Rugby World Cup quarters are tough tests for surviving Home Nations

We now know the quarter-final line-up for the Rugby World Cup, which doesn’t contain host nation England but three of the remaining British Isles sides have all advanced.

Reigning champions New Zealand remain the ones to beat with Coral as firm 5/4 favourites to retain the title, and the All Blacks will not fear Six Nations also rans France in their last encounter.

Pool C was hardly difficult for the Kiwis; only fellow Southern Hemisphere outfit Argentina posed them problems in the group opener before routine wins over Namibia, Georgia and Tonga.

The Pumas, who are 33/1 outsiders to lift the Rugby World Cup, meanwhile, tackle Six Nations champions Ireland in the quarters. Joe Schmidt’s side topped Pool D and saw their odds in the outright market slashed into 7/1 (from 10/1), but victory over Les Bleus came at the cost of injuries to fly half Johnny Sexton plus front row pair Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony, who has been ruled out of the tournament.

Thank you @peterom6 – you gave your all. O'Mahony ruled out of #RWC2015 #ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/88zFEfS3Hf

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) October 12, 2015

If all of these key players fail to cover, then that may make Argentina worth a punt at 15/8 to reach the semis, with football legend Diego Maradona already inspiring their rugby union side. “He [Maradona] gave us a speech [after the Tonga game],” Pumas captain and hooker Agustin Creevy said.