Spain will qualify for Rugby World Cup 2019 if they defeat Belgium in Brussels in the final round of the 2018 Rugby Europe Championship (13:00 CET).
Los Leones are three points behind Romania in the qualification table, but have destiny in their own hands as The Oaks finished their campaign with a win against Belgium last weekend.
Should Los Leones qualify, it will be their first appearance at a Rugby World Cup since 1999, and they will join Ireland, Scotland, hosts Japan and the Play-Off winner in Pool A.
Rugby fever has gripped Spain over the last month, with King Felipe VI and the Webb Ellis Cup attending last weekend’s sell-out match in Madrid, while live free-to-air TV broadcast of matches on TVE and national newspaper coverage has seen popularity soar.
Match facts:
- Spain could finish as runners-up in the Rugby Europe Championship for only the second time at this level
- A win for Spain would be enough for them to secure RWC 2019 qualification
- Spain won 30-0 when the sides met in Madrid last year
- Belgium’s only win against Spain in 15 attempts was 18-6 in Liege in 2006. They also managed a 21-21 draw seven years later
- Belgium have gone 190 minutes without scoring a try against Spain
For Spain, Gautier Gibouin takes on the captaincy and moves from openside to number eight in the absence of regular leader Jaime Nava. Vincent Guillaume comes into the back row as a result, while 36-year-old veteran Kalokalo Gavidi packs down alongside David Barrera in the second row in the other change to the pack. In the backs, Dan Snee is named at inside centre in place of Thibaut Alvarez and Charlie Malie is preferred to Mathieu Peluchon at full-back. The goal-kicking responsibilities will fall to Brad Linklater who is promoted from the bench to the right wing with Ignacio Contardi the man to miss out.
With their place in the Rugby Europe Championship already safe, Belgium have chosen to make wholesale changes – 12 in total and two positional – to their starting line-up. Blindside flanker Gillian Benoy is the only player to stay put from last week’s 62-12 loss against Romania with Craig Dowsett moving from full-back to the left wing and Ervin Muric switching to the opposite side of the pitch. Inside centre Jens Torf wears the captain’s armband.
Fans can watch all the action LIVE on Rugby Europe’s TV platform at www.rugbyeurope.eu. Updates will be available via @rugbyworldcup and fans can also join the conversation using the #RWC2019 hashtag.
Should Spain win, Romania face a play-off against Portugal. The winner will then play Samoa home and away with the winner on aggregate qualifying to Pool A as the Play-Off winner. The loser will fave the four-team repechage competition in November.
Source: www.rugbyworldcup.com
