Match day three of the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai sees one of the most important rugby matches you will see this year as Belgium seek to overcome giants Samoa and qualify for the first ever Rugby World Cup in Australia in two years’ time.
The Seven Stadiums in Dubai is sure to be buzzing with Belgium and Samoa fans as the two teams clash at 19:30 local time (GMT+4).
In the earlier match at 17:00 (GMT +4) Namibia and Brazil, who both improved greatly in their second matches, will seek to salvage some pride as they look to notch up their first win of the tournament. Both matches are live on RugbyPass TV.
SAMOA v BELGIUM
Venue: The Sevens Stadium, Dubai
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Damián Schneider (Argentina), Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
The final match of the men's Rugby World Cup 2027 Final Qualification Tournament comes down to a classic David and Goliath battle. David is the Black Devils of Belgium, ranked No.22 in the world, who have surprised everyone in Dubai (except themselves) with their back-to-back wins over the more favored Namibia and plucky Brazil.
In the Goliath corner is Manu Samoa, currently No.17 in the world and on a run of nine straight RWC appearances, who nearly everyone expects to clinch the 24th and final place at Australia 2027. More ominously Samoa have slowly worked their way into the tournament, coming into their best form when they need it most.
For Belgium to win and clinch a spot at their first ever Rugby World Cup, it would be the greatest moment in their relatively short rugby history and one of the greatest moments in Belgium’s overall sporting history.
As for Samoa, the statistic that will have kept Samoa head coach Lemalu Tusiata Pisi up the last few nights, is in their last match against Namibia, Samoa lost 21 turnovers and won just two. Belgium, as they have been all year, are dynamic at the breakdown, and with captain and flanker Jean Maurice Decubber, the absolute master of the jackal, this is one area Belgium could exploit to create rugby history in Dubai. Speaking of Decubber he has made the most carries (29) and tackles (39) of any player in the FQT.
If Belgium do qualify they will become the 12th different European nation to appear at Rugby World Cup and the first new one since Russia in 2011.
When asked what makes this Belgium team so special after they fought back with 14-men to score a try in the last two minutes to defeat Brazil, and set up this winner-takes-all clash with Samoa, Belgium head coach Lauren Dossat riffed on Seal, the singer not the water dwelling mammal: “I think maybe sometimes they are crazy and we need to be crazy sometimes.”
Belgium, and their exuberant supporters who have lit up the Sevens Stadium over the last ten days, have to be just a little bit crazy to believe they can pull off one of the greatest upsets in sporting history in Dubai on Tuesday evening 19:30 (+4 GMT), just like David.
As he did for the second match against Brazil, Dossat has kept faith in his 23-man squad who were so superb on day one in defeating Namibia. He has made just threes changes to the starting XV - one enforced, one positional and one optional change.
The enforced change is prop Charles Henri-Berguet who has been suspended for four matches after being sent off against Brazil due to lashing out with his foot. In his place comes 24-year-old Bruno Vliegen, who plays for Olympique Marcquois in France. Vliegen came off the bench on match day one in the victory over the Welwitschias but sat out match day two.
The positional change sees dangerous wing Ervin Muric swap to the left wing with reserve scrumhalf Isaac Montoisy a surprise selection on the right wing. The Salles number nine came off the bench against Brazil and Namibia, but now he gets his chance in the starting line-up in the biggest match in Belgium rugby history, albeit in an unfamiliar position.
Dossat is clearly intent on trying to restrict the dangerous Samoan back three of fullback Jacob Umaga and wings Vaafauese Apelu Maliko and Latrell Ah Kiong, which makes perfect sense as Umaga has made the second most carries of any player (22) in the FQT and gained the second most metres (142), only behind Apelu Maliko who has a staggering 301 metres. The Black Devils must keep them in check if they are to have any chance of an upset victory.
There are also changes on the bench for Belgium where flanker Arthur Smeets comes in for Maurice Fromont, Thomas Wallraf swaps with Montosiy who takes his place in the starting XV, and outside backs Dazzy Cornez and Timothe Rifon swap numbers.
