And who will go?

New Zealander has coached the last two British and Irish Lions teams and has headed up Wales since 2007 and this World Cup is to be his curtain call with the Principality.

And it could be a rousing farewell for a coach who has meticulously fashioned Wales into serious title contenders.

The 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam winners are a rock solid outfit, with strong structures combining with a positive willingness to use the ball.

The French typically are all over the show, with rumours of a fall-out between the players and coach Fabien Gaultie.

It has been suggested that this might pull the players together and we might be in for one of those magical French World Cup displays. Maybe, but I can’t see it.

Wales are simply too well prepared for this French side.

• Prediction: Wales by 10 The Springboks will be up against not only the whole of Japan but also virtually every non-south African rugby fan on the planet.

The hosts are in the World Cup play-offs for the first time ever and are full value for their World Rugby No 7 ranking, and the rugby world wants the fairytale to continue. It won’t happen because the Japanese are going to be outgunned by the Boks, who almost certainly have the most powerful pack in Japan.

So far, Japan have been able to win their fair share of possession and produce quick ball at the breakdowns to fuel their highpaced game.

I see the big men of the Bok pack pushing the Japanese back in the set scrums and in the collisions.

The referee is Wayne Barnes of England, arguably the form ref of the tournament. Barnes has a huge role to play because we have seen how the other referees of the Japan games have been swept up by the emotion in the stadium.

• Prediction: South Africa by 9