England vs Australia: Where the World Cup quarter-final will be won and lost as key breakdown battle looms

Topsy Ojo18 October 2019

Old rivals England and Australia go head to head once again this weekend in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup in Oita.

Eddie Jones' Pool C winners begin as the favourites to claim a seventh successive win over the Wallabies on Sunday.

Australia finished as runners-up in Pool D after losing to Wales in Tokyo and will start with teenager Jordan Petaia at outside centre.

England sprung a sizable selection shock of their own, with George Ford dropped to the bench and Owen Farrell moved to fly-half as Jones restores his preferred Six Nations midfield partnership of Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade.

Here, Standard Sport columnist and former England wing Topsy Ojo assesses where the battle is likely to be won and lost...

Rugby World Cup 2019: Where to watch England vs South Africa

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The breakdown

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David Pocock and Michael Hooper are world class, so it is a question of whether Sam Underhill and Tom Curry step up and match them.

If they can get England quicker ball, it will allow Tuilagi, Slade and Jonny May to come into the game.

But if Australia are all over the breakdown, you will see a disjointed and frustrated performance from England.

Discipline

AFP via Getty Images

Australia have had three yellow cards in their last two games - which included one for Isi Naisarani - while Reece Hodge was cited against Fiji.

They need to be careful, I think their card will have been marked.

England need to be wary, too. Now we are in the quarter-finals, a red or yellow card is critical.

In the group stages you can recover from that, but in the quarter-finals you’ve got just one shot.

The benches

AFP via Getty Images

Australia's subs have made a difference at this World Cup, particularly against Fiji and Wales.

Jones often goes on about his ‘finishers’, so can someone like Ford now come off the bench and be the difference?

It is probably going to be a three-or six-point game when we reach the last 20 minutes and it is up to both benches to make an impact.

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