Brett Gosper, Bill Beaumont and Debbie Jevans with the Webb Ellis Cup © Getty Images

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Wallabies at Rugby World Cup 2015

• Pool A Fixtures
• September 23: Oceania 1 (likely Fiji), Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
• September 27: Last qualifier, Villa Park, Birmingham
• October 3: England, Twickenham, London
• October 10: Wales, Twickenham, London
• Must finish top two of pool to qualify for knockout stage
• Top Pool A scenario
• October 18: quarter-final v Pool B runner-up (likely Scotland or Samoa), Twickenham
• October 25: semi-final (possibly France or Ireland, likely pool D winner), Twickenham
• October 31: Final, Twickenham
• Second in Pool A scenario
• October 17: quarter-final v Pool B winner (likely South Africa), Twickenham
• October 24: semi-final v New Zealand (likely pool C winner), Twickenham
• October 31: Final, Twickenham
• Pools
• Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, Last qualifier.
• Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2.
• Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1.
• Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Europe 2.
  
• Full Rugby World Cup 2015 schedule

Ewen McKenzie's desire for another extended five-week European tour in 2014 has been justified by the Wallabies' cut-throat draw for Rugby World Cup 2015, with Australia to run the gauntlet from their third pool game against host nation England.

Needing to make the top two of their "pool of death", the Wallabies face major rivals England and Wales back-to-back in their final two group games needing to win both to avoid South Africa and New Zealand in the knockout stages.

Australia kick off their campaign against an Oceania qualifier, highly likely to be Fiji, at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on September 23 before backing up four days later against another qualifying nation at Villa Park in Birmingham.

The easier pool games will allow McKenzie to play his strongest team in the opener then rest key players from the second before facing hosts England at Twickenham on October 3.

The Wallabies, currently ranked No.3, then finalise their pool play in what could be a sudden-death clash against Wales at Twickenham on October 10.

McKenzie said this week that he wanted another five-week European tour next year to best prepare for five successive big-stage matches at the World Cup - the final two group games, followed by a quarter-final, semi- and final.

Group losses to both England and Wales, whom Australia play in Cardiff in their 2013 finale this weekend, will almost certainly see them miss the play-off stage for the first time in the tournament's 28-year history, but they will be desperate to win all four pool matches to avoid the Springboks, the top-ranked team in pool B, in the quarter-finals and instead draw the likes of Samoa or Scotland.

Australia can also avoid a likely semi-final against the defending champion All Blacks, who are in pool C, in a clear sign of the benefits of topping their pool.

New Zealand and South Africa are drawn to meet in the semi-finals while the pool A winners are more likely to face France or Ireland if they make their way through to the final four.