The penultimate gathering of the Round Table will bring you analysis and reflection ahead of the final, most exciting weekend of the World Cup. Let us remind you that the so-called bronze final will be played on Friday, that is, if you prefer the match for 3rd place. The teams of Argentina and England are meeting, and they will repeat their match in Group D from almost more than a month and a half ago. The match is scheduled for Friday, starting at 9 p.m. You can follow the match directly on Sport Club 1 channel.
The grand final is scheduled for Saturday, where New Zealand and defending champions South Africa will meet. The final that many predicted, many wished for, and we will all enjoy a great spectacle. Both teams have three World Cup titles each, the one who wins will have the opportunity to show off for the next four years as the selection that is the most successful at the World Cups. Live for this match in South Africa and New Zealand. You can also watch the live broadcast of this match on the Sport Club 1 channel on Saturday starting at 9 p.m.
The southern hemisphere almost took all the glory. How surprised were you by the results of the ¼ final matches?
Nikola Orlandić: Basically, I was not surprised. It should be remembered that these are teams that know how to play elimination stages and certainly know what it takes to get in shape for such a long and demanding tournament. Thanks to a favorable draw, England progressed and that’s it for now as far as the North is concerned. It was tough, but it proved once again that World Rugby rankings and successes between World Cups don’t necessarily mean anything and that it’s the mental approach on match day that usually prevails.
Milan Orlović: Generally speaking, none of the results are surprising. It was known, and somewhere we all predicted, that the chances in those matches are very equal. Admittedly, slight advantages were given to some teams, but nothing drastic. But if we talk about surprise, we can talk about tactical solutions and responses to them. Let’s say the biggest impression is the catastrophic reaction of the French to the high shots of the Springboks. Also a little surprising is the poor shooting and late start by the Fijians.
Nemanja Babić: Given that we had two games in this phase that could easily have been the final, it cannot be said that it was not exciting. The results speak for themselves. England, as the only northern country, defends its honor in the fight for a medal for Europe. There is a lot of controversy and talk about the judges about some mistakes. But it did not overshadow the excellent rugby. It’s just that at a big competition, everything is magnified several times, so about the mistakes of the reffs. I’m honestly not surprised by the results and it was really finesse that decided who would win. It was the same in the semi-finals.
Predrag Vraneš: Really incredible matches in the ¼ finals of the World Championship. It was a real pleasure to watch all 4 matches. Given that almost every game was a draw, I can’t say that anyone surprised me, because the opposite could easily have happened, that the Northern Hemisphere took the lead. If I had to single out the result that surprised me, it was England – Fiji, because I expected an easier end for the English and a victory with a bigger margin.
Bogdan Mihajlović: I can’t say that I’m disappointed, but I believed and hoped that the European teams would play in the semi-finals. All quarterfinal games were uncertain and reduced to one ball, maybe even a shot. Wales had their moments of brilliance against Argentina, but that was all they had left at times. The French are perhaps a little more burnt out from the excitement that this is their championship. In addition to, in my opinion, the best line they have ever had, the scrum has faltered. The reserves did not bring improvement, although it is known that in rugby sometimes the whole game depends on those guys. The Irish played superbly, but New Zealand simply showed why they are the best in rugby. When it’s necessary and when it’s difficult, they quickly pull themselves together and get the job done. The English proved to be a tough nut to crack and even had a chance for the final, but maybe a little luck was lacking.
Dragan Petrović: The southern hemisphere took all the glory. I am honestly disappointed and surprised by the results of the quarter finals as I expected at least Ireland or France to be in the semi finals, but what is there is. When it was most needed, the southern hemisphere showed its strength and here we have the finals of two teams from the southern hemisphere, and only one team from Europe reached the semi-finals and that with a not very great game throughout the championship. I think that it says that the southern hemisphere is still ahead of the northern one in terms of quality and that the best rugby is still played in the southern hemisphere.
