Australia's path to World Cup glory

[TITAN PETE]

NRL.com
6:00am Fri 11th October, 2013


The Kangaroos will start their World Cup campaign against host nation England but are unlikely to face reigning champions New Zealand until the tournament's final.

Australia has been drawn in Group A alongside England, Ireland and Fiji, with the Kiwis playing in Group B alongside France, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.

The top three teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, along with the winners of Group C (Tonga, Scotland, Italy) and Group D (USA, Wales, Cook Islands).

Australia's campaign begins against the rapidly improving English, featuring South Sydney's Burgess brothers, the Bulldogs' James Graham and new Warriors signing Sam Tomkins, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on October 26.

That match will go a long way to determining the winner of Group A, who will go on to play the best of USA, Wales or the Cook Islands in the quarter-finals stage.

Should things go to plan for Australia, they'll edge out England to top the group before advancing through to the semi-finals, where they would play either the runner-up from Group B (likely France, Papua New Guinea or Samoa) or the third-place finisher from Group A (expected to be Petero Civoniceva's Fiji).

A win there would lead to an appearance in the final against likely opponents New Zealand, who would be out to repeat their shock win over the Kangaroos at the last World Cup in 2008.

Full Rugby League World Cup draw

GROUP A
Sun Oct 27, 12.30am AEDT (11.30pm Sat AEST): Australia v England
Tue Oct 29, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Fiji v Ireland
Sun Nov 3, 1.30am AEDT (2.30am AEST): England v Ireland
Sun Nov 3, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Australia v Fiji
Sun Nov 10, 1.30am AEDT (12.30am AEST): England v Fiji
Sun Nov 10, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Australia v Ireland

GROUP B
Mon Oct 28, 3am AEDT (2am AEST): Papua New Guinea v France
Mon Oct 28, 5am AEDT (4am AEST): New Zealand v Samoa
Sat Nov 2, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): New Zealand v France
Tue Nov 5, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Papua New Guinea v Samoa
Sat Nov 9, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): New Zealand v Papua New Guinea
Tue Nov 12, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): France v Samoa

GROUP C
Wed Oct 30, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Tonga v Scotland
Mon Nov 4, 3am AEDT (2am AEST): Scotland v Italy
Mon Nov 11, 3am AEDT (2am AEST): Tonga v Italy

GROUP D
Thu Oct 31, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): USA v Cook Islands
Mon Nov 4, 1am AEDT (12am AEST): Wales v USA
Mon Nov 11, 1am AEDT (12am AEST): Wales v Cook Islands

GROUP C/D
Sat Oct 26, 3.30am AEDT (2.30am AEST): Wales v Italy
Wed Nov 6, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Tonga v Cook Islands
Fri Nov 8, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Scotland v USA

QUARTER FINALS
Sat Nov 16, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Winner B v Winner C
Sun Nov 17, 12am AEDT (11pm Sat AEST): Winner A v Winner D
Sun Nov 17, 7am AEDT (6am AEST): Runner-up A v 3rd Place B
Mon Nov 18, 2am AEDT (1am AEST): Runner-up B v 3rd Place A

SEMI FINALS
Sun Nov 25, 12am AEDT (11pm Sat AEST): Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 3
Sun Nov 24, 2.30am AEDT (1.30am AEST): Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 4

FINAL
Sun Dec 1, 1.30am AEDT (12.30am AEST): Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

[DIEHARD]

Group B catches my eye. France, Samoa, PNG and the reigning champs New Zealand.