After two months of arguably the best Rugby World Cup ever, Sport360 reporter Andrew Binner looks at where the final will be won, why third-place is anything but a consolation and why the Springboks must stick with Heyneke Meyer.
Rugby World Cup final: Richie McCaw v David Pocock
On the 31st October the two best teams of the tournament will lock horns in an all-antipodean World Cup final.
In Ben Smith, Dan Carter and Israel Folau, some of the world’s finest attacking players will be on show but this game will be won and lost at the breakdown, where spectators can expect an almighty battle between Richie McCaw and David Pocock.
The two openside flankers have stood head and shoulders above all others in terms of their quality on defence and have disrupted opposition attacks with ease.
Thoughts on the final ref @Nigelrefowens and the master v apprentice battle on the field this week #RWC2015 #NZLvAUS https://t.co/NOTLeF9uAf
— David Campese (@Davidcampese11) October 27, 2015
New Zealand and Australia both thrive on fast ball and it will be the top priority of the two No. 7’s to keep each other’s attacking threats at bay.
The All Blacks will be favourites to win this game but if Pocock continues his fine form in the tackle area, the World Champions’ backrow will be in for a long day at the office. Just ask Argentina.
Third-place anything but a consolation
It is often said that at third-place play-off is like kissing your sister: You don’t want to but feel obliged to go through with it.
This could not be further from the truth when Rugby Championship rivals South Africa and Argentina clash at the Olympic Stadium.
It’s our last week together as a team. Unbelievable journey so far with a group of friends that I can call brothers. pic.twitter.com/lE0OT8f9Gq
— JP Pietersen (@jppietersen14) October 26, 2015
South Africa’s pre-tournament mauling at the hands of Pumas in Durban damaged the pride of a nation and Heyneke Meyer will be keen to put that ghost well and truly to bed.
Despite winning the bronze medal in 2007, the South Americans will start the game as underdogs.
However the exhausting nature of South Africa’s route to this may have taken its toll on the team and Argentina will be keen to capitalize on this through their strike runners out wide.
South Africa must stick with Meyer
After a roller-coaster tournament that has seen both anxiety and elation, Heyneke Meyer must remain as South Africa coach after the World Cup.
The eccentric but affable former Blue Bulls coach has become one of the most televised faces at the tournament as he lives and feels every try and every dropped ball like he is actually on the field.
It is this emotion that inspires South Africa to play at their best and the manner in which he re-energised his dejected players after an embarrassing loss to Japan alone underlines his credentials as a world class operator.
#RSA came up just short after an epic battle – but it’s no consolation for @Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer… pic.twitter.com/Ei8shokvtr
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 24, 2015
In the cauldron of professional sport it is difficult for any coach to retain their position if they fail just once, and failing to win the World Cup will be seen as a failure in rugby-obsessed South Africa.
However Meyer’s core of supremely talented youngsters in 2015 is likely to provide the backbone of the team at Tokyo 2019 and there is no better coach South Africa can call on to deliver the trophy.
London Irish gamble on game in New York
Despite a poor showing at England 2015, the American rugby revolution continues with London Irish set to host Saracens at New York’s 25,000 capactiy Red Bull Arena in March 2016.
It will be the first Premiership game ever played overseas and London Irish are hoping to tap into the large Irish community in the city in the build-up to St. Patrick’s Day.
Given that America’s College rugby heartland lies in California and it was Chicago that hosted a 62,000-spectator sell-out game against New Zealand last year, staging this game in New York represents something of a gamble.
BREAKING NEWS! London Irish will play Saracens @ the Red Bull Arena 12 March 2016 https://t.co/lmmykAIWQU #USAExiles pic.twitter.com/POqQZLItMI
— London Irish (@LiRFC) October 27, 2015
Looking back to the failed Wasps v Harlequins ‘A’ team experiment at Abu Dhabi in 2011, these games are not guaranteed success and Irish will risk losing a home attendance of around 8,000-10,000 even before taking the additional costs into account.
Whether the experiment will be a success or not remains to be seen but the principle behind these efforts must be applauded as rugby continues to expand into an ever-growing global market.
Time to consider scrapping relegation
Saracens are once again sitting-pretty at the top of the table but instead of lauding celebrating their on-field prowess, English headlines are focusing instead on the English champions’ abuse of the salary cap.
Despite winning a legal battle this week to clear the Londoners’ name, the episode has brought to light a wider issue that has plagued English rugby since the start of professionalism.
Plans to expand the premiership to 14 teams and have no promotion and relegation from 2016 have been put on hold. pic.twitter.com/FGMw6Y6JUE
— EatSleepRugby (@eatsleeprugby) July 14, 2015
With an ever increasing salary allowance, teams like Leicester Tigers, Bath and more recently Northampton Saints and Saracens are quickly becoming English rugby’s power houses. With this comes a real danger that smaller teams will not be able to keep on competing with them.
An idea that will have rugby purists reeling is to scrap the promotion/relegation battle. Yes, a success story like Exeter Chiefs would be denied their place at the top table, but in adopting a Super Rugby format where all teams are safe, there will be increased investment into all teams which can only increase the standard of play throughout the league and the country.
Extra time
In recent seasons there has been a worryingly increasing trend of players injuring themselves with dangerous tackling techniques, often leading with their head. This video is not for the faint-hearted but demonstrates the point perfectly in a recent Premiership match and the time may have come for players to be penalized for endangering themselves in such a reckless fashion.
