The Rugby World Cup Quarter-Finals – Who Will the Remaining Home Nations Play?

With three home nations through to the quarter-finals of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, hopes that one of them will eventually raise the famous trophy aloft are high. So, who will be facing who in the first knockout round?

England vs Australia

Eddie Jones’s men became Pool C winners when their match against France was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis. As a result, they’ll play Australia, who finished second in Pool D. The match will take place at the Oita Stadium, Oita City, on Saturday 19 October, with kick-off at 08.15 BST.

England won all three pool stage matches that they played decisively, beating Tonga by 35-3, the United States by 45-7, and Argentina by 39-10. The Aussies, meanwhile, beat Fiji by 39-21, but were then defeated by Wales by 29-25. They bounced back with a 45-10 victory over Uruguay, however, and a 27-8 win against Georgia.

New Zealand vs Ireland

Ireland’s quarter-final tie against New Zealand will take place at 11.15 on the same day. They’ll be playing at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu. Ireland’s journey to the knockout stages saw them beat Scotland by 27-3, lose to Japan by 19-12, thrash Russia by 35-0, and defeat Samoa by 47-5. They finished the first stage of the competition in second place in Pool A, three points behind the host nation.

The All Blacks went through to the quarter finals as Pool B victors, having won every match that they played. They began their campaign to retain the gilded silver rugby trophy by defeating South Africa by 23-13, Canada by 63-0, and Namibia by 71-9. Their final pool match, against Italy, was called off due to Typhoon Hagibis.

Wales vs France

Warren Gatland’s men go through as undefeated Pool D winners and will take on France, the Pool C runners-up, in their quarter-final tie. The match will take place on Sunday 20 October at the Oita Bank Dome, with kick-off at 08.15 BST. Wales beat Georgia by 43-14 in their first match of the tournament, before securing a 29-25 win against Australia. They then defeated Fiji and Uruguay by 29-17 and 35-13 respectively.

The cancellation of Les Bleus’ tie with England meant that they ended the pool stage with three wins and a draw to their name. While their match record was the same as England’s, France secured two fewer bonus points than their rivals, and finished in second place in the pool. Their three victories consisted of a 23-21 win against Argentina, a 33-9 win against the United States and a 23-21 win against Tonga.

Japan vs South Africa

The fourth quarter-final is the only one not to feature a home nations’ team as, unfortunately, Scotland failed to make it through. They were dispatched by the host nation, who beat them by 28-21, having already racked up victories against Russia (30-10), Ireland (19-12), and Samoa (38-19). Japan’s outstanding performance saw them win Pool A.

South Africa earned their place in the final eight by finishing second in Pool B. The All Blacks were the only team to beat them in the pool stage, winning by 23-13. The Springboks secured a 57-3 win against Namibia, thrashed Italy by 49-3, and defeated Canada by 66-7. They’ll take on Japan in Ajinomoto Stadium on Sunday 20 October at 11.15 BST.

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