England have been handed a fearsome World Cup pool draw for the second successive tournament.
Eddie Jones' men will be in the same group as France and Argentina for the 2019 tournament in Japan.
At the 2015 World Cup, England were grouped with Australia and Wales and failed to reach the knockout phase.
Ireland and Scotland were pooled together with hosts Japan at Wednesday's draw, which took place in the Kyoto State Guest House.
Wales, meanwhile, have drawn Australia for the second successive World Cup - Georgia are also in their pool - while there is a shuddering showdown ahead between holders New Zealand and their fellow twice world champions South Africa in Pool B.
CLICK HERE FOR REACTION TO THE DRAW
Under Jones, England embarked on a long unbeaten run that ended in March with defeat to Ireland, and have won two successive Six Nations titles, so they are likely to start the tournament as group favourites.
France, though, are showing signs of considerable improvement under new head coach Guy Noves, and Argentina are consistent top-drawer performers at World Cup tournaments.
The group is completed by two qualifiers - Americas 1, which will be the United States or Canada, and Oceania 2, which looks set to be Samoa or Fiji.
Ireland will be favourites to win Pool A as they set about trying to improve a World Cup record that has never seen them progress beyond the quarter-finals.
Host nation Japan are also in the group - Scotland beat them in the 2015 pool stage - with Europe 1, possibly Romania, and a play-off winner completing the picture.
Wales once again find themselves in direct competition with Australia, a country they have consistently struggled to beat during head coach Warren Gatland's nine-year coaching reign.
Wales lost to Australia during the 2015 World Cup, and they also face tough opposition from rapidly-improving Georgia, whom Wales meet for the first time during their autumn Test schedule later this year.
Samoa, against whom Wales scraped a victory at World Cup 2011 in New Zealand, are also likely to feature in the group as Oceania 1, with Americas 2 completing the picture.
New Zealand's clash with South Africa promises to be the pool stage highlight, but reigning world champions the All Blacks will not be unduly worried by a group that also features Italy, Africa 1 and the repechage winner.
All qualifying will be finished by the end of next year.
The top two teams from each pool will reach the quarter-finals, where England v Wales looks distinctly possible given the knockout stage draw bracket (full details below).
The action gets under way on September 20 2019 with the final at Yokohama Stadium on November 2.
Pool A
Ireland
Scotland
Japan
Europe 1
Play-Off Winner
Pool B
New Zealand
South Africa
Italy
Africa 1
Repechage Winner
Pool C
England
France
Argentina
Americas 1
Oceania 2
Pool D
Australia
Wales
Georgia
Oceania 1
Americas 2
Quarter-finals
1. Pool B winner v Pool A runner-up
2. Pool C winner v Pool D runner-up
3. Pool D winner v Pool C runner-up
4. Pool A winner v Pool B runner-up
Semi-finals
QF1 winner v QF2 winner
QF3 winner v QF4 winner
Rugby World Cup betting
England were pushed out from 4/1 to 9/2 to win the World Cup following the draw.
Holders and favourites New Zealand were left unchanged at 6/5, while Ireland were regarded as winners in the draw by our betting partners - they were slashed from 14/1 to 7/1 after landing in the same pool as Scotland and hosts Japan.
That price makes them fourth favourites, just behind 13/2 shots Australia.
Interestingly if the top four in the betting finish top of their respective groups - which they are all odds-on to do - England and New Zealand will be on one side of the knockout draw and Ireland and Australia on the other.
Australia are regarded as the top seed most under pressure - they are 1/2 to top Pool D with Wales offered at 11/8. The Welsh, potential quarter-final opponents for England, can be backed at 14/1 to win the tournament.
Despite landing in the toughest pool, England are 2/5 to win it with France at 7/2 and Argentina 9/2 shots.
Scotland 33/1 in the outright betting, are 3/1 to finish top of Pool A in which Ireland are just 1/4. Hosts Japan can be backed at 18/1.
