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The Rugby World Cup organised by France has been a remarkable success since its opening match in early September. The stadiums are packed, the atmosphere is cheerful, the matches are pleasant to watch, the TV audience has reached record levels and fine weather is the name of the game.
The fifth and final round of group matches will be played this week. It is a decisive day for several teams who may or may not make it through to the quarter-finals. Eight matches are on the program, some of which are akin to knockout rounds.
To date, only Wales and England have secured a place in the quarter-finals, while two countries, namely Namibia and Chile, have played their four matches and finished at the bottom of their respective groups.
Uruguay, Romania, Tonga, Georgia, Portugal and Samoa will be playing for keeps as they are certain not to finish second in their group. For the other teams, the suspense is at its peak.
Pool A
Despite these three victories, France have yet to secure a quarter-final place but will do so if they beat Italy on Friday to finish first in the group. If it does, it will be joined by New Zealand. After its two magnificent performances against Namibia and Italy, New Zealand should logically qualify when facing Uruguay. Meanwhile, Italy must beat France to keep their hopes alive.
Pool B
The Ireland-Scotland match promises suspense. Scotland must beat top-ranked Ireland to have a chance to advance. If Johnny Sexton and Co lose to the Scots without picking up at least a bonus point, they will be out of the World Cup. There is plenty of optimism on the part of the Shamrock team, who have not lost to the Thistle Boys in eight matches. South Africa will have another week to recover before the quarter-finals, having already played their four matches. While their fate also depends on the outcome of the match between the Irish and the Scots, they already have one foot in the quarter-finals.
Pool C
This is likely to be the pool of surprises with the probable elimination of Australia, a two-time world champion that has never been eliminated at this stage of the competition. A real thunderbolt for the Wallabies, who have been losing momentum in recent years. The Australians, who have already played their four matches, will have to wait a long week and carefully watch the Fiji-Portugal match on television. Fiji have the advantadge and if they win, they will join Wales in the quarter-finals.
Pool D
A big clash to round off this final day. A real round of 16. The Japan-Argentina match promises to be a sparkler. The winner will be joining England, who have already secured their spot. The advantage may lie with the Pumas, who are in better shape and have a superior goal difference compared to the Brave Blossoms, the nickname of the Japanese rugby players.
The anticipated quarter-finals based on logic:
France vs. South Africa
New Zealand vs. Ireland
England vs. Fiji
Wales vs. Argentina
It is remarkable to see that the top four teams are ranked in the Top 4 of the Rugby World rankings. These quarter-finals will be finals before their time, making them a must-watch for rugby enthusiasts.
