The Rugby World Cup has come at a crucial point with the group stage approaching the final fixtures as some teams fight for the quarter-final berth. France as hosts of Pool A have been expectedly impressive with a combination of creativity and strength that has pleased home supporters.
Their match up against each other is likely to be the decisive fixture in the group and the winner stands a good chance of facing a more comfortable round of 16 fixture. New Zealand has come back strongly after being defeated on the very first day of the tournament and is now eyeing a place in quarter-finals against Uruguay.
In Pool B the two most dominant teams of South Africa and Ireland are heading for a showdown where the winner of this clash will most probably top this group. In the match, we have seen both teams displaying their physical strength and match strategies to the fullest and this match is expected by many as a final preview. Scotland is also in contention and they will have to beat Romania in the final match to qualify for the next stage.
Pool C has been dominated by the new comers, Wales where the young squad plays without much pressure and with a lot of enthusiasm. Their last group stage match against Georgia will decide if they are going to record a perfect score in group stages. Australia, for the first time, is at the receiving end and is struggling for a place in the next level and they require some sort of a miracle to happen to avoid getting knocked out in the pool stage.
England may have struggled in the early round of the tournament but have emerged well timed in the Pool D. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Samoa in the build up to the knock out rounds. Argentina and Japan will lock horns in the decider and it remains a possibility that the winner of this match will be the second team to qualify for the quarter final of the tournament.
Off the field, the tournament has been an unqualified success, in terms of record attendances, and viewership figures across the world. The rugby has continued to capture the spirit of the people and even the fans from different parts of the globe have thronged the stadiums. What a start the rugby World Cup has been and now as the group stage draws to its conclusion fans are preparing themselves for what should be a truly amazing climax.