Perennial Rugby World Cup underdogs miss 2027, Belgium survive ugly red card

Samoa and Belgium will clash next week for a chance to qualify for the Rugby World Cup, as the two nations overcame Namibia and Brazil in the second round of the Final Qualification Tournament.

Last-minute try keeps Diables Noirs on World Cup track
Brazil and Belgium went down to the wire, with the European nation coming out on top after a brutal, physical clash that saw the Diables Noirs claim a 30-27 win.

The men in black struck from the kick-off following a sensational break from tighthead prop Jean-Baptiste de Clercq. After a few phases, it was his front-row partner Charles-Henri Berguet who dived in for an easy five-pointer.

Belgium had only to wait twelve minutes to extend their lead further, as skipper Jean-Maurice Decubber capped a superb offloading sequence with a try of his own.

Matias Remue added both conversions.

The Tupis failed to score for most of the first half, but a late five-minute salvo was enough to get them on the board. Veteran lock Matteo Dell’Acqua found his way into the in-goal area to give his side a bit of hope, with Thiago Oviedo adding the extras.

The South Americans were close to an equaliser, but a fumbled pass just a few metres from the try-line allowed Belgium to kick the ball out and take a seven-point lead into the break.

Josh Reeve’s side kept their momentum going and, in under eight minutes, staged a comeback, following a successful long-range penalty from Oviedo and a try from front-rower Yan Rosetti.

Belgium’s woes didn’t stop there, as they went down to 13 players after Toon Deceuninck was sent to the sin-bin.

He was followed by Charles-Henri Berguet after the prop kicked Rosetti in the head, leaving match official Eoghan Cros with no option but to produce a permanent red card.

Despite the nightmarish scenario, the Diables Noirs regathered their wits and retook the lead thanks to two penalty kicks from Matias Remue, with 20 minutes still left on the clock.

With everything at stake, Brazil and Belgium delivered an intense final ten minutes.

The Brazilians equalised with a long-range penalty from Lucas Tranquez, although it was short-lived, as Remue bagged his first try of the tournament following a flick pass from Siméon Soenen.

With nothing to lose, the Tupis went all in and eventually earned another five-metre lineout that ended with prop Leonel Moreno crashing over for a try, its conversion handing Brazil a 2-point lead with seven minutes remaining on the clock.

The Brazilians were just two minutes from pulling off a dramatic upset when Belgium turned the tables once more: replacement tighthead Maxime Jadot securing victory with a decisive try from the back of the maul.

Laurent Dossat’s team advances to the final round of the tournament with their Rugby World Cup aspirations very much alive, but they will need to defeat Samoa in next Tuesday’s match to reach Australia 2027.

Manu Samoa v Namibia
Samoa and Namibia wrapped up the second round of the Final Qualification, with Tusi Pisi’s side claiming a 26–8 win.

The Manu Samoa kicked off the game in grand fashion, quickly working their way into Namibia’s defence and carving their opener before the five-minute mark, scored by Jonathan Taumateine.

Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong bagged Samoa’s second, with Jacob Umaga converting both to hand them an early 14-point lead.

Although Namibia played with the best intentions, the game never went their way, as they were unable to find their way over Samoa’s try-line, with repeated handling errors keeping them scoreless.

Wing Va’afauese Apelu Maliko dived into the corner following a scrum on 24 minutes, with the sides going into the break 19-0 in favour of the Pacific islanders.

After the restart, Namibia appeared more composed, building phases and finally banking their first points through Cliven Loubser’s boot.

Even so, Samoa’s dominance was never in doubt, as Alamanda Motuga added a fourth try in what was an otherwise uneventful second half.

Namibia had the final say, a spectacular team-play effort resulting in a consolation try through Jay-Cee Nel.

Namibia bade farewell to their Rugby World Cup hopes, missing the tournament for the first time since 1995.

Samoa, meanwhile, will play Belgium in five days’ time as they bid to once again secure their spot in the sport’s flagship tournament.

You can watch the final day on RugbyPass TV.

Round 3 – November 18
Namibia vs Brazil – 5 PM GST / 2 PM GMT
Belgium vs Samoa – 7.30 PM GST / 4.30 PM GMT