France, Dec. 3 -- The French rugby team could hardly have wished for better. Drawn alongside Japan, the United States and Samoa, Les Bleus hit the jackpot on Wednesday as the pools for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia were unveiled - setting them on what looks like a remarkably clear path to the semi-finals.

Fabien Galthie's side are widely expected to top Pool E with ease, before the tournament's real hurdles begin.

Only in the last four are Les Bleus likely to hit a genuine wall of resistance, in the form of the winner of a probable quarter-final clash between two southern-hemisphere giants: back-to-back world champions South Africa, and three-time winners New Zealand.

France, still chasing their first global crown despite six s...