Three names. No more.
Victor Matfield has made up his mind. In his view, the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia will be decided between three nations: South Africa, New Zealand and France.
The rest? Just background noise.
“I’ve said it from the start: there are only three teams that can win this World Cup, us, the All Blacks or France,” the former Springbok lock said on Final Whistle presents Side Entry, shown on SuperSport. “I don’t think any other side is capable of winning three big matches.”
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Three weekends, not a tournament
That is the whole of his argument. A World Cup isn’t won over six weeks. It’s won over three straight weekends: quarter-final, semi-final, final.
“If you want to win a World Cup, you have to be able to win the quarter-final and the semi-final, and those are three tough matches,” Matfield said. He added a detail every coach knows by heart. “You need fresh legs. You need guys who haven’t played all four pool games.”
Squad management first. Raw talent second.
The former captain also believes the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa did Dave Rennie’s men a favour. They lost, sure, but they learned plenty. “They’ll go away knowing what they’re going to face at the World Cup,” he said.
The draw is already haunting everyone
Nick Mallett, the former South Africa coach who was on the same panel, did not hold back on the Australian draw. If South Africa and New Zealand top their pools, they will meet in the quarter-finals.
And then? The winner would run into France in the semi-finals, provided Les Bleus top their group and get through the last 16 and the quarter-finals.
“We’ll have the All Blacks and France in the semis, and then we’ll have to play someone else. The final will probably be our easiest match,” Mallett summed up. Matfield agreed: “That’s exactly what we had at the last World Cup.”
For France, being in that trio carries a certain weight. It also means they are now the side nobody wants to draw too early.
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