More than one month after kicking off on Sept. 20, the champion of the Rugby World Cup will at last be crowned when England and South Africa clash in the final on Nov. 2 at Yokohama International Stadium. England, which knocked off two-time defending champion New Zealand in the semifinals, will be aiming for its second World Cup title, while South Africa will try to match New Zealand for most titles overall by capturing a third.
The third-place match between New Zealand and Wales will be held Nov. 1 at Tokyo Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo.
Final: England vs South Africa (Nov. 2, 6 p.m. kickoff )
This will be a repeat of the final from the 2007 Rugby World Cup. That year the two teams also faced each other in the group stage, and South Africa won both matches to grab the title for a second time.
England is riding high coming off its impressive 19-7 win in the semifinals over tournament favorite New Zealand, in which the English held firm against the varied attacks of the All Blacks.
South Africa, too, has been getting better with each game and advanced to the final with a thrilling 19-16 win over powerful Wales, a team that had beaten the Springboks in four consecutive test matches over the past three years.
Both England and South Africa feature strong forwards. The main point in the final is likely to be which team will gain the upper hand in the battle for the ball from scrums and set plays such as lineouts.
With a history of close games in the final, the kickers of both teams will likely play a large role in the outcome.
Third-place final: New Zealand vs Wales (Nov. 1, 6 p.m. kickoff )
Having missed a chance to become the first nation to win three straight Rugby World Cup titles, New Zealand will be playing for pride as it attempts to secure third place for a third time, having done so previously in 1991 and 2003. Wales, denied a place in what would have been its first-ever final, will look to finish third for the first time since the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.
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