South Africa beat France in a seven-try thriller to set up a semi-final meeting with England. Photo: Getty Images/Hannah Peters < p>The Rugby World Cup knockout stages got off to a fast start with all four quarter-finals ending on the brink.
England were the last team left in the northern hemisphere, with France, Ireland and Wales eliminated from the game. tournament in a cruel way.
Here we rank the four teams remaining in the Rugby World Cup, as well as offer a retrospective ranking of all the teams that qualified after the pool stage.
Do you agree with the rankings below? Join the discussion in the comments section. And remember, you can also make your own rankings at the bottom of this page.
Also take a look at our tournament rankings for strength in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth rounds.
The semi-finalists made a rating. . .4. Argentina
Argentina exploited Wales' desperation in the second half with such ruthless abandon that the Pumas emerged as more than worthy winners. It may not have matched the quality of the two Paris quarter-finals, but Michael Sheika doesn't care. His team, after slumping on the opening weekend and losing to 14-man England, are now in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. They will be unattractive, but they have picked the All Black's pockets twice in the last three years – and it remains to be seen how much the quarter-final win over Ireland took from New Zealand.
3. England
Whatever the anecdotal beliefs and narratives surrounding Steve Borthwick's team, the fact remains that they fly the flag for the northern hemisphere and are the only unbeaten team left in the competition. The level of their opposition and the way the draw worked out for them are criticisms and accusations that should not be leveled at them. It's not their fault who they are told to play with or when. Sure, Steve Borthwick's side go into the semi-finals as underdogs, but what kind of saying is that? Beware of them.
2. New Zealand
I must say, a narrow second. One of the All Blacks' greatest performances came at the most important moment – in Paris on Saturday night. The New Zealand back line – the five scrum-half to be exact – was simply superb, delivering career-defining performances on the greatest stages. Will they have the mental and physical determination to shake off the dust from such a gigantic effort? Given the positivity that should reign in their camp, they certainly should.
Sam Cain (right) leads the team in tackles against Ireland with 22. Photo: Shutterstock/Teresa Suarez 1. South Africa
A titanic game in a titanic battle. These Springboks may not have the boldness and attacking flair of the French, but they are full of sand and made of granite. In the end, that was the difference in Paris: South Africa persisted in the battle before attacking when it mattered most. It was a tactical and strategic master class.
This was a performance by a team that knew how to win Tests and knockout rugby against a team competing in what was essentially their first real game. South Africa will be furious if they don't make the final; and should be considered the favorite after beating the hosts.
Best of the rest8. Fiji
Ultimately they saw England through, but they can look back on this quarter-final as a win. Have we seen the best of them? No, although England's stifling tactics deserve some credit. And the message from World Rugby: can we see more games like this against quality opposition?
7. Wales
Perhaps, given the draw, Wales are the losing quarter-finalists who should be the most heartbroken, the losing quarter-finalists who didn't achieve the most? Of course, Warren Gatland's side appeared to be ahead in the opening 40 minutes before a second-half capitulation handed the Pumas a comfortable win.
Wales controlled the game in Marseille but could not hold on. Photo: Getty Images/Cameron Spencer 6. Ireland
Like France, Ireland could not have done more and the match turned into one of the best defensive matches in history. costs. As with France, some of the attacks under the retiring Johnny Sexton were impressive. The problem for Ireland was that some of the events in New Zealand were equally impressive. The quarter-final hood remains, but given Irish rugby's purple patch, it certainly won't last beyond 2027.
5. France
This is probably not the best result in the history of the quarterfinals. Of course there were mistakes – some of which determined the outcome of the match – but this Les Bleus team played some of the most exciting rugby the sport has ever seen – all while losing. The speed and precision of the ball in the first half was stunning and in Peato Mauwaki – along with Sam Cane and Ardie Savea – France had the player of the weekend.
Along with captain Antoine Dupont, hooker Peato Mauwaka was clearly one of France's best players against South Africa. Photo: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield. Give your opinion
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