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The most highly anticipated match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup this weekend will feature Ireland attempting to regain the top spot in Pool B. They will face Scotland in the crucial group decider at Stade de France on Saturday evening.
For Scotland, it all hinges on this match. They must secure a victory against Ireland and prevent them from earning a bonus point. This would allow Scotland to surpass South Africa in the standings, based on their head-to-head results.
As we approach this match, Ireland is in outstanding form. They have recently set a new national record by winning all of their last 16 Test matches, making them the team with the longest current winning streak in the tournament.
Having previously secured the Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year, The Shamrocks continued their impressive form in their warm-up matches and breezed through their initial two games in the World Cup, defeating Romania 82-8 and Tonga 59-16.
Andy Farrell's team once again demonstrated why they are the top-ranked side, handing the Springboks their first loss since the 2019 tournament. This was arguably the standout match of the competition thus far.
Nonetheless, there is still work to be done for Ireland, as they could potentially be eliminated from the tournament on Saturday if they lose without securing a bonus point. In such a scenario, both Scotland and South Africa would advance to the quarter-finals.
In the past week, there has been discussion in the media about the possibility of teams collaborating to advance their own interests, potentially at the expense of South Africa. However, both teams have dismissed these speculations, and Ireland is fully focused on delivering a strong performance in their upcoming match.
Meanwhile, Scotland faces their last opportunity in the competition, as they have struggled throughout the group stage, particularly with a poor start where they suffered an 18-3 loss to South Africa. It may seem a bit unfair that a single lackluster performance against South Africa could be the primary reason they might not advance. However, such competitions are incredibly competitive, especially in a challenging group like this one.
Following their defeat to South Africa, Scotland managed to secure two bonus point victories against Tonga and, most recently, Romania. Darcy Graham had a standout performance in the latter match, scoring four tries, with three of them coming in the first 40 minutes.
Nevertheless, as they face the world's top-ranked team and one of the favorites to win the Webb Ellis Cup, the competition level is set to rise significantly. Gregor Townsend has brought back some of his key players for this match, and judging by the lineup, Scotland is expected to give their all in what promises to be a highly-anticipated clash between two heavyweight teams.
Pool B at the Stade de France has already witnessed an intense and high-quality Rugby World Cup clash, with South Africa facing off against Ireland, pitting world champions against the top-ranked team. It was a match that will be remembered for a long time. Now, two weeks later, in the same venue, the stakes are even higher, and there's a strong possibility of another thrilling encounter.
Ireland's head coach, Andy Farrell, has made a couple of changes to his starting lineup, with Iain Henderson stepping into the second row in place of James Ryan, and Dan Sheehan taking over the hooker position from Ronan Kelleher. Notably, Peter O'Mahony is set to earn his 100th cap for Ireland, a remarkable achievement.
Scotland, on the other hand, have bounced back from their initial defeat to South Africa with two consecutive bonus point victories, putting them in contention for a spot in the quarter-finals. However, to secure that place, they must overcome Ireland, a feat they haven't accomplished since 2017.
In Gregor Townsend's squad, second-row Grant Gilchrist, scrum-half Ali Price, and right-wing Darcy Graham maintain their positions in the starting XV following an impressive 84-0 win over Romania. Captain Jamie Ritchie returns to the blindside flanker position, adding to Scotland's strength for this crucial match.
