Boks' Pool B fate: Only a slim mathematical chance world champions could miss out on knockouts

South Africa all but sealed a spot in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a 49-18 victory over Tonga in Marseille on Sunday, although there is a slim mathematical chance they still might not even make the knock-out phases.

AS IT HAPPENED | Springboks fend off plucky Tonga to secure bonus-point win

The Springboks ran in seven tries to Tonga's three to nab a crucial bonus point to leave them atop Pool B on 15 points.

The two teams who will advance to the quarter-finals will be decided when the world's number one ranked team Ireland - who beat the Boks last week - take on Scotland, ranked fifth, in Paris on Saturday.

A win for Ireland would see them finish in top spot and South Africa as runners-up.

However, should Scotland beat Ireland by a margin of 21 points or more, with both teams scoring four tries to earn an attacking bonus point, that would mean all three teams would finish pool play on 15 points.

That permutation would see the Scots topping the group on points difference ahead of Ireland, in second spot thanks to their better head-to-head record against the Boks, in third.

If all of Scotland, South Africa and Ireland finish level on log points, points difference will only be used to determine the group winner, with head-to-head determining positions two and three.

If the Scots were to finish top due to a superior points difference, Ireland would finish second ahead of South Africa because they beat the Boks 13-8 in pool play.

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"We'll have to wait," said Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber. "Our pool gets sorted out on Saturday so it's a waiting game.

"The key thing for us was to get the win first and then to get a bonus point and then