RWC Bronze Final Preview – New Zealand vs Wales

In the penultimate match of RWC 2019 New Zealand and Wales will battle-it-out in the Bronze Final. In the eyes of some the match is a pointless dead rubber which no player has interest in competing in. Yet it happens to be a fixture citing towards World Rankings, the factor which seeds teams for RWC draws.

For both teams the match is the end of a cycle of multiple Rugby World Cups. Steve Hansen and Warren Gatland will coach their respective teams for the final time while the curtain will also come down on the captaincy of Kieran Read.

Read is one of a number of names potentially playing for the All Blacks for the final time. The others are  flanker Matt Todd, winger Ben Smith; and centers Ryan Crotty, and Sonny Bill Williams.

Gatland has named a side with nine changes. They are a mixture of injury and selection motivations. Out though injury are tight head Tomas Francis (shoulder), wing George North (hamstring), flanker Aaron Wainwright (hamstring) and fullback Leigh Halfpenny (concussion).

The much changed side enters the Bronze Final as the firm underdogs. This signifies a likely continuation of New Zealand’s unbeaten run which is presently 30 test matches dating back to 1963. Of the 34 total matches Wales has 3 wins and New Zealand 31.

ARN predicts a strong win by New Zealand to secure Bronze. The official ARN projection is a victory by 24 points.

NEW ZEALAND RWC 2019 RESULTS
W – New Zealand 23-13 South Africa
W – New Zealand 71-9 Namibia
W – New Zealand 63-0 Canada
D – New Zealand 0-0 Italy
W – New Zealand 46-14 Ireland
L – New Zealand 07-19 England

WALES RWC 2019 RESULTS
W – Wales 43-14 Georgia
W – Wales 29-25 Australia
W – Wales 29-17 Fiji
W – Wales 35-13 Uruguay
W – Wales 20-19 France
L – Wales 16-19 South Africa

W – Win
L – Loss
D – Draw

TEAMS

NEW ZEALAND
1 Joe Moody, 2 Dane Coles, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Brodie Retallick, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Shannon Frizell, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Kieran Read (capt.), 9 Aaron Smith, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 11 Rieko Ioane, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 13 Ryan Crotty, 14 Ben Smith, 15 Beauden Barrett

Replacements: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Atu Moli, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Matt Todd, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Jordie Barrett

WALES
1 Nicky Smith, 2 Ken Owens, 3 Dillon Lewis, 4 Adam Beard, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (capt.), 6 Justin Tipuric, 7 James Davies, 8 Ross Moriarty, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Rhys Patchell, 11 Josh Adams, 12 Owen Watkin, 13 Jonathan Davies, 14 Owen Lane, 15 Hallam Amos

Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Wyn Jones, 19 Jake Ball, 20 Aaron Shingler, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Dan Biggar, 23 Hadleigh Parkes

Date: Friday, November 01
Kick-Off: 18:00 local (02:00 Pacific, 05:00 Eastern, 06:00 Rio de la Plata)
Venue: Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistants: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Pascal Gauzere (France)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)