Further twists in a gloriously unpredictable Rugby World Cup seem inevitable after the first weekend of the knockout stages reached new heights of giddy excitement.

As the winners nursed their post quarter-final bruises and the losers slunk home, the fans travelling to Paris can savour a final fortnight in which the only certainty is a final between representatives of both hemispheres.

Hosts France meet defending champions England at the Stade de France on Saturday with South Africa playing Argentina at the same venue on the following day.

Knockout matches generate their own internal logic where the bounce of a ball, a lapse of concentration or a refereeing decision can decide a team's fate.

France, who defied the odds to defeat favourites New Zealand on Saturday, also believe in destiny.

In a swift rewrite of the original World Cup script, the loss to Argentina in the tournament's opening match which condemned France to a Cardiff quarter-final against the All Blacks, is now part of a larger picture.

The French, according to this revisionist version, will triumph over England, themselves upset winners over Australia, then take revenge over Argentina in the final on October 20.

England, dismal against the United States and woeful against South Africa, did enough against Samoa and Tonga to qualify for the quarter-finals.

They then reminded the world that they still have one of the better scrums by grinding Australia into the ground. England also have Jonny Wilkinson, who has not performed anywhere near his best but whose presence gives extra composure to his team and provides a constant area of concern to his opponents.

France took the hard road after losing to Argentina and were given little chance in Cardiff. After holding New Zealand to a 10-point lead at halftime, they ran the ball after the interval with substitutes Sebastien Chabal and Frederic Michalak supplying crucial impetus.

If they can beat the world number one side away, France will reason, why not England at home?

Argentina will be the neutrals' favourites. Their game plan is limited but they have rugged forwards and excellent players in key positions.

The fact that the Pumas are still in the tournament is a constant reproach to the game's administrators who cannot accommodate them in either the Six or the Tri-Nations competitions.

South Africa are now the tournament favourites but Argentina fear nothing and nobody and they will have drawn plenty of encouragement from the Springboks' quarter-final against Fiji, last survivors of the minor nations.

The Springboks looked rattled when Fiji pulled the score back to 20-20. Their defensive alignment wobbled and they appeared to be bickering among themselves before they went back to basics and put their faith in the set pieces to score 17 more unanswered points.

South Africa and England have won the Cup once each. France have lost two finals while Argentina are in the semi-finals for the first time. All four teams can harbour genuine hopes of lifting the William Webb Ellis trophy to the night sky on October 20.

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