Opposites attack as South faces North
Rugby World Cup quickly becoming an epic clash
With 40 matches down, three weekends to go, the Rugby World Cup has become a knockout contest between the hemispheres — North vs. South.
The defending champion, New Zealand’s All Blacks, are playing France in the highest-profile of this weekend’s quarter-finals, which also feature Australia against Scotland, South Africa vs. Wales, and Argentina against Ireland.
Yes, six weeks is a long tournament. But when big men are colliding at full pace for 80 minutes without the benefit of helmets and much padding, it takes time to heal.
Here are some things to know ahead of the matches:
SOUTH AFRICA VS. WALES
Saturday, 11 a.m. ET
The Springboks have the best strike rate at the World Cup, having won the title twice since rejoining international competition in the postapartheid era, in 1995 and 2007.
The South Africans have only lost twice in 30 tests against Wales. And although they tend to do most of their work in or close to the rucks and mauls — the contests after a player is tackled when the ball is either raked with the feet or held in hand and becomes more-or-less a wrestle — the Springboks have two of the best try scorers in the business on each wing. Bryan Habana has equalled the great Jonah Lomu’s mark of 15 World Cup tries and could earn the record outright with another touchdown against Wales.
On the plus side for the Welsh, they beat South Africa in Cardiff last November, and came through the toughest group of the tournament.
NEW ZEALAND VS. FRANCE
Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
While the All Blacks are the undisputed No. 1 team — with their intimidation tactics starting before kickoff with the ceremonial Haka — they’ve struggled to exert serious supremacy in important recent World Cup matches against the French, who thrive on their reputation for being unpredictable.
New Zealand beat France in the first Rugby World Cup finals in 1987 and in the most recent in 2011 — both played in New Zealand — but lost to inspired French comebacks in the 1999 semifinals and the quarter-final in 2007, which was also played in Cardiff.
France lost badly to Ireland last weekend. That probably makes them more dangerous and New Zealanders more nervous.
IRELAND VS. ARGENTINA
Sunday, 8 a.m. ET
Six Nations champion Ireland has won 12 and drawn one of their 20 matches against Argentina, and are on a five-match streak since losing all three head-to-heads in 2007. But Argentina has a 2-1 edge in World Cup encounters.
The Irish have never won a World Cup quarter-final and they’ll be without captain Paul O’Connell, who injured his hamstring against France, and flanker Sean O’Brien, who is serving a suspension.
Ireland pioneered the choke defence, when tacklers trap the attacking player and ball and hold them off the ground to stop the opposition recycling possession. It could be a factor against the Pumas.
AUSTRALIA VS. SCOTLAND
Sunday, 11 a.m. ET
The Wallabies are strong favourites after topping a group containing Wales and England, and facing a Scotland team that lost every match in the Six Nations tournament, and struggled to hold off Samoa 36-33 to seal second spot in its group here.
But the two-time champion Australians are wary after losing two of their last three matches against the Scots. Scotland produced a 9-6 upset in Newcastle, north of Sydney, in June 2012 in conditions that Wallabies captain Stephen Moore recalls as the worst he’s ever played in — torrential rain and a howling wind. The forecast isn’t that bad for London.