Unlike the situation in the pool phase, there is no luxury of a second chance, or in France's case, a third chance.
The draw for Japan 2019 will be made in May and if Scotland can maintain their new position they should avoid having to take on two major nations in the opening pool phase.
They avoid each other in the pool phase, which for the No.4 team — currently France — is a huge benefit given the likelihood that New Zealand, South Africa and Australia will be ranked in the top three when the draw takes place.
Wales now have a first tilt at the Springboks since suffering an agonising 17-16 defeagainstnsthemem in the World Cup pool phase two years ago, and 40 times-capped Davies is relishing the prospect.
Parra got his first outing at flyhalf in the pool phase during France's 37-17 defeatoto New Zealand after David Skrela was injured and coach Marc Lièvremont ran out of patience with the underperforming François Trinh-Duc.
Canada Coach Kieran Crowley Captain Pat Riordani Below the Japanese in the rankings, if only by a single place, the Canucks are more likely to ask interesting questions of opponents through the pool phase.
The pool phase will continue to be played in three blocks of two weekends, completed in January, but the final will be moved to the beginning of May rather than a week before the domestic finals at the end of the month.
Many of those who have bought tickets for the knock-out stage of the tournament in the hope of seeing Stuart Lancaster's side are expected to put them up for re-sale should England fail to advance from the pool phase.
Samoa Coach Titimaea Tafua Captain Mahonri Schwalger the samoans, quarter-finalists in 1991 and 1995, were far from confident of revisiting the knockout stage at the 2007 tournament in France, but they sure as hell did not expect to lose to Tonga, their South Seas neighbours, in the pool phase.
However, competition rules allow clubs to register up to two "additional players" as replacements for players from the initial squad who are injured during the pool phase.
A commercial software programd was used for quantitative computerised analysis of the contrast medium blood pool phase.
