Ange Postecoglou has no issue with Tottenham fans staging a protest ahead of Saturday’s fixture with Manchester United, but is sure they will be united behind the team once the match gets started.

An hour-long demonstration by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has been arranged for 3.45pm over the club’s decision to raise the price of matchday tickets for the 2023-24 campaign.

While Spurs announced in April that season-ticket prices would be frozen, THST expressed its frustration last month over the matchday ticket price increase and the lack of consultation.

It has resulted in a ‘Call to Action’ from THST, who wants a full reversal of an increase they insist will price out loyal fans, but they made a conscious effort to ensure the protest occurred outside the stadium and before the 5.30pm kick-off.

Postecoglou said: “To be fair it’s not an unusual space for me. I know people talk about the treble I won at Celtic but the beginnings at Celtic were very similar.

“There was a lot going on off the pitch at the time and it’s only natural when football clubs have a disappointing period that there is going to be that environment with people unhappy, but my role within that is to hopefully get people to focus on what we’re all here for and that is the football club, the players, the team and having success.

“There is no doubt that we will get there quick if we’re united on and off the field absolutely, but I have never and never will tell people how they should feel, how they should behave or the context of how to express their emotions.

“I think that is their right and they have earnt their right to do that. My role within that is to try produce a team that gets us united to what’s most important.

“What I do know is that if we are united as a football club, supporters, everyone involved in and out of the club, during those 90 minutes, it gives us our best chance of success and ultimately that’s why we all do it.

“In every family you can have disagreements but hopefully you all come together at the dinner table and embrace the fact that we are a family and we’re going to need our supporters tomorrow and our role in that is to try to give them something to get excited about.”

The Spurs fanbase has endured a difficult 2023, watching last season’s hopes of silverware evaporate during a disastrous March, which saw painful FA Cup and Champions League exits followed by Antonio Conte’s departure.

A period of discontent has occurred since and Harry Kane’s exit on the eve of the season has turned up the heat on the club’s board, but there is overwhelming support for new boss Postecoglou.

The Australian was serenaded for a number of minutes by the away fans at Brentford last weekend and a tifo display is planned for his first competitive home match in charge on Saturday.

But Postecoglou admitted: “It means a lot but I’m not comfortable with it. You love what it means because for the most part it’s blind faith.

“I haven’t yet delivered anything. Hopefully when the day comes that we deliver as a team it will mean something different then.

“I don’t dismiss it either, that’s people taking a huge leap of faith on me as an individual and I appreciate that. It’s a really good reminder of the responsibility that I have.

“I have to repay that faith and supporting at the moment is on the back of very little. We need to start producing something that’s substantial so we can take that credit when it’s deserved.”

Meanwhile, Spurs will be boosted by Cristian Romero’s availability on Saturday after he passed concussion protocols this week following his clash of heads with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo

“Cristian is good to go,” Postecoglou revealed. “He’s ticked all the boxes.”

Pep Guardiola insists he has no doubts over the quality of Cole Palmer as he looks for ways to cover for the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who could be out for up to five months with a hamstring injury.

De Bruyne is due to go under the knife in his native Belgium after pulling up early in City’s Premier League opener at Burnley last Friday, and City had to do without their talisman in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla, prevailing in a penalty shootout.

Palmer started on the right wing in Athens and scored City’s equaliser just after the hour mark, following up his fine strike against Arsenal in the Community Shield, but that has not stopped speculation linking the 21-year-old academy product with a move away.

As Guardiola revealed fears that De Bruyne may not return to full fitness until February, he said Palmer and others will need to provide the answers.

“It’s not necessary to ask how good he is,” Guardiola said of Palmer. “You don’t need two goals in two finals to define how good he is.

“Cole in the previous season arrived in an extraordinary moment, he defined the game in the FA Cup and then had injuries. He couldn’t be there.

“Playing at City is not easy with Riyad (Mahrez, now departed), Bernardo (Silva) and a lot of players.

“Last season our players in midfield were KDB, who will be four or five months out, (Ilkay Gundogan) who isn’t here, we have to adjust a few things. We’re not at our best, or our top, it’s normal and we adjust a few things but the spirit is there.”

John Stones has been added to the injury list for Saturday’s match at home to Newcastle after sustaining a muscular injury in training, while Bernardo remains out through illness, but Guardiola expressed optimism that Ruben Dias could return after missing the Super Cup final.

Following a late night in Athens on Wednesday and the journey home, Guardiola said his players would not train on Friday but instead focus on recovery with massage and sessions in the pool.

“Of course we are ready,” Guardiola said. “We need these types of challenges. Everyone wants to beat us and we have difficulties for many reasons, many important injuries, the calendar.