As for Samoa they make six changes to their starting XV as this very proud rugby nation seeks to keep their RWC streak alive. The front row is completely new with impressive hooker Millennium Sanerivi and props Titi Lamositele and Michael Alaalatoa coming into the starting XV, and Sama Malolo, Scott Sio, and Tietie Tuimauga dropping to the bench. The same for lock Taleni Seu who goes to the bench while Ben Nee Nee from Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves will start.
There is also one change in the backline where the experienced Melani Nanai comes in for Tumua Manu. Perhaps the most interesting name on the team sheet is 25-year-old Auckland and Old Glory flanker Niko Jones who will make his first Test start after debuting off the bench against Scotland in June and coming on against Brazil on match day one.
Jones is the son of Samoan and New Zealand rugby legend Sir Michael Jones who played one test for Samoa in 1986 before going on to play 55 Tests for the All Blacks including winning the Rugby World Cup in 1987. A lot of responsibility will rest on young Jones’ broad shoulders.
As head coach Pisi notes: “There's a few things to be happy about and there's also a few things to work on and learn from (the Namibia game). So we took those learnings and we’ll try and correct it for this game.”
This is just the second clash between Samoa and Belgium after a meeting in 1989 in Brussels which the Pacific Island nation won 37-12. On paper this game should go the same way. Samoa have everything in place to go on to their 10th straight Rugby World Cup, but rugby as we've discovered is a game played not on paper, but on grass. The ball doesn't always bounce the way you expect. Just like David and Goliath.
Matchday squads
SAMOA
1. Titi Lamositele, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 4 Ben Nee Nee, 5 Theo McFarland ©, 6 Miracle Faiilagi, 7 Niko Jones, 8 Iakopo Petelo-Mapu, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Rodney Iona, 11 Vaafauese Apelu Maliko, 12 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 13 Melani Nanai, 14 Latrell Ah Kiong, 15 Jacob Umaga
REPLACEMENTS
16 Sama Malolo, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Tietie Tuimauga, 19 Taleni Seu, 20 Abraham Papali'I, 21 Connor Tupa’i, 22 Faletoi Peni, 23 Tuna Tuitama
BELGIUM
1 Bruno Vliegen, 2 Alexandre Raynier, 3 Jean-Baptiste De Clercq, 4 Toon Deceuninck, 5 Maximilien Hendrickx, 6 Jean-Maurice Decubber (C), 7 William Van Bost, 8 Felipe Geraghty, 9 Julien Berger, 10 Matias Remue, 11 Ervin Muric, , 12 Maxime Vacquier, 13 Florian Remue, 14 Isaac Montoisy, 15 Simeon Soenen
REPLACEMENTS
16 Basile van Parys, 17 Vincent Tauzia, 18 Maxime Jadot, 19 Arthur Smeets, 20 Jeremie Brasseur, 21 Thomas Wallraf, 22 Timothe Rifon, 23. Dazzy Cornez
NAMIBIA v BRAZIL
Venue: The Sevens Stadium, Dubai
Referee: Jordan Way (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (Ireland), Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
In the early kick-off this will be the first ever meeting between Namibia and Brazil, as both teams play for pride as their attention will now turn to RWC 2031 in the USA.
The Welwitschias have won just two of 11 previous matches against South American opposition, those victories coming against Uruguay in 2019 and Chile in 2023. While Brazil for their part have faced African opposition four times previously, losing each of those clashes.
Both head coaches, Pieter Rossouw for Namibia and Josh Reeves for Brazil, have decided to give their squad players a chance, giving a run out to a number of players who are yet to feature in the tournament.
For Namibia they have brought in four players yet to feature in the FQT: prop Joshua Bester and wing Jurgen Meyer who will start, and flanker Riaan Grove and fullback Aston Mukwilongo who come on to the bench. There are further changes with number eight Wian Conradie coming back into the starting line-up, Adriaan Booysen dropping to the bench, and Andre van den Berg coming back in for Divan Rossouw.
