World Cup since it’s inception but have enjoyed little sucess. Believe you me it’s not for want of trying, and with the 2019 World Cup in the bag the “Brave Blossoms” will be going all out to make an impact. Fantastically inventive in attack their progress will depend on how well influential captain Takashui Kikutani holds them together in defence.
New Zealand: Sonny Bill Williams.
Fimiliarity breeds contempt, and Australia certainly have the All Blacks’ number in the backs having been smashed and bashed by the same faces in the Super 15 and Tri Nations. If New Zealand and the Aussies are to meet in the final the All Blacks supporters will be praying that it’s Williams at inside centre alongside Smith, with the League and boxing convert one of the few New Zealand backs to offer something different than the awsome power and pace that the rest have 
!
Tonga: Finau Maka.
The ex Toulouse No 8 may be nearing the end of his career but he is the man tasked with holding the sometimes over exuberant Tongan’s under control. If the experienced captain can keep all his players on the pitch throughout the tournament they could have a glimmer of a chance should France or New Zealand slip up!
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