“It’s a challenge again, to see if we can make a step forward. If you want to win you need that.

“In football there are always problems, it’s how you overcome that defines if you’re a good team or not…

“We went to bed at 4am, arrived here late, today we cannot train – everyone in the pool, massage – we don’t have time.

“We’d love one more day. We accept that this is the challenge. It’s why we won: we overcome these kind of positions. We always had less time to recover.”

Guardiola has his eyes on winning the Club World Cup in December to “take all the titles” after last season’s treble and the Super Cup win, and said recent successes can inspire his players as they deal with the challenges in front of them.

“The spirit is there,” he said. “I know how happy they are. Every day we arrive and see the four trophies in front of us. Wow, how nice is that? How difficult is that? We love it.”

West Ham boss David Moyes has given Jesse Lingard another week to earn a short-term contract.

Lingard, who enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Hammers in 2021, is training with the club following his release by Nottingham Forest.

The 30-year-old snubbed a return to West Ham last summer in favour of Forest after leaving Manchester United, but he could yet be back in claret and blue as Moyes attempts to beef up his squad.

“We’ve not even considered a deal at the moment,” said Moyes. “He’s in training to see if we can get him back fit and get him in decent condition.

“He’ll be back here next week as well. There’s no news on that as far as short-term deals or anything else.

“Jesse’s a good player, probably needing to get himself in the correct condition. We’re working on him, all players tend to need four or five weeks pre-season and Jesse’s no different from anybody else.”

Moyes is set to hand James Ward-Prowse an immediate debut against Chelsea on Sunday following his £30million switch from Southampton.

But Edson Alvarez, the £35million signing from Ajax, will probably only make the bench having missed out on pre-season.

“Alvarez is only just back,” added Moyes. “We got him in the middle of last week when he started training. He had no training for three weeks.

“It wasn’t as if he was back at Ajax, whereas James Ward-Prowse has been back training all the way through with Southampton and played games already. He is much more ready.”

Owner Gareth Cheshire has only the Sky Bet Ebor on his mind for Golden Rules, despite having his doubts that his star stayer will make the cut for the prestigious York handicap.

Trained by Deborah Faulkner, the former John and Thady Gosden runner made a winning start for his new connections following a long lay-off at Kempton in March and then went close to justifying the team’s supreme confidence ahead of the Northumberland Plate when a silver medallist in the Gosforth Park marathon.

A crack at the Ebor has been the ambition ever since for the 97-rated gelding, but although being as short as 12-1 for the one-mile-six-furlong showpiece on August 26, the fragile six-year-old is not guaranteed a place in the £500,000 contest which has a maximum field of 22.

“He’s the love of my life and the stuff of dreams,” said Cheshire.

“He’s been fine since Newcastle and he’s been tipping away. I leave everything to Deborah and Tom (Faulkner) and our vet and as I’ve said before, you just have to mind him. We take each day as it comes and we are doing what we normally do. We take it day by day with him and he is a superb horse.

“I don’t think we’ll get in the Ebor. We will make any further plans after the Ebor is out of the way because he is qualified for the all-weather final at Kempton, but I don’t really know. We’ll get the Ebor out of the way, whether he’s in or out, and go from there.

“I didn’t sleep before the Northumberland Plate as I was in Ibiza. It took some negotiating to get home early and it cost me a handbag, but now I don’t like think to about him. I’ll leave that to everyone else and if he gets in he gets in, that’s great, but if he doesn’t and he gets balloted out, then he was clearly a certainty!”

Cheshire made headlines in the days leading up to the Northumberland Plate with his bullish prediction about his horse’s claims and Golden Rules came within half a length of proving his owner right having suffered a luckless run up the Newcastle home straight behind winner Calling The Wind.

However, he explains he had plenty of reason for the confidence and said: “I don’t spend as much time at the yard as I would like to, but I was convinced he would be in the first three.

“Having lived on and off with him for two years and the way he won at Kempton and the feedback from Oisin Murphy had me really confident.

“Oisin Murphy, one of the leading riders in the world, was really happy to come and sit on him at home which tells you something and the last piece of work he did, Oisin said to us ‘just get him to the Plate, that will do’.”

The enthusiastic owner rates Golden Rules as the best horse he has ever been involved with and having been bought for 6,000 guineas in the autumn of 2021, he showed real patience and perseverance to get his charge to the racecourse following 638 days on the sidelines.

Cheshire is full of credit for both his fledgling training team based in South Wales and his vet, who has helped nurse Golden Rules back to peak condition.

He added: “The reason I got him for 6,000 was because he had a problem and my vet and the training team have done amazingly. He’s done more miles in the pool than Mark Spitz and they have done a magnificent job. Every day with the horse is a bonus.

