Wallabies skipper wants All Blacks for Rugby World Cup opener

The 2027 RWC draw took place on Wednesday, with the All Blacks being drawn in the same pool as the hosts. With newcomers Chile and Hong Kong rounding out the group, it does make sense for the opening game of the tournament to be a blockbuster between the storied cross-Tasman rivals.

"We're obviously stoked to get the All Blacks," Wilson told the Wallabies website.

"We verse quite a lot, so to get them in the showpiece event, our first game, it'd be really exciting.

"In a World Cup, if you want to win it, you've got to beat the best teams, and they're obviously one of the best teams in the world."

If the Wallabies are on top of the pool, they would play a third-place finisher from either Pool C, E, or F.

It would then set up a potential quarterfinal with defending champions South Africa, who are in Pool B in one of the toughest pools, with Italy, Georgia and Romania.

"There’s a lot of potential paths you can go down but if we get the Springboks in a quarterfinal, it’ll be exciting. It’s a challenge which we’re going to have to be ready for," Wilson remarked on this possibility.

A second-place finish would see them face the runners-up of Pool E, which is 2023 Rugby World Cup hosts France, who will take on Pacific rivals Japan, USA, and Samoa.

This would put them on a path to take on England, who are drawn into Pool F. There's a distinct Six Nations feel to Pool D and F as Ireland and Scotland are drawn together, with England and Wales also set to face.

Meanwhile, Argentina will battle Fiji, Spain, and Canada in Pool C, likely to face Ireland in the quarters.

"It’s really exciting," said coach Joe Schmidt, who will hand over to Les Kiss before the event.

"The Wallabies will play [New Zealand] four times in the lead-up and it gives you a great opportunity to really plot a path to get up and organise for that game.

"Chile and Hong Kong China, they’re two newcomers that will challenge you in a different way; challenge you to keep that level of performance to a certain height so that when you hit the round of 16, you hit the ground running."