International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan.
Saturday, 2nd November.
Kick-off: 09:00 (UK).
Rugby World Cup.
TV: ITV1 (UK).
The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final sees 2003 winners England against two-time winners South Africa.
Exquisite England
England have been the best team so far in this tournament, with the obvious highlight being the comprehensive victory over the defending champions New Zealand in the semi-final. England have yet to be troubled during their cup campaign, and if they can continue this form for the final, they should have enough to defeat South Africa. You can back England on STS at 42/100 to lift their 2nd World Cup.
Stubborn Springboks
South Africa have found things a bit more taxing compared to their opponents in the lead-up to the final. They lost in the group stages to New Zealand and narrowly beat Wales in the semi-final. They struggled to get going in the match against the Welsh and will have to certainly up their game if they are to win a third World Cup. South Africa are currently at 8/5 for another World Cup Final win over England.
Match preview
Despite their convincing wins until now, England haven’t played a team with South Africa’s style. The Springboks tend to play more of a kicking game and won’t allow England to have any rhythm, unlike Australia and New Zealand. If they can prevent England from having a strong start, they will be hoping to wear them down and take advantage of tiring opponents in the second half, like in their previous two games against Wales and Japan. If you think England will get another good start in the final, STS have odds of 4/6 for them to score first. England have the personnel to adapt to different situations and teams, but will want to avoid playing South Africa at their own game for long periods. We all know that the pressures of cup finals can do anything to teams, and an England win is far from a foregone conclusion!
H2H
Both teams have traded wins in their recent matchups, and the H2H between the two won’t help us predict the outcome of the match. South Africa have changed a lot under new coach Rassie Erasmus, and England have improved substantially since the previous meeting in 2018.
Betting tip
In the end, we think that England will have too much for South Africa to deal with; therefore our betting tip for the final is an STS boosted odds handicap on England at -5.5.
Whatever you bet on, enjoy the game and don’t forget that our prices are subject to fluctuation. Please check the STS Sports Betting page for the latest odds.