Jovan Kostić: I expected close results in almost all the 1/4 final matches, except that I did not expect Fiji to provide such an interesting and uncertain match with the English. I also personally expected that the French would go further and that the shootout would decide, which happened, but to the detriment of the French. I have the impression that I tarnished Ramos with my understanding that he and his pretensions will be the “tip in the balance” that will push the French forward. It would turn out that Ramos would miss two conversions/penalties in a game that was just the ticket to the semi-finals. I was rooting for Argentina who played a good match against Wales, you could see that they learned from their mistakes. Ireland v New Zealand was truly a fireworks display of a match.
Stevan Ilijašević: I told my wife before the ¼ final that I was going to go to the betting shop and pay for the ticket with my predictions. And it’s a good thing I didn’t because he would have had a total meltdown. Who plays Australia in the group stage would fall apart. Admittedly, I only guessed the English. It is common knowledge that the best rugby at World Cups is played in the ¼ finals. Literally all matches were one ball in the last five minutes. I watched the Ireland-New Zealand match again, and I plan to watch it again, definitely the match of the tournament for me. I feel bad for the French for allowing South Africa to take advantage of their every mistake and insecurity. But hands down, if you want to get to the very end, you have to be strong in the scrum. And South Africa showed incredible skill in the scrum and, for me, surprising dominance. With Ludovic de Jeger and Malcolm Marx missing from their rotation, can you imagine what they would look like then? The English almost gambled everything away against Fiji, who had a historic opportunity to reach the semi-finals. By the way, Fiji played all matches at the World Cup with 7 or less points behind. Incredibly. In the end I feel sorry for the Welsh, but Argentina were more experienced.
Argentina held on well until the end of the half, can anyone stop the All Blacks machine?
Nikola Orlandić: Three-time world champions, countless times conquerors of three and four nations, a series with Lions, Autumn tours and a unique Grand Slam in Europe. Truly a Rugby nation, challenged a lot before the tournament but on a good course and rhythm at the moment, tuned for the final. They play nice rugby with good solutions and managed to raise the level of defense to a new level. I think the final will be a collision of two different philosophies and approaches. He would like to see positive running and technical rugby win, as opposed to the Erasmus blunders and the Bomb Squad.
Milan Orlović: There was no big dilemma here, the New Zealanders were the big favourites. They simply have the widest attacking arsenal in rugby. They have experience, speed and depth in key positions like no other team in the championship. The Argentinians were not brave enough, they played too tightly, and that cannot be done against the “blacks”. I am of the opinion that Sanchez should have played from the start. Argentina’s linemen could not cope with the opponents. JA can stop them mainly due to the terrible scrum and great adaptations during the match.
Nemanja Babić: I am of the opinion that the Argentines did not hold their own well, but that the All Blacks slowly raised their level. The dominance and well-deserved victory was obvious. At any moment and on any part of the field, the players in black jerseys dominated. It’s really fun to watch them and I’m looking forward to the finale.
Predrag Vraneš: Although Argentina tried hard, they couldn’t do more against the great All Blacks, and the main reason, in my opinion, is the much better bench of the New Zealanders. New Zealand just showed all its class in this match, and thus without a doubt, became the favorite to win the World Championship. What can stop New Zealand right now is themselves, that is, if they happen to have a bad day or make a lot of mistakes.
Bogdan Mihajlovic: As for New Zealand, I honestly think there is no answer for their game, but a final is a final. We have been waiting for this final for four years. Last championship, the English spoiled their plans, but now we have a clash of giants.
Dragan Petrović: South Africa can certainly stop the All Blacks. I think that the final match will be very even and I don’t see anyone in the role of favorite. Old acquaintances know each other very well. I don’t think there will be many surprises.
Jovan Kostić: I personally think that the All Blacks will win the championship. He will stop on the winner’s podium with the trophy raised.
Stevan Ilijašević: The match was reminiscent of all Schwarzenegger’s films from the 80s. It gets kind of tense throughout the movie, but you know Schwartz is going to tear it all apart at the end. The Argentinians fought but had no chance. The All Blacks are on such a high tempo that they are hard to stop. Against Argentina, they had a somewhat unfair move when they didn’t throw in a yellow card when the penalty expired, so they played with one less player in the last few minutes. I believe that this move is not in the style of New Zealand and that underestimating the opposition is not in the spirit of rugby.
