RELL Rugby 256: The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final Preview

Teams: England vs. South Africa.

Referee: Jerome Garces (France).
Stadium: International Stadium Yokohama.
Kickoff: 12 Noon (EAT) Saturday 2nd November 2019.

After the shocking defeat of New Zealand last week, England will be up against South Africa in the Topmost Rugby Competition globally. The Japanese as hosts have been very good and the World Rugby cannot seem to find enough words of platitude to them. After a grueling 6 weeks of hardcore rugby, intense rivalry and some heartbreaks, the curtains will finally come down with either the Captains Owen Farrell or Siya Kolisi lifting the Cup and make their country men and women ecstatic with joy.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC) has had its fair share of drama, action and natural disasters but the longest living memory will be on the final between some of the best teams in the World today. The World Cup qualification process started at the 2015 RWC held in England where the top 3 teams in each pool qualified automatically for this year’s showpiece. In the process a total of 93 Countries participated including Uganda who lost out to Namibia in the 2018 Gold Cup. Uganda finished 3rd behind Kenya.

The 2019 RWC proper started on 20th September with the 20 teams divided into 4 pools of 5 teams each. Japan has been the darlings of the neutrals after topping Pool A after some shock victories over Ireland and Scotland. Ireland finished 2nd and hence earning a quarter final slot. Pool B was topped by the defending Champions New Zealand and was joined in the quarterfinals by now finalists South Africa. Pool C qualifiers for the quarters were England and France while pool D had Wales and Australia.

The quarters passed with some awesome rugby exhibited by England, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales who beat Australia, Ireland, Japan and France respectively. Last weekend’s semi finals are still fresh in the minds and we shall see the Bronze final between New Zealand and Wales.

The English on the way to the final had won all their games by beating Tonga 35-03, USA 45-07, Argentina 39-10, Australia 40-16 and New Zealand 19-07. They missed the last pool game against France due to the typhoon Hagibis. South Africa had a tougher route to the final with an opening loss to New Zealand of 13-23 and thereafter registered wins against Namibia 57-03, Italy 49-03, Canada 66-07, Japan 26-03 and finally Wales 19-16.

Both England and South Africa have impressed in the defensive department while they have impressed in the disciplinary part with each team conceding neither a yellow nor a red card. They are key stats and they need to be maintained in the super high pressure cooker game of a final of this magnitude. South Africa’s Handre Pollard is the 2nd highest points score in this tournament with 47 points. England’s Captain Owen Farrell comes next with 46 points!

South Africa’s Makazole Mapimpi is 2nd highest try scorer with 5 and his fellow Country man Cobus Reinach with 3 same as England’s Jonny May. Other English men with 3 tries apiece are Luke Cowan Dickie and Manu Tuilagi. South Africa’s Mbongeni Mbonambi also has 3 tries. On the individual tackles made, there is no single South African in the top 20 while England boosts of Sam Underhill with 62 tackles at 5th position. Maro Itoje is at 9th with 55 tackles with Tom Curry at 18th with 52.

Eddie Jones the England’s Head Coach has named the same team which whipped New Zealand in the semis while South Africa’s Head Coach Rassie Erasmus has recalled Cheslin Kolbe on the wing after he was rested after an ankle sprain against Japan.

The English have managed to beat 3 of the 4 Southern hemisphere heavyweights Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Only South Africa stands in their way. There is so much you can change with ina week and England has had an extra day of rest. The question is if they can build on their sterling performance against the All Blacks. The Springboks huffed and puffed against Wales and it was a penalty in the dying minutes that saw them beat Wales.

If South Africa wins the final they will be the first country to win the Webb Ellis after losing a pool game. The English seems they only have to turn up but former Captain Martin Johnson has cautioned his countrymen to be very wary of the Springboks. A victory for South Africa will be their 3rd overall victory after the famous wins in 1995 and in 2007. England has won the Webb Ellis only once in 2003 when they beat Australia under the stewardship of Eddie Jones their current Coach.

Rugby256 predicts that England will win this final. What is your prediction?

*Rugby 256* also salutes the efforts of the Uganda Rugby Union and the entire rugby fraternity for the all they do for Rugby let’s enjoy the World Cup 2019 and also spread “The World Rugby Core Values are: Integrity, Passion, Solidarity, Discipline and Respect.. “

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