.jpeg?trim=0,143,0,142&crop=&width=640&quality=70&enable=upscale)
Thursday marks one year to go until the 2027 Rugby World Cup begins in Australia.
It will be the biggest version of the tournament ever staged, with 24 nations taking part, four more than the 2023 edition.
The expanded competition means changes to the format and the teams will be split into six groups of four in the pool stage. There will be an extra round of knockout matches next year. The top two in each pool and the four best third-placed sides will go through to the round of 16.
Scotland have been drawn in Pool D with Ireland, Portugal and Uruguay, the third time in a row they have been paired with the Irish in the group stage.
It’s Gregor Townsend’s third crack at the World Cup as Scotland head coach and likely to be his last, with his contract expiring after the tournament. The Scots have failed to make it out of the pool phase in each of the last two World Cups but that it is likely to change next year given the new format.
However, Scotland could be up against France in the last 16 if they finish runners-up in Pool D. That’s why their game against Ireland in Perth on October 10 is so important. Their other group matches, against Uruguay in Melbourne on October 3 and Portugal in Brisbane on October 17, should be more straightforward.
Here’s how Townsend’s team could line up at the tournament against the big guns:
17. Backs replacements
Jamie Dobie, pictured, covers scrum-half and wing and will have a key role to play. Fergus Burke likely to understudy Finn Russell at 10 and Tom Jordan's versatility makes him certainty for the squad. | SNS Group Photo: SNS