England and South Africa played a very tough rugby-chess match. What impression do you have from the match?
Nikola Orlandić: A feeling of disgust towards conservative Rugby 10 – push through or destroy the scrum, kick the bomb, forget about more than two phases and squeeze as many penalties as possible and talk to the referee at every stoppage. On the other hand, it was a game plan, to me personally backward and unimaginative, but kudos to both teams for consistency in the ugliest game I’ve seen in a while. The equally bad English could have won, if they hadn’t changed the first line and scrumhalve too soon. I think Rasi Erasmus successfully got into the head of the English coach, which he tried and did throughout the tournament and won the game, not on the field.
Milan Orlović: Very difficult match for both selections. Not too pretty, but very combative. Until the last drop of sweat, so to speak. The longer and better bench of South Africa ruled. The surprise is how bad Sinclair was, who, along with a couple of critical mistakes by Stewart, is the biggest culprit for the turnaround. There were certainly more mistakes than should have been made in the semi-finals. Another tactical feat from the Springboks kitchen and fantastic use of all 23 players registered for the match.
Nemanja Babić: Boring rugby, everyone would say. On the other hand, it is not written about the beauty After the match, but about the achieved result. That last shot could have not gone through the posts and they would have talked about the extraordinary game of the English who managed to kill SA game. This way it turned out differently and I would say that the Rugby Gods got involved and could not allow SA not to play the final. The selection from Africa deserves to collide with AB and show everyone how much they can do and if they are capable of beating AB again. I like hard matches with low points and no tries. There you can see the team’s readiness, concentration and everything that leads to minimizing mistakes.
Predrag Vraneš: Last year’s finalists played quite a “dirty” match. A lot of breaks, a lot of scrums, outs, commotion of players, conversations with the referee… Somehow one could sense that it would be such a match. I think that in a way South Africa wished for such a match, because I think that in a match like the one we saw, they are a much “dirtier” team than the English. Deservedly or not, the Springboks are going to the final.
Bogdan Mihajlović: The semi-final match between England and South Africa. What can I say other than I’m thankful I’m not an England fan. Great match and great game from both. Although the English had the advantage, I somehow believed that the South Africans could win and proved that rugby is played for 80 minutes and more.
Dragan Petrović: A lot of people were disappointed with that match because they expected better rugby and a more enjoyable semi-final. I personally did not because the game was uncertain until the very end. People like to see tries and nice moves, but this semi-final was primarily a tactical battle, hence the few essays and good rugby. We have to keep in mind that the playing conditions were difficult and because of that there were a lot of mistakes. I was personally surprised by the English, who prepared superbly tactically for this game. It was decided by the scrum and a great South African bench that was better than the first 15 that entered. It’s just that the English lost all their scrums in the 2nd half and their bench and substitutions did not have the quality of those made by South Africa. When experienced matadors Marler and Cole left the game, everything changed. A simple 2nd half skarm from South Africa won and decided the game. I felt sorry for England because they gave it their all and played a great game with sacrifice and until the end, but to beat South Africa you have to have a strong scrum that can compete with the scrum. All in all, South Africa showed why it is the world champion, and coach Rasi Erasmus showed that he has the heart when he sent the entire Springboks bench into the game. If you remember I said at the last round table that Africa has so many good players that they can field two teams of 15 that will be equally good. I was a little surprised by coach Afrika Rassie with the first 15 that started the game because I expected Pollard and Le Roux in the first 15, but to say nothing, that’s a story in itself.
Jovan Kostić: It was a tough match, the English realized that “football is going away from them” in this championship, so they used it to the maximum. I was surprised by Owen Farrell who has been fit for a while but played a great match with the Boks. I got the impression that maybe the South Africans underestimated the English and that “the devil took the joke” and when they saw that, they brought in the master of shooting Pollard and rotated on the posts who took several key scrums in favor of the Springboks and on those penalties they just gained an advantage. Snyman was perhaps the key change as he scored the essay and heralded the turnaround.
