2019 Rugby World Cup: Typhoon could hurl England into quarters

Name: ANZ Sports Scene: Wales hang on to beat Wallabies in thriller
Uploaded: 2019-09-30T12:53:40+13:00
Duration: 539 s
Description: Wales have beaten Australia to go top of pool D, Japanese media go bonkers after the brave blossoms win over Ireland and we catch up with City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman ahead of UFC 243. VIDEO/Spark Sport

NZ Herald

29 Sep, 2019 06:14 PM2 mins to read

Wales have beaten Australia to go top of pool D, Japanese media go bonkers after the brave blossoms win over Ireland and we catch up with City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman ahead of UFC 243. VIDEO/Spark Sport

England could be handed their World Cup quarterfinal place by a typhoon which is threatening one of the Pool B games.

World Rugby has warned France and the USA their match in Fukuoka on Wednesday is in danger of being cancelled because of high winds and heavy rain heading that way, in the form of Typhoon Mitag.

"The latest information indicates that the typhoon is moving further away from Japan's coastline than originally predicted and the impact risk is reducing," World Rugby said in a statement on Sunday.

"However, in the best interests of the teams and the integrity of the tournament, we have informed France and the USA of the contingency plans in the event that adverse weather means that it is not possible to play the match in Fukuoka on the scheduled date."

Cancelled matches result in 0–0 draws, meaning France would be robbed of a bonus point opportunity against weak opponents. Unbeaten England lead the group after two games, a having also gained bonus points against Tonga and the Americans.

Typhoon Mitag will also be near the All Blacks' match against Canada on Wednesday, although the game is in the north-eastern corner on the island of Kyushu.

Rain and a slight easing in the high temperatures are predicted for Oita that day. The Oita stadium has a roof.

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