There are two contrasting statistics that embody the depth of the challenge facing the Springboks, who arrived in England on Saturday to launch their sixth World Cup challenge.

South Africa have the best overall win rate in Rugby World Cup history: 25 wins in 29 matches (86.2 percent).

However, there’s a catch: they have not beaten Australia or New Zealand in regular World Cup play since hosting (and winning) the 1995 edition.

The comparison is apt. The Boks go in with great expectations, but they will likely have to subdue their two major southern hemisphere rivals to become the first nation to lift the Webb Ellis Cup on three occasions.

Pencilling in probable outcomes, South Africa’s route to the final on October 31 is pock-marked with potholes and pitfalls, chiefly in the shape of the Wallabies in the quarterfinal and then the All Blacks in the semifinal. By comparison, 2007 was a breeze.

Don’t be fooled by the hype. South Africa will top Pool B, notwithstanding slugfests against Samoa and Scotland before these pretenders blow themselves out.

It’s a soft group compared to Pool A where Australia, England and Wales will fight it out for the top two spots and Fiji will look to mess things up with one of their traditional shake-ups. Twice they’ve made the last eight. Wales, who hate playing them, will be particularly terrified by the prospect.

England could theoretically make the final without playing the All Blacks or the Boks, the one team they have yet to beat under Stuart Lancaster. It’s a shrewd bit of scheduling.

You wonder how Wales could have ended up in that deathly pool, but it’s their fault. The seedings were done in 2012, when they were hopeless (seven straight defeats) and had dropped to ninth.

I’m betting they will be the unlucky ones who end third, remembering that they’ve lost 10 on the bounce against the Wallabies, plus they’ve been ravaged by injury. Plus they will be playing in London, away from their Millennium Stadium fortress.

As tough as it sounds, South Africans could do worse than support England initially. The Boks would rather play Australia (or Wales) than the World Cup hosts in the quarter-final. The Boks have had the wood on England for 10 years, but all bets are off in a World Cup where the Twickenham roar is easily worth 10 points. We must hope England win their pool, which pits them most likely against Scotland in a quarterfinal.

Pool C will be a doddle for New Zealand with only Argentina offering meaty resistance. Their reward could be a quarterfinal against France, their old bêtes noires who won’t be intimidated in the least.

This, however, assumes that Ireland will top Pool D with France running second. Ireland haven’t looked too tidy in their recent friendlies and France recently beat England with something to spare in Paris, but Ireland boast a better pedigree in recent years.

The quarters would then stack up as follows: SA v Australia; New Zealand v France; Ireland v Argentina; England v Scotland.

There are no gimmes here, but if logic and common sense have any say, the semifinals will see the Boks against New Zealand in the one half of the draw and Ireland against England in the other.

The Boks haven’t looked too flash in recent months, but if a miracle or three comes through for Fourie du Preez, Duane Vermeulen and Jean de Villiers, our lot could put out a thoroughbred XV able to rumble with anyone. Everything would have to go right.

World Cup rugby suits the Boks’ style; that is, it’s typically hard, grinding and chanceless, characteristics that embody much of the Boks’ DNA.

October 24 could be massive for the Boks; a showdown against the All Blacks for a place in the final. Don’t be conned: the All Blacks will always start as favourites.

They are the defending champions and assuming they don’t implode against France, will be ferociously difficult to beat. The smart money (and mine) is on a New Zealand-England final a week later.

I’m just thrilled the World Cup is again upon us. England will be magnificent hosts and the rugby ought to be dramatic and full-blooded.

Game on. – © Sunday Tribune