Australia beat New Zealand to claim the Tri-Nations championship in August © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

Features: History counts for nothing

News: Wallabies set to target Cruden

Matches: New Zealand 20 - 6 Australia

Players/Officials: Matt Burke | David Campese | Dan Carter

Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup

Teams: Australia | New Zealand

Tri-Nations rivals New Zealand and Australia have met just twice in Rugby World Cup history - with the Wallabies holding a hoodoo over the All Blacks.

In both 1991 and 2003 Australia shocked highly-fancied New Zealand teams at the semi-final stage. Twenty years ago winger David Campese and centre Tim Horan scored tries for the Wallabies while fly-half Michael Lynagh kicked two penalties and a conversion as Australia conquered their cross-Tasman rivals 16-6.

And in 2003 the Wallabies again upset the odds with 22-10 victory to reach the final of the tournament for the third time. All Blacks fly-half Carlos Spencer had been dubbed King Carlos thanks to his imperious form against South Africa in the quarter-final, but in the semi-final he threw an ambitious pass wide to the left flank only for Stirling Mortlock to snatch it out of the air run the length of the pitch for a try. Elton Flatley converted and added a further five penalties to take the game beyond the All Blacks.

Overall though Australia have beaten the All Blacks just 47 times in 166 matches with New Zealand having come out on top on 114 occasions since the first game between the two nations in 1905. The Wallabies significantly brought a ten-game losing streak against their rivals to an end in Hong Kong last October with a 26-24 victory following James O'Connor's last-ditch try and conversion.

New Zealand ran out 30-14 winners the last time the two teams met in Auckland in August year. But the Wallabies more than avenged that defeat a few weeks later with a 25-20 in Brisbane to clinch the Tri-Nations crown.

Australia v New Zealand

All-time record: Played: 166 Australia won 47, New Zealand won 114, drawn 5

Biggest winning margin: Aus: 21 (28-7, Sydney 1999); NZ: 37 (43-6, Wellington 1996)

Highest score: Aus: 35 (35-39 Sydney 2000); NZ: 50 (50-21, Sydney, 2003)

Most tries: Aus: 5 (30-16, Auckland, 1978) and (35-39, Sydney 2000); NZ: 7 (50-21, Sydney, 2003) and (49-28, Melbourne, 2010)

Most points (individual): Aus: 176 Matt Burke; NZ: 270 Dan Carter

Most tries (individual): Aus: 8 David Campese; NZ: Four players on eight

Previous World Cup meetings: 2 (Aus 16-6 NZ, Dublin, 1991) and (Aus 22-10 NZ, Sydney, 2003)

Statsguru archive:

Click here for Australia's Test record courtesy of Statsguru

Click here for New Zealand's Test record courtesy of Statsguru

Click here for a record of all Australia v New Zealand matches courtesy of Statsguru