2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D
Pool D of the 2023 Rugby World Cup began on 9 September 2023 and concluded on 8 October 2023. The pool included 2003 champions and 2019 runner-ups England, previous hosts Japan, and Argentina. They are joined by Samoa, the winner of the Oceania 1 qualifier, and tournament debutants Chile (Americas 2).[1] England topped the group and Argentina placed second, thus allowing both teams to progress.
Teams[edit]
| Pos. | Team | Band | Confederation | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Apps. | Last | Previous best performance |
World Rugby Rankings[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2020[nb 1] | 4 September 2023 | |||||||||
| D1 |  England |
1 | Europe | Top 3 in 2019 RWC pool | 5 October 2019 | 10th | 2019 | Winners (2003) | 3 | 8 |
| D2 |  Japan |
2 | Asia | Top 3 in 2019 RWC pool | 5 October 2019 | 10th | 2019 | Quarter-finals (2019) | 8 | 14 |
| D3 |  Argentina |
3 | South America | Top 3 in 2019 RWC pool | 9 October 2019 | 10th | 2019 | Third place (2007) | 10 | 6 |
| D4 |  Samoa |
4[nb 2] | Oceania | Oceania 1 | 17 July 2021 | 9th | 2019 | Quarter-finals (1991, 1995) | 15[nb 2] | 12 |
| D5 |  Chile |
5[nb 3] | South America | Americas 2 | 16 July 2022 | 1st | — | 29[nb 3] | 22 | |
Notes
- ^ The rankings of 1 January 2020 were used for seeding for the final draw.
- ^ a b As the identity of the Oceania 1 winners was not known at the time of the final draw, positions in the World Rugby Rankings were not taken into account, and the placeholder in the draw was automatically seeded into band 4.[3]
- ^ a b As the identity of the Americas 2 winners was not known at the time of the final draw, positions in the World Rugby Rankings were not taken into account, and the placeholder in the draw was automatically seeded into band 5.[3]
Overview[edit]
In the opening match of Pool D, England defeated Argentina by 27–10. Despite losing Tom Curry to a red card for a dangerous head-to-head with Juan Cruz Mallía, England went over the line courtesy of a player-of-the-match performance from George Ford who scored three drop goals and six penalties, with Argentina's Rodrigo Bruni scoring the only try of the match.[4] Japan faced debutants Chile the following day, in which Japan came out winners in a score of 42–12 despite the best efforts of Chile in their first World Cup appearance.[5] After a six day rest, Samoa played their first match of the pool against Chile in which they came out with a 43–10 bonus-point victory in Bordeaux.[6] The next day, England secured a bonus point victory over Japan in a 34–12 win.[7]
On 22 September, Argentina defeated Samoa with a scoreline of 19–10, with Emiliano Boffelli securing a converted try and 3 penalties, earning him player of the match. The result left the group finely poised and lifted hopes of progression to the knockout stage for Argentina.[8] The next day, England moved on to the brink of qualifying for the knockout stage, after defeating Chile with a scoreline of 71–0 with Henry Arundell earning player of the match having scored five tries in the match. Chile were officially eliminated from the tournament following the result.[9] As Pool D began to near its conclusion, Japan faced Samoa on 28 September in a match of high stakes for both sides. Tries from Lappies Labuschagné, Michael Leitch and Kazuki Himeno secured Japan a 28–22 victory over the Samoans to boost their hopes of progression to the knockout stage, while officially securing England's place who were thus confirmed to top the pool. Samoa, who lost Ben Lam to a red card for an upright tackle, were left requiring a victory in their final match against England to have a chance at progression.[10] Two days later, on 30 September, Chile played their last match of their first ever Rugby World Cup against Argentina in Nantes in what was the first ever meeting between two South American sides in a World Cup. The Argentinians raced to a 59–5 victory over the Chileans, scoring eight tries along with strong kicking from Nicolás Sánchez and Santiago Carreras to set up a showdown with Japan on the final matchday to decide who would join England in the quarter-finals.
