Quarter-finals review: Winning ways

And then there were four. After 31 days, 44 matches, 2,148 points, 254 tries, 178 conversions, 157 penalties and 17 drop goals, Wales, France, Australia and New Zealand are left to battle it out for Rugby World Cup 2011 honours.

WALES

Wales have been showered in praise following their imposing 22-10 quarter-final win over Ireland, a performance built around a two-pronged defensive tactic they will likely stick to moving forward.

First the Welsh employ a suffocating ‘rush defence’, where the defensive line sprints forward to engage the attackers behind the game line. This is utilised in tandem with a strategy of tackling low and attempting to get the ball-carrier on the ground as quickly as possible.

The combination allows the Welsh to cut down runners before they gain forward momentum and then exploit the jackal-like qualities of their back row to snatch possession.

Wales have made no secret of their defensive tactics.

“We were trying to take the Irish feet from under them straight away,” coach Warren Gatland said after their quarter-final.

“We looked at the Italian game last week, and Italy went too high against Ireland. Our focus was to go very low, and try to deny their ball-carriers any go-forward.”

While this defensive strategy successfully stifled the Irish attack, it is yet to be tested against a side that is prepared to kick behind the line. When a defensive line pushes up hard and fast it leaves space directly behind that can be exploited with deft grubbers and chip kicks. The French will no doubt be practising both at training this week.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Welsh, though, will come if they find themselves down on the scoreboard in the pressure-cooker situation of a World Cup semi-final. That is when the composure of their young and inexperienced team, led by 23-year-old captain Sam Warburton, will be really tested.

However, Gatland is optimistic because he sees the lack of experience as a positive, declaring his charges have ‘no baggage’ and ‘no fear of failure’. If their defence continues to hold firm, Wales have little to fear at the weekend.

FRANCE

It is difficult to know exactly what to make of France at this tournament. They appear to be a bipolar outfit capable of winning through pure passion one day and losing with utter disinterest the next.

But despite talk of ongoing rifts between players and management, the French team that knocked over England in their quarter-final put on a powerful display. In a strange turn of events the French now appear galvanised by their own alleged disunity.

The key to their quarter-final victory lay in securing an early lead and defending it with a dominant kicking game. France raced away to a 16-0 advantage before the boots of fly half Morgan Parra and scrum half Dimitri Yachvili forced England to continually chase the game from their own half.

Outgoing coach Marc Lièvremont is under no illusions about the inconsistency of his side and appears resigned to the idea that French prospects at the tournament are no longer influenced by his tutelage.

“But history has also shown that outstanding French performances are sometimes followed by very weak ones,” Lièvremont conceded.

“It is up to the players to decide whether they just want to walk in the shoes of previous teams, or if they want to write their own story.”

For France to write such a story the players will again have to bury any quarrels and tap into the pride and ambition that fuelled their quarter-final win.

AUSTRALIA

Australia tackled themselves to a standstill in their epic 11-9 win over South Africa. The committed performance showed the Wallabies are able to shelve their natural running game in favour of a tight and torrid arm wrestle when the situation demands it.

This adaptability will stand them in good stead to challenge New Zealand for a place in the final.

However, it is hard to see the Wallabies progressing without fly half Quade Cooper finding form. At his scintillating best, Cooper is Australia’s most potent attacking weapon. At his erratic worst he is their greatest vulnerability.

The 23-year-old has been under immense pressure from day one and has yet to truly assert himself on the tournament. The calls to reinstate Berrick Barnes at inside centre to relieve Cooper of some of his playmaker responsibilities are growing louder.

Coach Robbie Deans was the first to admit Cooper would be unsatisfied with his shaky quarter-final performance but found solace in the tenacious ability of his team to grind out the result regardless.

"The good thing is we got through the game with that and this whole group will be better for tonight's experience," Deans said.

In perhaps a sign of things to come, especially if Pat McCabe’s shoulder injury proves serious, Deans had more complimentary words about Barnes’ contribution off the bench.

"Berrick did well. There was one very good kick which alleviated a lot of pressure and produced a bit of pressure and ultimately produced the opportunity we needed,” he said.

NEW ZEALAND

A week ago Aaron Cruden was watching RWC 2011 from his lounge room. Now it appears the 22-year-old playmaker will be handed the vast responsibility of guiding the All Blacks into the final.

With injury claiming fly half Dan Carter and striking down his replacement Colin Slade in the first half of New Zealand’s 33-10 quarter-final win over Argentina, Cruden stands next in line.

How the No.1 team in the world will perform with Cruden at the helm is yet to be evaluated. His 50 minutes against Argentina were impressive enough but Australia will present a sterner test.

The All Blacks showed typical composure in withstanding the early physicality of the Argentines before overwhelming them with superior fitness and precision in the second half.

Piri Weepu's boot was ever-reliable as he slotted seven penalties from seven to help his side gain the ascendancy. Coach Graham Henry, who described the scrum half's performance as "outstanding", knows such accuracy in front of goal is critical for his side’s semi-final chances.

Henry has some big decisions to make ahead of the clash with Australia. He has continually reshuffled his backline throughout the tournament and is yet to settle on a definitive back three.

The attacking threat on the New Zealand wing can vary from the physical charges of Richard Kahui, to the fancy footwork of Zac Guildford, and most recently, the one-handed offloading of Sonny Bill Williams.

With so many outside backs vying for starting spots and Cruden still to familiarise himself with his newfound responsibility, there is no doubt the All Blacks have a lot to work on ahead of Sunday’s semi-final.