Rugby World Cup Schedule 2015: Preview, Picks for Remaining Group-Stage Fixtures

The group stages of the Rugby World Cup 2015 are coming to an end, and while we already have a clear view of which eight teams will advance to the quarter-finals, there's plenty still to play for as the schedule comes to a close.

Scotland still need to beat Samoa to make sure Japan don't overtake them for second place in Pool B, while Australia and Wales will do battle for the top spot in Pool A.

Tonga would need a couple of miracles to qualify from Pool C, and Ireland and France will meet in Pool D, with the winner avoiding a clash with defending champions New Zealand in the next round.

Here's a look at the upcoming schedule, complete with picks:

Date	Time (BST)	Home	Away	Venue	Pick
October 6	4:45 p.m.	Canada	Romania	Leicester City Stadium, Leicester	Canada win
October 6	8 p.m.	Fiji	Uruguay	Stadium MK, Milton Keynes	Fiji win
October 7	4:45 p.m.	South Africa	USA	Olympic Stadium, London	South Africa win
October 7	8 p.m.	Namibia	Georgia	Sandy Park, Exeter	Georgia win
October 9	8 p.m.	New Zealand	Tonga	St James' Park, Newcastle	New Zealand win
October 10	2:30 p.m.	Samoa	Scotland	St James' Park, Newcastle	Scotland win
October 10	4:45 p.m.	Australia	Wales	Twickenham, London	Australia win
October 10	8 p.m.	England	Uruguay	Manchester City Stadium	England win
October 11	Noon	Argentina	Namibia	Leicester City Stadium, Leicester	Argentina win
October 11	2:30 p.m.	Italy	Romania	Sandy Park, Exeter	Italy win
October 11	4:45 p.m.	France	Ireland	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	Ireland win
October 11	8 p.m.	USA	Japan	Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester	Japan win

Preview

Perhaps no match will have a bigger impact on the knockout stages than Sunday's clash between Ireland and France at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Most of the quarter-finalists have already been decided, via Balls.ie, but the battle for the top spot in Pool D is one to keep an eye on, nonetheless:

Six Nations champions Ireland looked sloppy and uninspired in their 16-9 win over Italy, with a single try from Keith Earls making the difference. The Azzurri deserve full credit for turning the match into a tight affair, but fans can't have been happy with the final result, regardless.

Coach Joe Schmidt initially tried to pass off any criticism by pointing to the fact his team won, per BBC Sport, but as shared by UTV Sports' Ruth Gorman, he conceded his side need to improve in order to beat France:

If the Irish can't get past Les Bleus, an even greater challenge will await the team in the quarter-finals―defending champions New Zealand, who have lost just three Tests since the 2011 World Cup, per Gregor Paul of the New Zealand Herald.

France haven't been at their very best in 2015, but so far during the 2015 World Cup, they've managed to exceed expectations. Italy―without Sergio Parisse―never came close to upsetting Les Bleus, and neither did Romania nor Canada.

Jared Payne is expected to return to fitness in time for the all-important clash, per Cian Tracey of the Independent, which should be a big boost to Ireland's hopes of beating the French.

Elsewhere, Australia and Wales will do battle for the top spot in Pool A, with the winners likely to avoid South Africa in the next round. The Wallabies are riding high after their big 33-13 win at Twickenham, London, over hosts England, a match they deservedly won, even if the scoreline looked a little harsh:

The Welsh didn't look at their best in a 23-13 win over Fiji but got the job done, and similar to Ireland's effort against Italy, they may have already been looking ahead at the upcoming clash with Australia.

As reported by WalesOnline's Andy Howell, Warren Gatland and his men are treating the match against the Wallabies as a World Cup final, and it's easy to see why. Per Howell, they've dropped 10 in a row against the Aussies, who look in terrific form heading into the contest, as shared by sports writer Liam:

The only pool that hasn't been fully decided is Pool B, where Scotland lead Japan by two points in the race for second place, one point behind South Africa.

The Springboks are expected to cruise past the United States, booking their ticket for the next round in the process, while the Eagles will also play Japan, with the Scots taking on Samoa.

Scotland were thoroughly outplayed by the Springboks in their last match, but coach Vern Cotter rested a number of key players, knowing the clash with Samoa will be key.

The Pacific Islanders shouldn't be underestimated, but Japan easily beat Samoa, and Scotland should do the same.

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