The Netherlands and Belgium are still in contention to make their debuts at a Men's Rugby World Cup after securing their place in this year's Rugby Europe Men's Championship 2025 fifth-place play-off.
The Lowlands rivals will play each other on Dutch soil on Saturday, 15 March for the right to compete in the Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 Final Qualification Tournament later this year.
The Netherlands or Belgium will play three teams from regions outside of Europe at the Final Qualification Tournament, with the winner claiming the 24th and final ticket to Australia 2027.
In the first of the Rugby Europe Men's Championship 2025 fifth-place semi-finals, the Netherlands overcame a slow start against Germany to prevail 38-9.
Having lost a couple of key forwards to injury, Lyn Jones' side found themselves 6-0 behind until number eight Christopher Raymond got them on the scoreboard just before half-time with the first of their seven tries.
The crowd at the National Rugby Centre Stadium in Amsterdam were then treated to a much-improved performance in the second half with Boris Hadinegoro, Koen Bloemen, Bilaal Egberts, Mark Coebergh, Vikas Meijer and Sem Verplancke all crossing the whitewash.
Belgium had no such problems against tournament newcomers Switzerland in the later of the two Saturday kick-offs, breezing into a 28-0 half-time lead after tries from fly-half Hugo De Francq, captain and centre Jens Torf, hooker Alexandre Raynier and winger Simeon Soenen.
Replacement Lucas Rassinfosse added a fifth try not long after the restart but for the first time in the match, De Francq was unable to add the extras.
Blindside Jessy Jegerlehner scored a consolation try for Switzerland approaching the hour mark, but the score remained 33-5 to Belgium up until the final whistle, by which stage the visitors had been reduced to 14 men following a 78th minute red card for centre Hugo Malyon.
The Netherlands and Belgium are bidding to join Georgia, Portugal, Romania and Spain as Men's RWC 2027 qualifiers. Those four countries earned the region's four automatic places after reaching the Rugby Europe Men's Championship semi-finals.
Georgia are still on track for an eighth consecutive title after brushing Romania aside 43-5 on Sunday, while Spain beat Portugal in Portugal for the first time in a decade in the first of the semi-finals, winning 42-31.
Spain rose one place in the World Rugby Men's Rankings to 17th as a result of the win, while Os Lobos dropped a place allowing the USA to climb up to 15th at their expense.
In the only other rankings change, Belgium's win lifted them above Zimbabwe and into 26th.
Photo: Rugby Europe
