Samoa and Belgium made winning starts to the Rugby World Cup 2027 Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai over the weekend, taking early control in the race for the final place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Samoa overpowered Brazil 48-10 in the opening match, with full-back Jacob Umaga scoring 13 points and centre Tumua Manu crossing twice. Despite a late try from Brazil’s Henrique Ferreira, Samoa’s superior pace and structure proved decisive. Samoa Coach Tusi Pisi said his side would: “savour the feeling” after a difficult run of form.

Belgium then pulled off a major upset, beating Namibia 22-15 after leading 17-0 at half-time. Tries from Jean-Baptiste Declercq, Julien Berger, and captain Jean-Maurice Decubber secured a famous win, while fly-half Matias Remue controlled the game superbly. Coach Laurent Dossat praised his players’: “energy and mindset” but said discipline must improve ahead of their clash with Brazil.

Namibia now face Samoa needing victory to keep their World Cup hopes alive while Belgium will be confident of getting two wins from two matches ahead of their game against Brazil.