On 7 October, England played their final match of the pool against Samoa in Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Despite a valiant effort from the Samoans, who scored two tries through Nigel Ah Wong, England edged the match in an 18–17 victory from a Danny Care try in the 73rd minute to give the English a full house of wins from Pool D as they headed into the quarter-finals while eliminating any hope of Samoa progressing themselves, which place Argentina and Japan in the 2027 Rugby World Cup before the match between two nations.[11] All that remained in the pool was the final match the following day between Japan and Argentina to decide who would finish second and join England in the knockout stage. The high stakes match took place in Nantes, where Mateo Carreras scored a hat-trick as Argentina came out 39–27 victors in a 66-point thriller to finish second in the pool and send themselves through to the quarter-finals with England who topped Pool D and left Japan eliminated from the tournament as they finished in third place.[12]
Standings[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | B | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England
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4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 39 | +111 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 18 | Advance to knockout stage, and qualification to the 2027 Rugby World Cup |
| 2 | Argentina
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4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 127 | 69 | +58 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 14 | |
| 3 | Japan
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4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 109 | 107 | +2 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 9 | Qualification to the 2027 Rugby World Cup |
| 4 | Samoa
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 92 | 75 | +17 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 7 | |
| 5 | Chile
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4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 215 | −188 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
Matches[edit]
England vs Argentina[edit]
| 9 September 2023 21:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| England | 27–10 | Argentina |
| Pen: Ford (6/6) 10', 46', 54', 59', 66', 75' Drop: Ford (3/3) 27', 31', 37' | Report | Try: Bruni 79' c Con: Boffelli (1/1) 80' Pen: Boffelli (1/2) 5' |
| Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 63,118 Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)[13] |
        England
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    Argentina
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- Tom Curry became the first England player to be sent off at a Rugby World Cup. It was also the fastest red card in a World Cup match, and the first ever to be issued at the tournament via the World Rugby foul play review process (a system introduced in August 2023, during the Summer Nations Series).[15]
Japan vs Chile[edit]
| 10 September 2023 13:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| (1 BP) Japan | 42–12 | Chile |
| Try: Fakatava (2) 8' c, 40+1' c Naikabula 30' c Leitch 53' c Nakamura 71' c Dearns 79' c Con: Matsuda (6/6) 10', 31', 40+2', 54', 73', 80+1' | Report | Try: Fernández 6' c A. Escobar 48' m Con: Videla (1/2) 7' |
| Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse Attendance: 30,187 Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)[13] |
     Japan
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    Chile
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- This was the first ever meeting between these two nations.
- This was Chile's first game at a Rugby World Cup.[17]
- Keita Inagaki (Japan) earned his 50th test cap.[18]
- Kazuki Himeno was originally named in the starting line-up for Japan, but withdrew prior to the match due to a calf injury. He was replaced in the back row by Jack Cornelsen, whose initial position in the second row was taken by Amanaki Saumaki, while the captaincy was handed over to Yutaka Nagare.[19]
Samoa vs Chile[edit]
| 16 September 2023 15:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| (1 BP) Samoa | 43–10 | Chile |
| Try: Paia'aua 40+1' c Taumateine 42' m Lee 47' m Malolo (2) 52' c, 80+1' c Con: Leali'ifano (2/4) 40+2', 53' Sopoaga (1/1) 80+2' Pen: Leali'ifano (4/4) 4', 10', 14', 36' | Report | Try: Dittus 6' c Con: Videla (1/1) 7' Pen: Garafulic (1/1) 30' |
| Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Attendance: 39,291 Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)[13] |
  Samoa
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Chile
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- This was the first ever meeting between these two nations.[21]
- Benjamín Videla (Chile) made his international debut.[22]
England vs Japan[edit]
| 17 September 2023 21:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| (1 BP) England | 34–12 | Japan |
| Try: Ludlam 24' c Lawes 56' c Steward 66' c Marchant 80+1' c Con: Ford (4/4) 26', 56', 67', 80+1' Pen: Ford (2/3) 4', 42' | Report | Pen: Matsuda (4/4) 15', 23', 32', 54' |
| Allianz Riviera, Nice Attendance: 30,500 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)[13] |
England
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Japan
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- This was the first match between England and Japan at a Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987, when the two nations met in the pool stages.[24][25]
Argentina vs Samoa[edit]
| 22 September 2023 17:45 CEST (UTC+2) |
| Argentina | 19–10 | Samoa |
| Try: Boffelli 9' c Con: Boffelli (1/1) 10' Pen: Boffelli (3/4) 25', 34', 54' Sánchez (1/1) 80' | Report | Try: Malolo 75' c Con: Leuila (1/1) 75' Pen: Leali'ifano (1/3) 28' |
| Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne Attendance: 38,358 Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)[13] |
Argentina
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  Samoa
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
England vs Chile[edit]
| 23 September 2023 17:45 CEST (UTC+2) |
| (1 BP) England | 71–0 | Chile |
| Try: Arundell (5) 20' m, 30' m, 48' c, 60' c, 69' m Dan (2) 24' c, 45' c Rodd 35' c Smith (2) 40' c, 77' c Willis 80' c Con: Farrell (8/11) 25', 36', 40+2', 46', 49', 62', 78', 80+1' | Report |
| Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq Attendance: 44,315 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)[13] |
 England
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Chile
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- This was the first ever meeting between these two nations.
