Whoever wins will qualify by right for the knock-out stages and stay on in New Zealand for at least another week. Both teams could still qualify if they lose by being one of the two best ranked third-place teams in the three Groups.
Both teams went down to defeat against the Black Ferns and both just managed to beat Scotland. The Scots face New Zealand in their final fixture.
- Australia and Wales have met four times previously in Test rugby, with the Wallaroos coming out on top in each encounter; Australia’s four victories have all come by margins of 14 points or more.
- Australia have won their last two matches against European nations, including victory against Scotland in their most recent Rugby World Cup fixture, however they’ve never won three in a row against opposition from Europe.
- Wales have won three of their last five Rugby World Cup matches (L2), as many as they’d won in their previous 13 fixtures in the tournament (L10); they will be aiming to win two pool stage matches in an edition of the Rugby World Cup for the first time since 1994 when they won both such matches.
- Australia conceded just 12 points in their last match against Scotland (14-12), the fewest they have conceded in a single Rugby World Cup match since 2014, when they conceded just three against Wales (30-3).
- Wales have scored 12+ points in each of their last two Test matches after failing to reach double figures in any of their previous five, however, they conceded 56 points in their last match (12-56 v New Zealand), their most in a Rugby World Cup match since 2014 (7-63 v New Zealand).
- Australia have been shown two red cards in the 2021 Rugby World Cup, they are the only nation to have had a player sent off; only two teams have conceded more penalties that the Wallaroos at this year’s tournament (26, South Africa – 30, Italy 27).
- Australia have attacked the openside of the pitch following 89.6% of their rucks in this year’s Rugby World Cup, only USA (90.2%) and Italy (90.9%) have better rates.
- Wales (92.3% – 3rd) are one of just four teams to have a success rate of over 90% on their own lineouts in this year’s Rugby World Cup, however, they are also one of just three teams not to have stolen a single opposition lineout in this year’s tournament.
- Australia’s Bienne Terita has scored at least one try in each of her three Test matches for Australia, scoring five in total, including one during her side’s victory against Scotland last time out; she has averaged a try every 47 minutes since making her debut for the Wallaroos in August.
- Wales’ Beth Lewis made 25 tackles during her side’s game against New Zealand last weekend, the most by any Wales player in a single match since Georgia Evans also successfully completed 25 tackles against Canada last November.
