England or South Africa: Who Will Win the Rugby World Cup?

This weekend, the Rugby World Cup will come to an end. After weeks of tries and scoring points, the tournament being hosted in Japan must produce a winner this weekend.

New Zealand and Wales failed to scale the semi-final hurdle last week, as they fell to England and South Africa respectively. New Zealand’s loss was the most shocking as it was the first time that they’d lose a World Cup game in over a decade.

It could have been worse for the All Blacks, with England scoring to tries that were eventually ruled out. They now face Wales for a chance to avoid leaving the competition empty-handed.

On the flip side, the final will feature a game between two heavyweights, England and South Africa. With England defeating the favorites, they go into this game as the favorites to win it. However, the Springboks won’t be letting them have an easy ride.

Whoever wins this game will not only be crowned world rugby champions. They will also jump up to the top of the rankings as the best rugby-playing side in the world. With plenty at stake for both sides, let’s take a look at some stats going into this game:

1. England Unbeaten

Since the year started, England have only lost twice – both games against Wales. However, they’ve won all their Rugby World Cup games so far, four in the group stages and two in the knockout stages. The South Africans have not been so flawless at the World Cup.

They lost their opening game to Nee Zealand. They’ve not looked back since, winning all their remaining games.

2. South Africa’s Exceptional Defense

The South Africans, with the 230 points they’ve scored so far in this tournament, are prolific scorers. More importantly, the Springboks have been better than their opponents, at this tournament, when it comes to defending.

In four of their last six games, South Africa managed to concede less than 10 points – against Canada (7), Italy (3), Namibia (3) and Japan (3). Their last game, against Wales, was the first time they conceded over 10 points (16).

3. Head-to-Head

This is a repeat of the 2007 final between both sides – a game that ended in a 15-6 win for the English side. Since 2008, England have only won three games against South Africa, compared to South Africa’s eight wins during the same period.

The Webb Ellis trophy is up for grabs this weekend. While the Men’s Rugby rankings will change over tine, the winner of this trophy will retain bragging rights till the next tournament is played. The big question now is: Who will win it?

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