Wynne Gray: Much to gain in battle for Pool A

The 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between England and Australia. Photo / Getty Images

There's no qualifying pressure on the Wallabies and Wales but that will not reduce the significance of their final pool game showdown. That match will create much of this Sunday's rugby chatter.

It's got all the necessary ingredients. Warren Gatland and Michael Cheika are a couple of garrulous coaches, their teams are undefeated and the winner will end up on the opposite side of the draw to the All Blacks.

That's another small victory for the leading team in Pool A.

All those criteria apply to Monday's square-off in Cardiff when Ireland play France. They're both assured of a quarter-final spot but the loser gets the booby prize of playing the All Blacks at the same venue a week later.

While there are widespread unflattering reports about the All Blacks' production so far, there is a general sense they will be too strong for either Ireland or France at this stage of the tournament.

Before you get all uppity or prickly about that supposition, I do have first-hand experience of the 2007 implosion and other occasions when the All Blacks have been shut out. That happens. There is also a law of averages that states the All Blacks win most of their tests.

Most, not all.

In the past 25 years, the All Blacks have lost one-third of their tests against France and have never been beaten by Ireland.

The All Blacks do not look settled yet and they have had mixed performances all season. They've lost only once this season, though, have a strong coaching crew and always carry an aura of intimidation.

Ireland will probably carry a slight favouritism against France because of their Six Nations work but their latest struggle to get past Italy 16-9 lacked authority. It's provoked plenty of introspection from emerald green supporters.

"All in all, happy to be in a quarter-final but, my God, you are not winning a World Cup playing that way," former skipper Brian O'Driscoll said. "We've got to really up our performance ... too many unforced errors, not enough pattern, small things in their game that ordinarily are good."

Perhaps the ease of their opening two pool games saw contentment creep into Ireland's game against Italy but this was a very flat performance. While there are questions about Ireland's attacking edge, France have an extra three days to prepare for this test.

Something that will disturb coach Joe Schmidt about Ireland's struggle to beat a Sergio Parisse-powered Italy was their fluctuating intensity. They needed more of Peter O'Mahoney's desperate commitment to stop a try and collective layers of power and concentration.

Ireland's lineout was strong and their scrum stable but they did not build on those cores and coughed up far too many penalties.

Worried about the All Blacks' performances? What about the uncertainty in the ranks of the Emerald Isle?