England and Ireland, ranked third and fourth in the world behind South Africa and New Zealand, were placed in pools F and D respectively.
Should all four teams live up to their seedings and progress as pool winners, England and Ireland would be on the opposite side of the draw from the two southern hemisphere superpowers and unable to meet them until the final.
England and Ireland would also be kept apart from each other until the semis, while the Springboks and All Blacks would be on a quarter-final collision course, ensuring one would fall before the last four.
Should France advance as pool winners – and it is difficult to see Japan, USA or Samoa preventing them – Fabien Galthie’s side would be primed to try and pick off whoever emerges from that titanic encounter.
Scotland, who have gone out in the pool stages in three of the past four tournaments, could hijack France’s route into the latter stages.
Gregor Townsend’s side have won only one of their past 16 meetings with Ireland, including coming off on the wrong end of a Pool B meeting at France 2023.
If that trend continues in Pool D but Scotland see off Uruguay and Portugal, they would most likely meet France – against whom their record is much better – in the last 16.
The current rankings predict that a quarter-final against Fiji would follow.
Even Wales, mired in dire form and structural upheaval behind the scenes, have reason to be cheerful.
Tonga and Zimbabwe are far more friendly Pool F opposition than a worst-case scenario of Georgia, winners at Principality Stadium in 2022 and itching to make a point over a potential place in the Six Nations, and Samoa, who inflicted famous World Cup defeats on Wales in 1991 and 1999.
A runner-up spot in Pool F will earn a last-16 tie against the team that finish second among Argentina, Fiji, Spain and Canada in Pool C.
Now, for the caveats.
At the moment, at a point in the World Cup cycle when they are normally building, South Africa are without equal. However you split the 24 teams, they would be favourites and deservedly so.
