How the 2019 Rugby World Cup could play out

With the Rugby World Cup 2019 draw revealed last night in Tokyo, many All Blacks fans will be looking beyond the pool play and trying to work out potential quarter-final and semifinal match-ups.

If the All Blacks top Pool B, which also includes South Africa, Italy, Africa 1 (potentially Namibia) and a Repechage winner, then the runner up in Pool A awaits them in the quarter-finals.

Pool A features Ireland, Scotland and Japan. That means a potential quarter-final clash against Ireland - the only side to beat the All Blacks last year. Ireland go into Pool A as the top seed but did lose to Scotland during the recent Six Nations.

World Rugby weren't clear on the breakdown of the knockout format last night but have previously said the structure will be the same as 2015.

If that's the case the winner of Pool B and winner Pool C will be aligned on the same side of the knockout draw - meaning a potential meeting against England in the semifinals.

The match schedule won't be announced until September but the All Blacks will likely be hoping to face South Africa in the middle of pool play.

The Springboks have beaten the All Blacks twice at the World Cup (1995 final and 1999 bronze medal place) and pushed the world champions in an intense clash in the semifinal stage in 2015. However they have won just one of their last 10 tests against New Zealand.

Watch: Bryan Habana breaks down the RWC draw

Going by seedings this is how the knockout draw could work out:

Quarter-final 1 - Pool B winner (All Blacks) v Pool A runner-up (Scotland)
Quarter-final 2 - Pool C winner (England) v Pool D runner-up (Wales)
Quarter-final 3 - Pool D winner (Australia) v Pool C runner-up (France)
Quarter-final 4 - Pool A winner (Ireland) v Pool B runner-up (South Africa)

Semifinal 1 - Winner of quarter-final 1 v winner of quarter-final 2
Semifinal 2 - Winner of quarter-final 3 v winner of quarter-final 4