Rugby World Cup quarter finals kick off

The men will be separated from the boys as the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup kick off Saturday in England.

South Africa, two-time world champions have managed to erase their shock defeat to Japan in the initial stages of the competition.

The Springboks have faced the Welsh 30 times and won 27 times. The Welsh have a poor record against South Africa but will be buoyed by their win in the last meeting.

The clash between the two sides will be physical and the game will be decided by which team has the resolve to withstand the intensity.

South Africa will be banking on their stalwarts who have steadied the Springboks ship that almost lost its course on match day 1 when they came unstuck against Japan’s Brave Blossoms.

Head coach Warren Gatland has rearranged the midfield and placed youngster Tyler Morgan to partner the experienced Jamie Roberts, a decision that has raised a lot of eyebrows among some skeptics.  The match will be played at Twickhenham in London.

BLACK MEETS BLUE

History repeats itself is a phrase the New Zealand All Blacks will be keen to forget when they face France in the second quarterfinal at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff. In the1999 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, France bundled New Zealand in the knockout stages.

The French have had an eventful World Cup. They lost to the Wallabies in their final group game and there are claims of mutiny by the players against their head coach Phillipe Saint- André.

The French players are rumored to have trained themselves this week and even selected the squad to face the All Blacks. A win for Les Bleus will be a unifying factor for the team but a loss could be detrimental to the future of French rugby.

The All Blacks approach Saturday’s clash with a lot of caution. Head Coach Steve Hansen who took charge of the squad after the 2011 Rugby World Cup has opted for a tried-and-tested line up.