The 2019 Rugby World Cup kicks off this morning and the battle to win the Webb Ellis Cup is wide open.
New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia are the only nations to have previously won the trophy but it is difficult to predict a winner this time.
New Zealand, the winners in 2011 and 2015, are bidding to make it three in a row but Ireland head into the tournament as the number one ranked team.
South Africa and Wales also arrive in Japan with confidence following their respective successes in the Rugby Championship and the Six Nations.
England have won 10 of their previous 14 games, while Australia will always fancy their chances of making it to the closing stages of the competition.
Gregor Townsend’s Scotland will also feel they are capable of putting on a show but they will start with a stern test against Ireland on Sunday.
The tournament will span 12 cities, 20 teams and 48 games, starting today when Japan take on Russia in Tokyo at 11.45am. All 48 matches will be live on STV or ITV 4.
Who are the teams and how does it work?
The competition opens with 20 teams split across four pools – A, B, C and D.
Only two teams from each pool advance to the knockout rounds.
Pool A: Japan, Russia, Ireland, Samoa, Scotland.
Pool B: New Zealand, Namibia, Italy, Canada, South Africa.
Pool C: England, Tonga, France, Argentina, United States.
Pool D: Wales, Georgia, Fiji, Australia, Uruguay.
What can we expect from Scotland?
Scotland were inches away from reaching the semi-finals four years ago when a controversial late penalty call from referee Craig Joubert denied them a famous victory over Australia.
Head coach Gregor Townsend has a strong pool of players at his disposal, including the talented Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg.
Along with Ireland, they will be expected to progress from Pool A but they have their work cut out.
Hosts Japan, who beat South Africa, Samoa and the United States in the 2015 tournament, will be determined to reach the knockout stages on home soil.
Should Scotland make it out of their pool stage they will likely face a difficult quarter-final against either South Africa or New Zealand.
When do Scotland play?
A huge match first up for Gregor Townsend’s men when they face Ireland in Yokohama on Sunday. Kick-off is 8.45am and the game is live on STV.
Next up is Samoa in Kobe on Monday September 30 at 11.15am.
Townsend’s men should be too strong for Russia when the sides meet on Wednesday October 9 at 8.15am at the Shizouka Stadium before they finish the group stages against hosts Japan in Yokohama four days later (11.45am).
Daring to dream?
The quarter-finals take place on Saturday October 19 and Sunday October 20.
The semi-finals are on Saturday October 26 and Sunday October 27.
The Bronze final is on Friday November 1 with the final taking place in the International Stadium in Yokohama on Saturday November 2.