Stevan Ilijašević: I understand that the goal is to reach the finals, and that it is necessary to do everything to get there. Who, except fanatics, will remember how destructive South Africa played in the ½ final of the World Cup? I didn’t enjoy it, I even offered to arrange a wife box of accessories. I feel sorry for the English, because I support them, but I still think that a better final would be New Zealand – South Africa. My main impression of the England team throughout the tournament is the extremely poor Ellis Genge, who I expected to shine at the World Cup, as one of the most breakthrough pillars in the world.
It is very difficult to beat a team twice in a tournament, even if you are England. Can the Argentinians reach 3rd place?
Nikola Orlandić: I would really like to, I respect Argentina’s passion, but they didn’t show anything against AB either, so anything is possible, let’s hope for a nice game, with a lot of runs.
Milan Orlović: I think that is hard to expect. I watched their match live in Marseille and the Pumas didn’t look good. Their greatest ally will be their indisposed opponent. However, the Argentinians did not show that passion and quality in the game as before. Although it is difficult to say because they played the semi-finals again, the impression is that they were unprepared and that the placement among the 4 was not fully deserved. The English have a much better line and if they play correctly they shouldn’t have a problem.
Nemanja Babić: England plays rugby for results. This will definitely be the last game for several players and I believe that everyone will want to send them off with a smile and a victory. Argentina is struggling and it was definitely confirmed in the semi-final. I am convinced that they need to change the coach who failed to establish a style of play that gives continuity. I prefer the English. I would like Steva and his Englishmans to take bronze.
Predrag Vraneš: It is always difficult to play a match after a lost semifinal, primarily on the psychological level. In that situation, Los Pumas have an advantage, because in my opinion, they suffered defeat much easier, because already in the middle of the second half, it was clear that their next match will be a match for 3rd place. The English, on the other hand, lost practically at the very end, in an extremely physically demanding match. It remains to be seen how the English will rehabilitate and whether they will recover both physically and mentally. My prediction is that the English will find strength, win and win 3rd place.
Bogdan Mihajlović: I think the Argentinians are tired of it being a real surprise, and on the other hand, I don’t think it matters to the English. It will be interesting to watch a physically tired team against a mentally exhausted one. I’ll bet on the English.
Dragan Petrović: They can! I think both teams have equal chances to win. You are right when you say that it is difficult to win the same team twice in the World Cup. The English are disappointed after losing to Africa in the semi-finals, and the temperamental Argentinians will leave their hearts on the field just to return to Argentina with the bronze medal. I think it would be a great success for this Argentina team, which in my opinion did not really play great rugby at this tournament. World Cup when you look at all the games they played. I expected a lot more from them. Pablo Matera will not play which will be a handicap for Argentina. Personally, I would have put Moroni (15) and Kubeli (9) in the first team against England, who sat on the bench against the All Blacks, which turned out to be a mistake. Some of Argentina’s players are simply too young to carry the burden of playing against a team like the All Blacks. We will see if coach Cheika will do something about it.
Jovan Kostić: I think that third place belongs to the Argentines and that they will show it in the match against the English. I believe that the English gave everything, that they were spent, and that the Argentinians enter the game for bronze after a match with a significantly stronger opponent.
Stevan Ilijašević: I think that I can do very hard against the English. Although I’m sure they will want to avenge their defeat in the group. Do not forget that the matches of the so-called bronze final are always more tries, where usually, but not always, a large number of points are achieved. Winning a bronze medal is not overly important to the teams as in some other sports, but I would say that this will be a matter of prestige. I can’t wait for the match and hope for the victory of the English, as perhaps the only one of their sympathizers, probably in the entire Balkans.
Your thoughts on the World Cup final, New Zealand - South Africa? What do you expect?
Nikola Orlandić: I expect a good match as always when these two biggest rugby nations and in my opinion two biggest rivals play. I think SA will look for a slower game, they will look for scrums and penalties for Pollard, as well as a lot of physical pressure. On the other side, AB will play their game, fast rucks, perfect attacks from set pieces, and as always dangerous counter attacks from South African shots. I hope the Wayne Barnes trial is better than usual and I think he is a disaster referee choice and would love to disprove me. All in all, we have come to the end of a phenomenal tournament and it would be great if the finals were also a spectacle of the game. Especially as a replay of the famous final from 1995, which was followed by a lot of controversies.
