Rugby World Cup 2015: Seven things you need to know

Multimedia journalist·NZ Herald·

16 Oct, 2015 06:55 AM4 mins to read

Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry are with the All Blacks in Swansea and review the team to play France in the quarterfinals. Pound for pound, the All Blacks are going to put a better team on the park than France. It won't matter who the French pick, the reality for them is that in most positions, their individuals won't be as good. That's the objective, clinical assessment, but one the French will try to ignore. But it will be hard.

With the quarter finals kicking off at 4am on Sunday morning, Scott Yeoman looks at seven things you need to know going into tonight and the weekend.

1. All Blacks

The All Blacks will have a captain's run at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff overnight. This will be followed by their last press conference before Sunday morning's quarter-final against France. The game is being played at Millennium Stadium at 8am (NZ time). Last night the team was named by coach Steve Hansen, who made four changes to the starting line-up. Wyatt Crockett, Brodie Retallick, Richie McCaw and Julian Savea have replaced Tony Woodcock, Luke Romano, Sam Cane and Waisake Naholo.

See more on the team naming here

. New Zealand is paying $1.16 to win at the TAB, while France is paying $4.75.

New Zealand:

Ben Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Dan Carter, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (captain), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Joe Moody, Charlie Faumuina, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Beauden Barrett, Sonny Bill Williams.

France

There are reports suggesting the French side have dismissed their coach Philippe Saint-Andre only a couple of days from their quarter-final against the All Blacks. While Saint-Andre will probably still be in the coaches' box during the game, the reports in French media claim the players are no longer listening to him - effectively sacking him. While something like this sounds truly bizarre to us, the French rugby side have a history of these sorts of strange meltdowns. In possibly his last act as coach, Saint Andre named his side to play the All Blacks.

There were three changes to the starting French line-up, with Bernard Le Roux, Morgan Parra and Alexandre Dumoulin coming in for Damien Chouly, Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Mathieu Bastareaud.

France: Eddy Ben Arous, Guilhem Guirado, Rabah Slimani, Pascal Pape, Yoann Maestri, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Bernard Le Roux, Louis Picamoles, Morgan Parra, Frederic Michalak, Brice Dulin, Wesley Fofana, Alexandre Dumoulin, Noa Nakaitaci, Scott Spedding.

Reserves: Dimitri Szarzewski, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Damien Chouly, Yannick Nyanga, Rory Kockott, Remi Tales, Mathieu Bastareaud.

Wales name side

Welsh coach Warren Gatland named three changes for the quarter-final against the Springboks on Sunday morning at 4am (NZ time). Veteran prop Gethin Jenkins comes in for Paul James, and Tyler Morgan is starting at centre. Flanker Dan Lydiate is also back in the starting 15, joining captain Sam Warburton and Taulupe Faletau in the backrow. George North moves on to the wing. South Africa is paying $1.27 to win at the TAB. Wales is paying $3.50.

Wales: Gethin Jenkins, Scott Baldwin, Samson Lee, Luke Charteris, Alun-Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton (captain), Taulupe Faletau, Gareth Davies, Dan Biggar, George North, Jamie Roberts, Tyler Morgan, Alex Cuthbert, Gareth Anscombe.

Reserves: Ken Owens, Paul James, Tom Francis, Bradley Davies, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, James Hook.

Reminder of the quarter-final times

QF1: South Africa v. Wales is being played at Twickenham at 4am on Sunday morning (NZ time).
QF2: New Zealand v. France is being played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff at 8am on Sunday morning (NZ time).
QF3: Ireland v. Argentina is being played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff at 1am on Monday morning (NZ time).
QF4: Australia v. Scotland is being played at Twickenham at 4am on Monday morning (NZ time).

For a more in-depth look at these quarter finals read this 'what you need to know' piece and this compilation of statistics.

5. Predictions

The Herald's rugby experts have made their quarter-final picks going into the weekend. Compare their predictions with your own here.

6. Player rankings

7. Team rankings

EXTRA TIME

There's been some great stories to come out of this World Cup. It all started with Japan shocking the world against South Africa, we've also seen the lower-ranked nations show great improvement defensively.

The latest story has nothing to do with the players on the field, but the coaches off it.

Of the eight quarter-final nations left, half of them are coached by Kiwis. Good stuff!