Wales will be aiming to stop Australia claiming an 11th straight win when they clash in one of three key World Cup games on Saturday.
Warren Gatland’s Welsh team and Michael Cheika’s Wallabies are both through to the quarter finals but will battle for supremacy in Pool A, one of the toughest ever drawn in the tournament.
Scotland take on Samoa in Pool B (1330 GMT) needing a win to make sure they get into the last eight.
England, meanwhile, have already been dumped out of the World Cup — the first hosts not to reach the knockout stages — but will try to take the first steps of redemption against Uruguay in Manchester (1900 GMT).
Winning Pool A, the so-called “Pool of Death”, should ensure a weaker opponent in the quarter finals.
But Cheika, boosted by having star full back Israel Folau fit to play at Twickenham (1545 GMT), said he is not so sure.
“I don’t subscribe to the theory that if you win your group, you are going to get an easier run. That is disrepecting the opposition and that is not what we are about,” said Cheika.
– Wallaby domination –
“It is going to be a big game for us. It is going to be a massive battle and pretty painful.”
Wales have had a lot of injuries but the high stakes and their brilliant 28-25 win over England has lifted their confidence.
“Let’s make no bones about it, Australia have had the upper hand on us for the last few years, and we are pretty determined to bring our competitive edge out,” said assistant coach Shane Edwards.
If Scotland get second place in Pool B behind South Africa they will take on the winner of the Twickenham game.
The Scots do not want to follow the English into rugby’s nomansland, but acknowledge they need to start better in this match than they have done in all their pool games.
“Now we’re on to winner takes all for us,” said Scotland assistant coach Duncan Hodge.
“It’s extremely simple, we need to win the game. There are no grey areas at all. We need to perform that is it, at the top, to the best of our ability and if we do that hopefully we can get the job done.”
England might rather not be playing against minnows Uruguay after the onslaught of criticism they have faced since losing to Australia 33-13 last week.
Advanced publicity has said “Manchester joins the World Cup party” when in fact for all concerned it is a wake. Cut price tickets are on sale for a match that would normally be a sellout.
England coach Stuart Lancaster and his captain Chris Robshaw could well sing the national anthem for the last time in their present roles.
The result will be of less interest than the reactions of coach and captain after the match with both their positions in doubt.
Lancaster came out fighting on the eve of the match.
“I’ve had 45 games in charge now so that makes me the second most experienced England coach, I think. My win percentage hasn’t been high enough because I didn’t win all the games.
“I obviously back myself. We’ve beaten every international team along the way.
“Results define coaching decisions but there’s other things I take confidence from.”