“He’s like one of these superstars who will sign autographs and have selfies done, Golden Rules is a complete gentleman. They say never meet your heroes, but he is like meeting your hero and they turn out to be a nice bloke as well.

“I’m very lucky to have him and every time I see him, I tell him he’s Grandad’s favourite and feed him his apples. I’ve had racehorses since I was five years old and you wait a lifetime for a horse like him. I don’t think I will find another one.”

Former referee Nigel Owens insists rugby is in “big trouble” if Owen Farrell’s dangerous tackle against Wales is not viewed as a sending off offence.

Farrell faces an independent disciplinary panel early next week after World Rugby appealed against the decision to downgrade his red card for a high shoulder-led challenge on Taine Basham to yellow.

England’s captain has received impassioned support from his head coach Steve Borthwick and Ireland boss Andy Farrell, his father, amid an outcry over the original hearing’s failure to issue a ban.

Owens, who oversaw 100 Tests from 2003 to 2020, believes Farrell should be punished for the tackle while warning the game of the repercussions if he is cleared once again.

“Owen Farrell is a great player who I have a huge amount of respect for,” the Welshman told Wales Online.

“But he has a history of making this kind of tackle, he’s been punished before and perhaps got away with a couple too.

“The referee and everybody at home watching the game would have been looking at that incident and going through their checklist.

“Do we have foul play? Yes, we do. Do we have contact with the head? Yes, we do. Do we have a high degree of danger? Yes, we certainly do. Do we have mitigation? In my view, no we don’t.

“I don’t think there was any late change from Basham which Farrell could not adjust to, he was the only player contributing to the action of the tackle.

“The key thing about mitigation here is that Farrell’s actions were always illegal. No matter what happened, he was always leading with the shoulder and not making an attempt to wrap for a legal tackle – so mitigation does not and should not play a part in the decision.

“For me, it’s a red card and whatever the judicial outcome may be, it still has to be a red card.

“We must stay strong and deal with acts of foul play. This is foul play, it’s an illegal charge, it’s not an accident. He’s always leading with the shoulder, he’s made contact with the head and, sorry, he’s got to take the consequences.

“The important message here to everybody involved in the game is, despite whatever reasons that the judicial officers had for their decision, this was a red card and should continue to be a red card for the good of player safety and the future of the game as well.

“Quite simply, if we don’t deal with actions like this as a red card offence, then the game is going to be in big trouble moving forward.”

Rabbi Matondo is determined to make his mark at Rangers, despite an unconvincing first season at Ibrox.

The 22-year-old Wales winger joined the Light Blues on a four-year deal from German side Schalke last summer following loan spells at Stoke and Cercle Brugge.

However, hindered at times by injury, he failed to nail down a regular first-team spot, making most of his 28 appearances as a substitute, and boss Michael Beale did not name him in the recent European squad for the Champions League qualifier against Servette.

However, Beale praised Matondo’s efforts off the bench in the 4-0 cinch Premiership win over Livingston at Ibrox last weekend – his first minutes of the season – and the attacker is looking for more game time in the ViaPlay Cup last-16 tie against Championship side Morton at Ibrox on Saturday – and beyond.

“The manager has brought a lot of talent in and that’s what happens at clubs like Rangers,” said Matondo.

“No footballer will tell you that they don’t want to play football, they all want to play football.

“Sometimes you have to wait for your opportunity and be patient and keep grafting away. It’s all I can do.

“I wouldn’t say it is an easy thing, but a club like Rangers, we need to win every game, that’s what we demand from each other and what the fans demand.

“Of course it is down to me as well to be fit to do everything in my power to convince the manager that I should be playing. Obviously the manager has to go with what he feels is the best team at that moment in time so I need to keep grafting hard.

“I know the qualities I can bring, the qualities I can show, but is down to me to stay fit and humble enough to take my opportunity when it does come.

“The manager has been honest and open with me. We have a good relationship.

“Ultimately it is down to me when I get my opportunities to take them. I have not come here to not try to play and try to show what I am about.

“I know I haven’t reached the levels I would have wanted to reach and what people would probably have expected. But that’s football, it happens.

“I am not stressed. I am not panicking. I know what I can do. I know how good I can be so, as I said, it is about taking opportunities.

“I did all right last week so it is about building on that.”

Rangers’ 3-2 aggregate win over Servette set up a Champions League play-off tie against PSV Eindhoven, with the first leg at Ibrox on Tuesday night, but assistant coach Neil Banfield insists the focus is on Morton.

“The manager will pick the team that he feels will win the game,” said Banfield, who confirmed one injury but would not reveal the player’s identity.

“It is a big cup game, the club has a great history in it, so we will use it to get into the next round and then look to PSV next week.

