Wales-France shaping as key match for home side

Every one of today’s final round of JWC pool games has something riding on it, but none more so, as far as the home side is concerned, than the Wales-France Pool B showdown in Albany.

France can win the pool with victory, and form would suggest that Ireland would take the maximum five points against Fiji, which would see the fourth place-getters at the Six Nations reach the semifinals as the fourth qualifier. That would relegate New Zealand, on home soil, to the 5th8th playoffs, a bitter pill to swallow.

Ideally New Zealand would want Wales to win — that may be a first — but without the bonus point. New Zealand’s own lack of a bonus point against South Africa may haunt them, though they were not to know at the time that it might be crucial.

In Pool A, Australia could post a big score against Italy, who have already made their tournament by beating Argentina, and that would put more pressure on New Zealand to win by a large margin against Scotland, Australia v Italy, 3.35pm Samoa v South Africa, 5.35pm

New Zealand v Scotland, 7.35pm Ireland v Fiji, 1.35pm Wales v France, 3.35pm England v Argentina, 5.35pm providing all the previous conditions have been met.

Up to four children under 14 can gain entry for free with a paying adult at both venues.

England and South Africa will win pools A and C, and top the qualifiers going into this Sunday’s playoffs/ semifinal round.

In the first suspension of the tournament, Fiji first five Maika Baleinaloto was given a seven-week break for “a dangerous lifting tackle” against France on Friday.