Wallabies vs England: What makes this contest the Rugby World Cup's greatest rivalry

Both have lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy at the other's expense — a record only equalled in deciders contested by New Zealand and France.

The upcoming quarter-final between Australia and England promises to be another chapter in the Rugby World Cup's greatest rivalry.

Given a wider remit, any number of nations could lay claim to producing a fiercer contest, but at the code's showpiece event, no match-up can surpass that of England and the Wallabies.

From David Campese's mind games in 1991 to Jonny Wilkinson's right boot in 2003 — this fixture has provided more than enough drama to fill a dozen highlights reels.

These two nations have met in six of the eight previous Rugby World Cups, winning three matches each.

With both victories coming on their rival's home turf, the English and the Wallabies' shared history at the World Cup makes their contests a cornerstone of the tournament.

Legend would have you believe that England's implosion at the 1991 World Cup final on the home turf of Twickenham was all due to David Campese's taunts, his mind games forcing England to abandon its previously successful approach in order to silence the mouthy Aussie winger.

England was the reigning grand slam champion of the Five Nations, a title earned by playing a style of rugby that can at best be described as attritional.

England built its World Cup strategy on that same, 10-man, forward-dominated game — its effectiveness no more evident than during the violent quarter-final contest against the French at the Parc des Princes and the subsequent 9-6 semi-final victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.

As England's bludgeoning approach delivered the side to the final, the Wallabies' tormentor-in-chief Campese was publicly mounting a campaign against that style of play.

Come final day, England opted for a wider, more expansive style for the first time in more than a year. It didn't work, and the Aussies ran out 12-6 victors.

Adding insult to injury was the blatant — and very deliberate — knock-on from Campese that cost Rory Underwood a second-half try that could — and perhaps should — have resulted in a penalty try.

That, plus the legend of Campese's mind games, ensured the game would enter Rugby World Cup folklore.

Double drop-goal heartbreak (See Video)

Four years later, in the quarter-final, England would have its revenge.

At Newlands in Cape Town, Rob Andrews's towering, 45-metre drop goal in extra time handed England its first victory over the Wallabies outside of the Northern Hemisphere and marked the first time that England had beaten the Wallabies at the World Cup.

In 2003, history would repeat itself on an evening bigger stage as England rugby achieved its crowning glory, avenging that 1991 defeat once and for all with a dramatic 20-17 victory over the Wallabies at Sydney's Olympic stadium.

In the 100th and final minute of an absorbing final, Jonny Wilkinson kicked the most important of his tournament-leading eight drop goals — off his weaker right boot — to hand England its first, and to date only, Rugby World Cup title.

Oh and that scream that you heard when the kick went over the bar? That was Rob Andrew. Circle of life, etc.

Australia denies England back-to-back titles — sort of

In the 2007 tournament in France, Wilkinson was again the hero in the quarter-final at the Stade Velodrome.

The mercurial fly half had hardly played in the intervening four years, but picked his broken body off the canvas to slot four of his seven penalties in Marseille to send a heavily favoured Wallabies packing.

That was not the last of Australia's involvement in the tournament though.

In the final, England was outlasted by a dogged South Africa at the Stade de France, 15-6.

England thought it had crossed the line early in the second half through winger Mark Cueto, but video referee Stuart Dickenson, an Australian, judged that Cueto's foot had strayed into touch.

It was the tightest of calls, with little more than a blade of white-washed grass in it, but the decision stood and although England would narrow the gap through the boot of Wilkinson, it was not enough to prevent the Springboks claiming the trophy for the second time.

"It was a try, I'm sure of that," Cueto said in an interview with the Telegraph eight years later.

"Look, who knows what would have happened if the try had been given? South Africa might have come back at us again, but in my mind, it was a try. It was the early days of TMO. I've seen far less obvious sort of tries given. In any other game, I'm convinced it would have been given."

The ultimate indignity on home soil

Eight years would pass before the two rivals would meet at the centrepiece tournament again — but when they did, it was disastrous for England.

England hosted the 2015 tournament, but was drawn in the 'pool of death' with Wales, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.

With only two teams to qualify, the matches against the tier-one nations would be vital.

A shock 25-28 defeat to Wales at Twickenham — where England captain Chris Robshaw famously turned down a late penalty to tie things up — did the damage, but the Wallabies put the nail in the coffin at the same venue a week later.

England lost the must-win clash against the Wallabies 13-33 — the country's heaviest defeat in nine years against the Wallabies — to exit before the quarter-finals for the first time — leaving England fans cursing the bloom of social media.

Recent record points to England

However, that result was actually something of an outlier.

That win was one of just two victories for the Wallabies against England in the last 12 meetings.

Since that 2015 humiliation, England has won six straight against Australia, including a historic 3-0 series whitewash on Australian soil in 2016, led by the mercurial, forever-smiling Eddie Jones.

The mind games ahead of this Saturday's contest have already started, with Jones saying England's record after a two-week preparation is "fairly exceptional" as his mind whirrs behind his disconcertingly impish grin.

Jones' former Randwick teammate, Michael Cheika, countered to heap the pressure onto the English.

"They've [England] had the best preparation according to the coach [Jones] so they'd better go out there and win," Cheika said.

"We'll see how we go."

It promises to be another epic encounter.

History: Wallabies vs England at Rugby World Cup

1987: Australia 19-6 England, pool stage

1991: England 6-12 Australia, Final

1995: England 25-22 Australia, quarter final

1999: Did not play each other

2003: Australia 17-20 England, Final

2007: England 12-10 Australia, quarter final

2011: Did not play each other

2015: England 13-33 Australia, pool stage Print  Email  Facebook  Twitter  More

Below : David Campese at work during the 1991 Rugby World Cup.