TheBreakdown

Road to the Final

Rugby World Cup 2027

The top two in each pool and the four best third-placed teams go into a round of 16. Choose a team and where it might finish to light up its route through the bracket: each match, its date and venue, and what the other side is until the teams are known.

Choose a team

Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Pool E
Pool F
Show the whole bracket

France’s road

4 knockout wins from the pool to the trophy. Showing the first of 4 possible routes
  1. 1Pool E
    USA, Japan, Samoa
    2 Oct to 17 Oct
    Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney
  2. 2Round of 16 2
    v 1st Pool A
    Sat, 23 Oct, 15:45 UTC+10
    Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
  3. 3Quarter-final 1
    v Winner R16 4
    Sat, 30 Oct, 16:45 UTC+11
    Stadium Australia, Sydney
  4. 4Semi-final 1
    v Winner QF 2
    Fri, 5 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11
    Stadium Australia, Sydney
  5. 5Final
    v Winner SF 2
    Sat, 13 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11
    Stadium Australia, Sydney

France: finish third

Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinalSemi-finalsQuarter-finalsRound of 16Round of 16 1Sat, 23 Oct2nd Pool C2nd Pool FRound of 16 2Sat, 23 Oct1st Pool AFranceRound of 16 3Sat, 23 Oct1st Pool E2nd Pool DRound of 16 4Sat, 23 Oct1st Pool BFranceRound of 16 5Sun, 24 Oct1st Pool CFranceRound of 16 6Sun, 24 Oct1st Pool DFranceRound of 16 7Sun, 24 Oct2nd Pool A2nd Pool ERound of 16 8Sun, 24 Oct1st Pool F2nd Pool BQuarter-final 1Sat, 30 OctFranceWinner R16 4Quarter-final 2Sat, 30 OctWinner R16 1Winner R16 3Quarter-final 3Sun, 31 OctFranceWinner R16 6Quarter-final 4Sun, 31 OctWinner R16 7Winner R16 8Semi-final 1Fri, 5 NovFranceWinner QF 2Semi-final 2Sat, 6 NovFranceWinner QF 4Bronze finalFri, 12 NovRU SF 1RU SF 2FinalSat, 13 NovFranceWinner SF 2
Scroll sideways to see the whole bracket.France’s routeA possible routeFrance’s own side

A third-placed team only goes through if it is one of the four best, and which round-of-16 match it lands in depends on which pools those four come from. Dashed matches are the possible landings.

The bronze final is played by the beaten semi-finalists at Stadium Australia the day before the final.

Text version of the route

Pool matches

  • France v USASat, 2 Oct, 17:45 UTC+10 · Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
  • France v JapanSat, 9 Oct, 18:45 UTC+10 · Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
  • France v SamoaSun, 17 Oct, 19:45 UTC+11 · Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Route 1 of 4: if placed in round of 16 2

  1. Round of 16Against 1st Pool ASat, 23 Oct, 15:45 UTC+10 · Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
  2. Quarter-finalAgainst Winner R16 4Sat, 30 Oct, 16:45 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney
  3. Semi-finalAgainst Winner QF 2Fri, 5 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney
  4. FinalAgainst Winner SF 2Sat, 13 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney

Route 2 of 4: if placed in round of 16 4

  1. Round of 16Against 1st Pool BSat, 23 Oct, 18:45 UTC+8 · Perth Stadium, Perth
  2. Quarter-finalAgainst Winner R16 2Sat, 30 Oct, 16:45 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney
  3. Semi-finalAgainst Winner QF 2Fri, 5 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney
  4. FinalAgainst Winner SF 2Sat, 13 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney

Route 3 of 4: if placed in round of 16 5

  1. Round of 16Against 1st Pool CSun, 24 Oct, 14:15 UTC+11 · Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
  2. Quarter-finalAgainst Winner R16 6Sun, 31 Oct, 16:00 UTC+10 · Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
  3. Semi-finalAgainst Winner QF 4Sat, 6 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney
  4. FinalAgainst Winner SF 1Sat, 13 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney

Route 4 of 4: if placed in round of 16 6

  1. Round of 16Against 1st Pool DSun, 24 Oct, 16:45 UTC+11 · Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
  2. Quarter-finalAgainst Winner R16 5Sun, 31 Oct, 16:00 UTC+10 · Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
  3. Semi-finalAgainst Winner QF 4Sat, 6 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney
  4. FinalAgainst Winner SF 1Sat, 13 Nov, 20:00 UTC+11 · Stadium Australia, Sydney