The All Blacks have marched into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a 73-0 thrashing of Uruguay in their final pool A clash in Lyon. 

New Zealand scored 11 tries with winger Leicester Fainga’anuku crossing over for a hat-trick. There will be injury concerns for props Tyrel Lomax and Fletcher Newell who both left the field with suspected knee issues. 

More to come... 

What’s on the line?

New Zealand is not guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals heading into the final set of pool matches, however, it is probably the easiest bet compared with South Africa, Ireland and France. Wales and England are the only teams to have both feet in the last eight.

The All Blacks need a victory with four tries or more against Uruguay on Friday to be sure of progressing. Given that the All Blacks scored 14 tries in their 96-17 romp against Italy, ranked 11 in the world, a similar rampage against No. 17 Uruguay is likely.

France, meanwhile, has won three from three in Pool A – including the opener against New Zealand – but like Ireland, it could be all for nothing if their final game against Italy in Lyon goes the wrong way on Saturday. However, Italy has not beaten France since 2013. If New Zealand and Italy both win, and the latter doesn’t allow France a bonus point, the hosts could be knocked out.

Things are just as interesting for Pool B. Scotland holds the fate of both Ireland and defending champion South Africa in its hands. Scotland face Ireland over the weekend and if they win – an unlikely prospect – all three teams could end up on 15 points, resulting in points difference in games between them becoming the decisive factor.

The bottom line is Scotland has to win to have a chance at the quarters before any other calculations come into play. Ireland has won the last eight against Scotland since 2018 but the Scots have nothing to lose. Ireland, after more than a year at No. 1, has everything on the line.

Fiji will follow Wales into the quarterfinals from Pool C and make its first Rugby World Cup knockouts since 2007 by beating minnow Portugal in Toulouse on Sunday, or even losing narrowly. That will confirm the earliest elimination ever for two-time champion Australia, which may well be the one big turn-up of the pool stage. The only thing that can save Australia is Portugal winning its first World Cup game ever and, more than that, denying Fiji any losing bonus points.

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