There is also a positional switch in the backline with Jay-Cee Nel moving back to fullback while veteran JC Greyling drops out of the match day 23.
Overall there are 10 changes to the Brazil starting XV with four players set for their tournament debut: prop Joao Lucas Marino and wing Sergio Luna start, while on the bench are backrower Renato Santos and former captain and the most capped player in Os Tupis history, Moises Duque, a legend of Brazilian rugby. Lock Ben Donald, prop Leonel Moreno, flanker Devon Muller and fullback Lucas Tranquez are all promoted from the bench to the starting XV, while Matheus Cláudio drops to the bench to accommodate Muller.
There are also a host of positional changes: Wilton Rebolo swaps from prop to hooker, while Robert Tenório, Raphael Hollister, and captain Lorenzo Massari all shuffle out one place to accommodate new wing Luna.
Dropping out of the match day 23 are prop Caique Segura, hooker Henrique Ferreira, lock Gabriel Oliveira, wing Théo Bastardie and fullback Thiago Oviedo.
Os Tupis will look to their powerful maul as a potent weapon, as they did against Belgium. Despite contesting the fewest mauls (8) of any team in the tournament, Brazil have gained the second most maul metres (38, behind Belgium 51), with their average gain of 4.8 metres per maul being the best of any side.
Brazil’s defence has also been impressive, as they have made the most dominant tackles (25) of the four sides in Dubai, with individually Rebolo (4) having made the most individual dominant tackles.
For Namibia, hooker and captain Louis van der Westhuizen has won more turnovers (3) than any other player in the tournament. While fly-half Cliven Loubser has tallied the most kicking metres (668) of any player in Dubai, whilst Brazil’s Joao Amaral (536) is one of just two other players who have totalled 500+ metres with the boot (also Jacob Umaga, 581).
Brazil Director of Rugby Reeves says it’s all about maintaining intensity for his team: “We can be pretty intense in moments, but it's learning to maintain that intensity when the game starts to lose structure.”
While for Rossouw, for “morale and for the team it's important to finish the tournament well. We came here to qualify. We lost two games, but we are sort of playing better every time. So if we can finish with a high, it'll be very, very nice for the guys.”
This game is sure to be contested with as much passion and pride as if both teams were fighting for a Rugby World Cup spot, with both teams desperate not to leave Dubai winless.
MATCHDAY SQUADS
NAMIBIA
1 Otja Auala, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen (C), 3 Joshua Bester, 4 Adriaan Ludick, 5 Johan Retief, 6 Prince !Gaoseb, 7 Max Katjijeko, 8 Wian Conradie, 9 Helarius Kisting, 10 Cliven Loubser, 11 Jurgen Meyer, 12 Johan Deysel, 13 Andre van den Berg, 14 Danie Van Der Merwe, 15 Jay-Cee Nel
REPLACEMENTS
16 Armand Combrinck, 17 Haitemba Shikufa, 18 Johan Coetzee, 19 Johan Luttig, 20 Riaan Grove, 21 Jacques Theron, 22 Aston Mukwilongo, 23 Adriaan Boysen
BRAZIL
1 Joao Lucas Marino, 2 Wilton Rebolo, 3 Leonel Moreno, 4 Matteo Dell’Acqua, 5 Ben Donald, 6 Adrio de Melo, 7 Devon Muller, 8 André Arruda, 9 Lucas Spago, 10 João Amaral, 11 Sergio Luna, 12 Robert Tenório, 13 Raphael Hollister, 14 Lorenzo Massari (C), 15 Lucas Tranquez
REPLACEMENTS
16 Yan Rosetti, 17 Brendon Alves, 18 Vicente Galvao, 19 Helder Lucio, 20 Matheus Claudio, 21 Renato Santos, 22 Gustavo Gobeti, 23 Moises Duque.
For those in Dubai, all Final Qualification Tournament matches at The Sevens Stadium will be free to attend for spectators and rugby fans, while for those that can't be there in person, the tournament will be available to watch everywhere in the world, either through local broadcast partners or free via RugbyPass TV.
