Rugby World Cup: Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, the scenarios for them to qualify

2023-10-06 19:16:10

The “hen of death” will deliver its verdict. And choose your victim. Pool B, which brings together three of the five best nations in the World Rugby rankings with Ireland, South Africa and Scotland, will experience its decisive epilogue on Saturday evening at the Stade de France (9 p.m.) with a clash between the Irish and Scottish. As it stands, here is the deal: the Springboks are in the lead with 15 points but are exempt this weekend, the Clover XV is behind with 14 points and the Scots only have ten. No one has qualified for the quarter-finals yet, but here’s how each of these teams can be.

South Africa qualifies if:

– Any result, except this one crazy scenario which would take out the title holders. For this to happen, Scotland would need to dominate Ireland with at least a 21-point gap and an offensive bonus, while letting Ireland also take an offensive bonus, to win the triangular between these three teams on point-average. neutralized” on the first criterion of direct confrontation with one victory each (the Irish having beaten the South Africans who themselves dominated the Scots).

Ireland qualifies if:

– She wins against Scotland

– She draws

– She loses with the defensive bonus and without the Scottish offensive bonus

– The Scots inflict a defeat with an offensive bonus, but she scores the defensive bonus. The three teams would be tied at 15 points. And as long as the Irish remained ahead of the South Africans on point average (+122 against +117, as it stands), they would win their triangular and be first and qualified. If the Clover XV loses by a margin of six or seven points, it is eliminated because it is ahead of the Springboks and then the rule of direct confrontation. At five points exactly, it would be tied perfectly with South Africa on point average. This would then come down to the difference in tries scored and conceded, where the two teams are at the same level for the moment.

Scotland qualifies if:

– It beats Ireland by depriving it of a defensive bonus, by more than seven points difference

– She beats Ireland in a match where both teams each take a bonus. Then she would have to be in the lead at point average, or the Springboks would be. In the first case, she finishes first. In the second, it is ahead of Ireland thanks to the rule of direct confrontation.