The Pool C clash between England and South Africa has been keenly anticipated since the Rugby World Cup 2003 draw was made last year, with the outcome set to have a big impact on who eventually lifts the Webb Ellis Cup.
Much has been made of the fact that England convincingly won the last meeting between the two sides – 53-3 at Twickenham last November – and of their memorable encounter at the 1999 Tournament.
Here at rugbyworldcup.com we have delved a little deeper to find some interesting statistics about both England and South Africa.
Record equalling
* South Africa won a record equalling 10 consecutive Rugby World Cup matches before losing the 1999 semi final to Australia after extra time – their only defeat in the Tournament to date.
* England prop Jason Leonard will, if he comes on against South Africa, equal the record of 17 Rugby World Cup matches held by All Black legend Sean Fitzpatrick. Leonard is also only four caps shy of equalling Philippe Sella’s world record of 111.
* Fly half Jannie de Beer kicked a world record five drop goals in the only previous meeting between these teams at a Rugby World Cup, a quarter final match the Springboks won 44-21 in 1999.
* England equalled another Rugby World Cup record, twice achieved by New Zealand, with 10 different players crossing the try line in the 84-6 defeat of Georgia – which itself was the fifth biggest margin in Tournament history.
Sole survivor
* Joost van der Westhuizen is the only survivor of the Springbok team who beat England 44-21 in the quarter final of Rugby World Cup 1999. England by contrast have 10 survivors from that defeat.
Points scorers
* Scrum half van der Westhuizen became only the second Springbok to score a Rugby World Cup hat trick with his three try haul against Uruguay. The first was wing Chester Williams in the 1995 Tournament.
* This hat trick also saw van der Westhuizen become South Africa’s most prolific try scorer in Rugby World Cup history with six tries.
* Meanwhile Jonny Wilkinson is on the verge of another record, the fly half needing just 15 points to become the first England player to score 100 Rugby World Cup points. The 24 year old would then enter the top 10 all time scorers in RWC history.
Quick off the mark
*England are the quickest team to secure a bonus point in Rugby World Cup 2003 with four tries scored against Georgia in 26 minutes, two minutes quicker than South Africa wrapped up their own against Uruguay.
* Both England and South Africa scored 12 tries in their opening matches, the most by a team in Rugby World Cup 2003. Four forwards, another 2003 Tournament record, got on the scoresheet for each team.
A select club
* England’s defeat of Georgia took them through the 700 point barrier, a feat only New Zealand and France have achieved in the history of the Rugby World Cup. South Africa have only scored 432 points, having not played in the first two Tournaments.
Double the experience
* The aggregate number of caps in the starting line ups named by Clive Woodward and Rudolf Straeuli differ greatly with England able to draw on the experience of 638 caps, more than double the 316 caps of the younger Springbok starting XV.
Points average
* The three matches in Pool C, all of which have taken place at Perth’s Subiaco Oval, have averaged around 80 points.