Grant Nisbett: Quarter-final preview

Opinion

The opening quarterfinal game features South Africa and Wales at Twickenham on Sunday morning (NZT).

The Springboks have recovered remarkably well from their shock defeat to Japan and in a strange sort of way the loss of captain Jean de Villiers has helped their cause. It's meant that Heyneke Meyer has been able to comfortably select his young tyros Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel in midfield without the embarrassment of leaving out the skipper.

It'll be brutal up front and few teams in the world can match the Boks in that area although Wales, despite their dreadful injury concerns, have fronted physically in all the games that matter at this tournament. Tight but the Springboks should advance.

It's been done to death already and I imagine there's still more to come - New Zealand against France at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

If you are a believer that history repeats itself then there's little point in even watching. Eight years ago many of the current All Black team were teenagers with a passing interest in the World Cup and the result of that infamous match has little or no meaning for them when it comes to this weekend.

Sure, there'll be memories for the likes of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Steve Hansen, but they are rightly focusing on what they can control and that's beating what looks like a pretty average French outfit. France showed virtually nothing against Ireland and I'm not sure there's anything more to show. Brave words I know.

Monday's two quarterfinals start in Cardiff with Ireland against Argentina and this is a really tough one to nail.

At full strength I would have little hesitation in going with the Irish but the loss of so many key players last week could cause the tide to turn dramatically towards the South Americans.

There is World Cup history between these two nations with Argentina knocking Ireland out of the 2007 tournament, on their way to finishing a meritorious third, and the Pumas are looking ominous again. There is clear evidence that four seasons in the Rugby Championship has lifted their standard to a new level and this year's win over the Boks in Durban very much emphasises that point.

They troubled the All Blacks at Wembley earlier in the tournament and although Ireland will bring their traditional heart and resolve to the battle, those key injuries might prove to be the difference.

The final match looks the easiest one to predict with the Wallabies looking too good across the board for Scotland.

Australia, with wins over both England and Wales in successive weekends, come into this Twickenham game as the in-form side at the tournament. Those two wins were achieved in very different ways and it showed that Michael Chieka has options as he contemplates further advancement at this tournament and don't forget that both of the Wallaby World Cup wins have been won in this part of the world.

Scotland were average against a Samoan team that had a disappointing tournament and any repeat of that effort, particularly in defence, will see them blown out of the water and sent packing up the M1.