Certainly two of the world’s best teams and a real final of the Rugby World Cup. Let’s enjoy!
Milan Orlović: Spectacle. Two rugby superpowers and the biggest rugby derby in the world. Although we all wished that someone new could be crowned with the title, the Springboks and All Blacks showed that the rest of the world will still have to learn, especially about the finishes. They have a handful of solutions and the most talented players in the world up their sleeves. In those countries, rugby is more than a sport, so it is somehow fairest that they decide the best in the world. Although it sent everyone a bit boring. Playfully, both teams have their strengths, the Springboks have a more compact scrum, a longer bench and more tactical solutions, while the All Blacks are more versatile and quicker in attack with fantastic pressure on the rucks. There are no favorites, but if I had to say who is a shade closer to winning, I would say South Africa.
Nemanja Babić: The final is like any final. It will be a rugby holiday and the curtain will come down on the most even World Cup to date. ABs act dangerously fast and can score an tries from any stage. I have the material, there is a “Bomb squad” and a shooter for big games.
I think the only question is whether the Springboks will be able to resist AB’s speed and lethality. Again, it’s the final and it’s a matter of one ball, one referee’s decision.
Predrag Vraneš: Somehow one gets the impression that this will be perhaps the best and most uncertain final ever played. South Africa will try to play a similar match, as with England, for as few points as possible, and forcing penalties, which Pollard can easily convert into 3 points. On the other hand, New Zealand relies on a safe open game, where they really showed at this World Cup that they have a handful of options in attack. Giving forecasts, who will win and get the 4th title of World Champion, is really ungrateful and difficult. However, if it really had to be decided, I would give preference to New Zealand. They will rest one day longer than the Springboks, they had a much easier end of the match in the ½ final. Also the longer bench of the All Blacks may be an advantage. If they manage to neutralize the scrum of South Africa, with a minimum number of penalties, I think New Zealand will reach their 3rd tutle in a row, 4 in total.
Bogdan Mihajlović: This is the final you’ve been waiting for. Both teams have 3 cups each and now whoever wins will surely hold the title of the best rugby team of all time for 4 years. We are expecting a very difficult match, uncertain and real enjoyment. I won’t be long, I want everyone to enjoy the top rugby that awaits us.
Dragan Petrović: Honestly, it’s the final I wanted the least. I have no intention of diminishing the quality of these two teams, but I think a more interesting and suspenseful final between a guy from the northern hemisphere and one from the south would be more interesting than what awaits us on Saturday. It seems to be the same for rugby as it is for football, everyone plays rugby, but in the end the All Blacks/South Africa always win. All kidding aside, we’ll see what happens on Saturday. We all hope for good rugby with as many tries and nice moves as possible. It remains a pity that the teams from Europe did not show more, but what is there is what we will move on. I think this RWC was successful and many teams gained great experience from it.
Jovan Kostić: Expectations are high. When you say All Blacks and Springboks in the game for gold it simply has to be a spectacle. I think that the All Blacks will win the championship and that even the “worst All Blacks” have what it takes to be on top of the world.
Stevan Ilijašević: I expect a fantastic match. It will be interesting to see how New Zealand manage to respond to South Africa’s scrum. The All Blacks have not shone in the scrum and it will be very difficult for them to respond to that challenge. South Africa can match New Zealand in the positional game, but the big question is how they will look defensively in the transition game. The Springboks like to shoot short and high shots, which is where their tall players come into play. But the All Blacks also have tall players who can rise to the challenge. We will again see a match between a team that likes to play with their hands and that likes possession and a team that waits for the opponent’s mistake and that is dominant in statics. My vote goes to New Zealand as I would love Sam Wylock to lift the World Cup trophy for a third time. But South Africa have never lost a World Cup final. Either way, we’ll enjoy it.
