Rugby World Cup Groups 2015: Key Storylines in Pool B

South Africa are the top seeds in the pool, and they are joined by Japan, Samoa, Scotland and the USA.

This is a group of aspirational teams and future hosts, an enigmatic rugby superpower, a tight battle for knockout qualification and a decorated veteran seeking one final prize for his country.

Here, Bleacher Report highlights five stories to follow in Pool B.

Who Will Join South Africa in Quarter-Finals?

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

South Africa have a nice pool for launching a bid to regain the World Cup. There is no team in the group that should challenge their supremacy, but they are all strong enough to ensure the Springboks are nicely warmed up for the knockout stage.

The battle for the second qualifying spot will be intense. The USA are developing (see the last slide), but this tournament comes too soon for the North Americans.

Japan can catch teams off guard with their pacey play, but Scotland and Samoa will most fancy their chances of making the last eight. Their game on October 10 will be bruising.

Which South Africa?

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

What shape are South Africa in coming into the tournament? At their best, they are the side most likely to challenge New Zealand. But politics and underwhelming performances over the past three months have seen them drop down the world rankings to third (they were fifth before Ireland’s back-to-back defeats against Wales and England). In late June, they were second.

Writing in the Guardian, Michael Aylwin acutely surmised the perils of predicting South Africa’s fortunes at the tournament:

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A year ago, they came second in the Rugby Championship for the second year running.

Since then, though, they have become the first team other than Argentina to finish last in the Rugby Championship.

That defeat to Argentina was a horror show for the Springboks, not only because they were so poor, so thoroughly outplayed and so flattered by the final scoreline of 37-25, but because it has been a long time coming. Rarely can a side have won a match they less deserved to than when South Africa sneaked past the Pumas in Salta in 2014 – apart from, perhaps, when they did the same to Wales in Nelspruit a couple of months earlier. Wales successfully sued for revenge in November, when South Africa also lost to Ireland, and the debacle against Argentina in Durban might be seen as fitting into the same general decline.

Around those landmark defeats, though, there have been positive developments. The Springboks’ losses to Australia and New Zealand in this year’s Rugby Championship were harsh and could have gone their way, particularly the first, which was decided by little more than a blade of grass.

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Indeed. Which South Africa will turn up?

Japan: Looking Towards 2019

Associated Press

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Webb Ellis Cup.

For Japan, much of the 2015 Rugby World Cup is preparation for the country playing host to the sport’s showpiece in 2019. It will be the first tournament to be held in Asia and is a key part of rugby's global expansion.

On the field, Japan play a fast game, and along with competing for a quarter-final berth, they will be trying to entice the world to come to Tokyo and beyond for 2019.

Victor Matfield

WILLIAM WEST/Getty Images

Matfield celebrates after the 2007 World Cup final.

Victor Matfield, the titanic Springbok lock, will re-retire from international rugby after the tournament. One of the finest second-rowers of all time, Matfield tasted World Cup success in France in 2007, when he was Man of the Match in the final.

Matfield has 123 caps and is sixth on the all-time international appearance list, and he deserves a good international send-off before joining Northampton Saints after the tournament. Will he get one?

First, he will have to fight for his place against the more dynamic Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager. Whether or not the veteran is selected will convey coach Heyneke Meyer's approach throughout the tournament. Will South Africa look to experience to win the World Cup? If so, Matfield should get his chance.

USA: Future Rugby World Cup Hosts?

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

The USA might not be a rugby-mad nation, but can the 2015 World Cup capture attention like the 2014 FIFA World Cup did for football? The USA have already hosted New Zealand in Chicago, and on the field the squad will hope to emulate the success of the USA sevens team, winners of the World Series weekend at Twickenham in May.

Rugby officials in the USA will also be looking for strong performances to boost interest at home, with speculation that the country might bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

In July, as per Americas Rugby News, World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset, spoke about the 2023 bidding process:

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Although USA Rugby ultimately decided not to proceed with a formal bid, it was very encouraging that they originally had expressed an interest in hosting rugby’s flagship tournament. In the end, they decided to focus instead on other upcoming projects, not least the hosting of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018, but they are an ambitious and progressive union and I have no doubt they will bid to host Rugby World Cup at some point in the future.

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Part of this movement has been driven by the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, leading to increased funding for the sport in the USA. Encouraging results in England would see the plan to host a World Cup gather momentum.