It’s the final round pool matches at the Rugby World Cup in France and some teams will be advancing to the next round, while for the majority there will be heartbreak.

The only two teams that have already been confirmed in the quarter-finals are Wales and England, meaning that they are still only six more spots up for grabs.

On Thursday night the All Blacks put one of in the quarter-finals with a  73-0 drubbing of Uruguay in Lyon.

On Friday, the hosts France will play against the ever-entertaining Azzurri of Italy in Lyon in the final Pool A game. This match will determine who the Springboks could potentially face in the next round.

Kick-off at the OL Stadium is at 21:00.

Tomorrow, at 15:00 Wales will tackle Georgia in Nantes in what should be quite an entertaining game, while at 17:45 England will be up against Manu Samoa in Lille.

The big one is at 21:00, at the crown jewel of French rugby, Stade de France, when Ireland square up against Scotland in Pool B.

This game will determine the Springboks fate, and the two countries themselves have a very interesting rivalry on the field.

Bundee Aki - RWC

The Connacht and Irish centre, Bundee Aki, said the South African-born Duhan van der Merwe is one of several dangerous Scottish players.

“He is a good lad, Duhey. I got along with him very well,” said Aki.

“On the pitch he is a freakish athlete, he can make something out of nothing, he is quick, he’s strong.

“The threat he poses for Scotland is unbelievable, and not just him. You have got the likes of Darcy Graham, Finn Russell and the rest of their backline... they are unbelievable athletes.

“We have got our hands full and they are going to be a massive threat for us.”

For the Springboks, an Irish win is something that they will be hoping for as this will be the most clear cut way for them to reach the quarter-finals.

The Boks are done with their pool games and this week was all about recharging before shifting their focus to the quarters.

Jean Kleyn - RWC

The Springbok lock, Jean Kleyn, who plays for Munster and represented Ireland at the 2019 World Cup said there is a big rivalry between the Irish and Scots and he believes it will be a proper Test.

“We’re probably going to see Ireland win, but just because the Irish beat us last week I’d say I’d like to see Scotland win over them.

“No, realistically speaking, we’ll probably see Ireland come out victorious there. They’re a very good team at the moment.

“There’s a high level of attrition. There’s a little bit of animosity between the Irish and the Scots and there always has been, especially from a rugby perspective.

“At club level, you look at teams like Munster and Glasgow there’s always been this underlying - I wouldn’t call it hatred - but there’s a little bit of knife in the back.

“There’s a real combative thing about it. For Ireland and Scotland, it’s even more so. It’s very much magnified at international level. Everything’s a little bit closer to the bone and everything’s a little bit more real. I think it’s going to be a serious match.”

In Sunday’s games Japan and Argentina will battle it out in Nantes at 13:00 and this is also set to be a humdinger, while at 17:45 its a dead-rubber between Tonga and Romania in Lille.

The last pool game of the World Cup kicks off at 21:00 when Fiji face Portugal in Toulouse. Fiji simply needs to win this game to advance to the quarters and in the process send the Wallabies crashing out.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport