Since South Africa joined the World Cup in 1995, they share a similar record with England.

1995 - Winners South Africa, in their first Rugby World Cup, hosted the tournament and set the tone in their opening pool match by hammering one of the favourites, Australia, 27-18 in Cape Town.

Led by the inspirational Francois Pienaar, the Springboks were always going to be formidable opposition on home soil - and so it proved, sealing a 15-12 victory over New Zealand in the final.

England made it to the semi-final after beating Australia with late drop goal (sound familiar?) before being comprehensively beaten by a Jonah Lomu-inspired All Blacks.

1999 - South Africa were semi-finalists. As defending champions, the Springboks had high hopes of retaining the trophy and with a squad packed with talent, Nick Mallett's charges were tipped to once again reach the final.

However the fell at the semi-final stage in an extra time 27-21 defeat to Australia but not before thumping England 44-21 in the quarter final.

England failed to register a single try and suffered at the hands of Jannie De Beer's remorseless boot as he landed five drop goals to kill off the Roses' hopes of a comeback.

2003 - South Africa were quarterfinalists. Not to put too fine a point on it, the Springboks were a shambles four years ago.

Their 29-9 quarter-final defeat at the hands of old enemies New Zealand was a blessing in disguise for the woefully underperforming Africans.

England of course went on to win in an enthralling final against Australia but beat South Africa in the group stages 25-6 with Will Greenwood securing a charge-down try after typically brave work from Lewis Moody.

Jonny Wilkinson scored all the other points with his boot, leading an Australian newspaper to write the headline "Is That All You've Got" and speculate that beating the English would be easy...