- England recorded their first ever clean sheet in a World Cup match.
- With five tries, Henry Arundell equalled the England record for most tries scored by one player in a test match (shared with Douglas Lambert, Josh Lewsey and Rory Underwood).[29]
Japan vs Samoa[edit]
| 28 September 2023 21:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| Japan | 28–22 | Samoa (1 BP) |
| Try: Labuschagné 13' c Leitch 32' c Himeno 48' m Con: Matsuda (2/3) 15', 33' Pen: Matsuda (3/3) 28', 56', 75' | Report | Try: S. Lam 38' m Paia'aua 65' c Leali'ifano 78' c Con: Leali'ifano (2/3) 66', 79' Pen: Leuila (1/2) 25' |
| Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse Attendance: 31,794 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)[13] |
Japan
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Samoa
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- Kenta Fukuda (Japan) made his international debut.[31]
- Yutaka Nagare was originally named in the starting line-up for Japan, but withdrew prior to the match due to injury. He was replaced by Naoto Saitō, whose place on the bench was taken by Kenta Fukuda.[32]
- Chris Vui was originally named in the starting line-up for Samoa as captain, but withdrew prior to the match due to injury. He was replaced by Steven Luatua, whose place on the bench was taken by Brian Alainu'uese, while the captaincy was transferred to Fritz Lee.[32]
Argentina vs Chile[edit]
| 30 September 2023 15:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| (1 BP) Argentina | 59–5 | Chile |
| Try: Sánchez 9' c González (2) 16' c, 68' c Creevy 23' c Bogado 46' c Isgro 64' c Ruiz 77' c S. Carreras 79' c Con: Sánchez (6/6) 10', 17', 24', 47', 65', 69' S. Carreras (2/2) 78', 80+1' Pen: Sánchez (1/1) 13' | Report | Try: Dussaillant 73' m |
| Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Attendance: 33,963 Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)[13] |
Argentina
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Chile
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- This was the first ever meeting between these two nations at a Rugby World Cup, and the first meeting between any two South American teams in the competition.[35]
- Nicolás Sánchez became the second Argentine rugby player to earn 100 test caps.[36]
England vs Samoa[edit]
| 7 October 2023 17:45 CEST (UTC+2) |
| England | 18–17 | Samoa (1 BP) |
| Try: Chessum 9' m Care 73' c Con: Farrell (1/2) 74' Pen: Farrell (2/3) 18', 58' | Report | Try: Ah Wong (2) 22' c, 29' c Con: Sopoaga (2/2) 24', 30' Pen: Sopoaga (1/2) 48' |
| Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq Attendance: 47,891 Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)[13] |
England
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Samoa
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Player of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes:
- Owen Farrell became England's all-time top points scorer, breaking the previous record of 1,179 points which was held by Jonny Wilkinson.[38]
- This was the only match at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in which the Player of the Match was selected from the losing team.[39]
Japan vs Argentina[edit]
| 8 October 2023 13:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
| Japan | 27–39 | Argentina (1 BP) |
| Try: Fakatava 16' c Saitō 38' c Naikabula 65' c Con: Matsuda (3/3) 17', 39', 67' Pen: Matsuda (1/1) 52' Drop: Lemeki (1/1) 56' | Report | Try: Chocobares 2' c M. Carreras (3) 28' m, 46' c, 68' c Boffelli 58' c Con: Boffelli (3/4) 2', 47', 60' Sánchez (1/1) 70' Pen: Boffelli (1/2) 35' Sánchez (1/1) 75' |
| Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Attendance: 33,624 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)[13] |
Japan
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    Argentina
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Player of the Match:
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References[edit]
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