Rugby World Cup 2019: The quarter-finals in Opta numbers

The Rugby World Cup enters the knockout phase this weekend, with Ireland looking to finally reach a semi-final and Japan bidding to cause another upset.

Joe Schmidt’s team may have beaten two-time reigning champions New Zealand in two of their previous three meetings, but Ireland have a rotten record in World Cup quarter-finals.

Hosts Japan face South Africa – the team they stunned in the pool stage four years ago – in their first World Cup quarter-final, while Wales meet France and England take on an Australia side they have an excellent recent record against.

Here, we take a look at the Opta data for the four quarter-final clashes.

England v Australia

6 – England have dominated the Wallabies of late, winning each of their previous half a dozen meetings since Australian Eddie Jones was hired as head coach in 2015.

Grafting hard ahead of #ENGvAUS#RWC2019 #CarryThemHome pic.twitter.com/BknEvZQIIj

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 16, 2019

7 – No player won more turnovers than Maro Itoje’s seven in the pool stage and the England forward only featured in two of his team’s three matches.

29 – Jones’ side averaged 29 kicks in play per game during the pool stage – the most of any team – while Australia, with 13, averaged the fewest.

New Zealand v Ireland

7 – Ireland are in their seventh World Cup quarter-final and have lost all of their previous six matches at this stage – the joint most last-eight losses, along with Scotland.

17 – The All Blacks have won a record 17 consecutive World Cup games coming into this encounter – a run that dates back to a quarter-final defeat to France in 2007.

On the money from Steve Hansen.#NZLvIRE #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/h5NDUM4nFF

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 17, 2019

29 – New Zealand have scored a try in each of their last 29 World Cup matches, last failing to do so in 2003.

Wales v France

8 – In the eight meetings between these two nations since Les Bleus beat Wales in the 2011 World Cup semi-finals, Warren Gatland’s team have won seven times. Only the All Blacks have beaten France more often in that span (10 times).

4 – Wales won all four of their pool-stage matches for the first time since 1987. They have never won five World Cup games in a row.

6 – Since the start of 2018, France have lost six Tests in which they have been leading at half-time – the most such defeats of any side in that time. One of those came against Wales when they were 16 points ahead at the interval.

Japan v South Africa

3 – Japan’s 34-32 victory over South Africa at the 2015 World Cup was their first over a Tier One nation. Since then they have won two of their three games against such opponents, beating Ireland and Scotland in this tournament.

Japan will play in their first every quarter-final at Rugby World Cup 2019 and their progress is having a huge effect on the popularity of the sport. #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/qo1MYipLAu

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 16, 2019

5 – Kotaro Matsushima is one of the leading try-scorers at this World Cup, along with Wales wing Josh Adams, having crossed five times.

47 – The Springboks won 47 out of 47 lineouts on their own throw in the pool stage, the only side in the tournament to maintain a 100 per cent success rate.

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