2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D Preview, Predictions & Odds

We have a 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D preview, along with all our predictions and betting odds ahead of the big event this September.

Teams In 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D

There are five teams in Pool D of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Those teams are:

England

Japan

Argentina

Samoa

Chile

Qualification From Pool D

The top two teams in Pool D will qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The bottom three teams in the table will be eliminated from the tournament.

The winner of Pool D will play the runner-up in Pool C in a quarter-final match on Sunday, October 15th at 4pm.

The runner-up in Pool D will play the winner of Pool C in a quarter-final match on Saturday, October 14th at 4pm.

2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D Preview

England

World Number 6 England will be making their tenth World Cup appearance this September. The English have traditionally been one of the strongest rugby nations in the world but have only managed to win this competition once. That victory of course came in 2003 courtesy of a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal in extra time against Australia.

At the last tournament held in Japan in 2019, England were fancied as favourites to win their second World Cup. They did manage to get all the way to the final, beating New Zealand in the process but an on song South Africa proved too strong to them as they were well beaten in the final on a scoreline of 12-32.

Fast forward a few years and the RFU made the call to sack Eddie Jones who had been the England Head Coach for 7 years following a poor run of results.

Steve Borthwick was announced as Eddie Jones’ successor on December 19th 2022, and in his first tournament in charge, he had a poor 2023 Six Nations. The English lost 3 of their 5 games but it was the nature of the results that really had rugby fans raising their eyebrows. France embarrassed England in Twickenham by putting up 53 points on their way to a 53-1o victory. That was England’s worst ever defeat at Twickenham.

Despite this terrible showing at the Six Nations it is always difficult to write off the English and after falling into the easier half of the draw they could make a run to the final yet.

Japan

World Number 10 Japan has appeared at ten World Cups, with their best-ever performance coming in 2019, where they made a run to the quarter-final. They were incredible in the pool stage of that tournament as they won four out of four matches in Pool A against Ireland, Scotland, Samoa and Russia before coming unstuck to South Africa.

Jamie Joseph has been in charge of Japan since 2016 but recently announced his intention to step down as Japan’s Head coach following the World Cup.

Japan will fancy themselves to repeat their success at World Cup 2023, but with England and Argentina to contend with, this is arguably a tougher task, but not impossible.

Argentina

World Number 8 Argentina are making their tenth World Cup appearance in September, with their best-ever finish being third place in 2007.

Michael Cheika has been Argentina’s Head coach since being appointed in 2022.

The Pumas are currently playing in the 2023 Rugby Championship with fixtures against Australia and South Africa to come this July. They got off to a terrible start in the southern hemisphere’s premier international competition when they lost their opening game 12-41 to New Zealand.

Samoa

World Number 12 Samoa will be making their ninth World Cup appearance this September. their best finish was a quarter-final berth in 1991 and 1995.

Seilala Mapusua has been the Head coach since being appointed in August 2020, and they qualified for the World Cup by winning Round 2: Oceania 1 play-offs 79-28 in Leg 1 and 15-37 in Leg 2.

Chile

World Number 22 Chile will be making their first-ever appearance at a Rugby World Cup in September.

Pablo Adrián Lemoine is the team’s Head Coach and he has been in charge since 2018. Los Cóndores booked their Rugby World Cup debut appearance by beating the USA in the Americas 2 play-off on aggregate by a single point over two legs. They lost the first leg 21-22 against the USA but were able to win 29-31 in Leg 2 to book their spot in France this September.

Rugby World Cup Pool D Betting Odds

Game of the Pool

England v Argentina – 8pm, September 9^th.

Player to Watch

Maro Itoje is a physical specimen who can be deployed at either Lock or Blindside Flanker for England and excel from both positions. Itoje, now 28, is a force to be reckoned with as he stands at an imposing 6 ft 5 in while weighing in at 18st 2 lbs.

The two-time British and Irish Lion is a hard working player, team leader that previously captained the English u20 side and has exceptional agility and pace for his size.

The one thing you could criticise him for is being too aggressive in the breakdown leading to him conceding penalties too often. Despite this, he is an overwhelmingly net positive on this English team and they will need him to be at his very best if England are to make a deep run in this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Rugby World Cup Pool D Prediction

1st – England

2nd – Argentina

3rd – Japan

4th – Samoa

5^th – Chile

Expect England to recover from a lacklustre 2023 Six Nations campaign to comfortably win this pool, although their game against Argentina remains key.

Japan will fancy their chances at getting out of another Pool Stage, but I think Argentina will be too good for them on this occasion.

Elsewhere Samoa should be far too good for debutants Chile.

Click Below For All Our 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D Odds

*Prices subject to fluctuation

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