Source: CCTV.com

12-02-2008 09:37

Reigning world champions South Africa were handed a relatively difficult draw on Monday as the pools were selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in London.

Chairman of Rugby World Cup Limited Bernard Lapasset pulls  out New Zealand during the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool  Allocation Draw in London.Tournament hosts New Zealand were drawn alongside France,the team that beat them in the  quarter-finals of last year's edition.(AFP/POOL/David Rogers)

The Springboks will face Wales, Fiji and the qualifiers from the Oceania 1 and Africa 1 tournaments in pool D.

Bernard Lapasset, the chairman of the rugby World Cup, and Jock Hobbs, the chairman of rugby New Zealand 2011, were on hand to pull the balls and the initial selection had an interesting look.2007 World Cup finalists England were draw in pool B alongside perennial foes Scotland, whilst Wales were joined in pool D with Fiji.New Zealand were drawn into pool A alongside France, Tonga.Australia were drawn in pool C alongside Ireland and Italy and will be confident of progression.The top two from each pool will qualify for the next round, with the winners of pool A facing the runners up from pool B, and the winners of group C facing the runners up from pool D.If the tournament goes to form it could mean a England versus New Zealand quarter-final, whilst the Welsh are likely to face Australia.