“But this game is firmly in our focus. We have got to win the game.”

Ireland wing Mack Hansen has marked the occasion of Keith Earls’ 100th Test cap by having his team-mate’s initials shaved into an eye-catching green haircut.

The Connacht player sported ‘KE’ on his left temple in training ahead of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up clash with England.

Earls is poised to become only the ninth Irishman to reach a century of international appearances, having been included among Andy Farrell’s replacements for the game.

Players and members of Ireland’s coaching staff have paid tribute to the popular 35-year-old all week.

Yet the eccentric Australia-born Hansen, who had long flowing locks during the Guinness Six Nations, has taken things a step further.

Earls led out Ireland’s players for Friday’s captain’s run at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and is in contention to travel to the fourth World Cup of a distinguished international career which began in 2008.

Speaking of the Munster wing, team-mate Conor Murray, who reached 100 caps in the autumn, told the IRFU: “What a man!

“Going into school, looking up to him, he was a superstar of schools’ rugby and I’m blessed to be able to call him a really good friend and share part of his journey with him.

“Rooming with him for the last 10 odd years, I’ve seen the crazy sides to Keith Earls.

“This is a really popular landmark and everyone in the squad is absolutely delighted for him.”

Earls is set to move alongside Ireland greats Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes in reaching three figures, in addition to current team-mates Cian Healy, Johnny Sexton and Murray.

Sacred will head to York for the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes having not been declared to run in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.

Trained by William Haggas, the five-year-old has won five of her 15 starts and having made a successful return at Lingfield earlier in the campaign, came close to scooping Royal Ascot glory when beaten a neck by Khaadem in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

She was due to seek Group One compensation in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, but wet weather both home and abroad meant the versatile operator missed out on a trip to Deauville earlier this month.

Rain is also set to hit Newbury this weekend and the decision to reroute to the Knavesmire could prove a shrewd choice by connections if conditions in Berkshire subsequently turn testing.

However, the Somerville Lodge handler is keen to point out the difference in prize-money between the two contests and having won the Hungerford in 2021, he is now keen to seek a portion of the £500,000 prize fund on offer at York.

“She’s fine and we’re going for the money,” said Haggas.

“We’ve won the Hungerford before and we’re going to go for the City of York.

“The Hungerford is £62,000 to the winner and the York race is £283,000 to the winner, so I think they deserve our support. We can’t continually bleat about prize-money then not support the tracks that put it on.

“I think York looks set fair, whereas Newbury at the weekend could be quite wet.”

Haggas also revealed he is doing everything in his power to get Sense Of Duty to the start line for Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup on September 9.

The four-year-old daughter of Showcasing was ready for the step up to the next level having racked up a four-race winning sequence, but injury hit after her impressive display in Newcastle’s Chipchase Stakes last June and she has been on the sidelines ever since.

“She’s on her way and we’re trying really hard to get her to Haydock,” explained Haggas.

“She was improving and she was very impressive in the Chipchase I thought. We’ll see what this year involves, but she has been off the track for a very long time.”

Manchester United remain in talks to sign defender Jonny Evans on a permanent basis despite the collapse of Harry Maguire’s proposed move to West Ham.

Evans, 35, joined on a short-term deal to cover United’s pre-season fixtures in July, but that contract has now expired.

Erik ten Hag has revealed talks are ongoing with the United academy product, who watched Monday’s 1-0 win over Wolves from the director’s box at Old Trafford.

“In this moment, he is not (under contract) but we are talking,” Ten Hag said. “We will see. We are in talks and when we have news we will bring it.”

United’s pursuit of the Northern Ireland international, who left Old Trafford for West Brom in 2015 and became a free agent this summer when his contract with relegated Leicester expired, has continued even though Maguire now appears set to stay at the club.

United accepted a £30million offer from West Ham for their former captain last week, but that move stalled with Maguire wanting to stay and fight for his place.

Ten Hag offered the 30-year-old some encouragement when asked what he needed to do to get back into the side.

“I am happy he is here, we need a good squad,” the Dutchman said.

“We have four good centre halves and including Luke Shaw we have five, and we need it because we are going to play 50-60 games this season. All the players are internationals so we have a lot of load to cover.

“I am happy Harry Maguire is here. He is going to have to fight for his position as does everyone in the squad.

“He knows what I expect from him, what I expect from a centre-half. He can do it, he has the abilities to do it so now he has to show it. It is about character, to be convinced to play that role, he has all the abilities to do it.”

There was one concern in defence on Monday night with Lisandro Martinez forced off at half-time, replaced by Victor Lindelof, but the Argentinian has trained this week and Ten Hag expects him to be available for Saturday’s trip to Tottenham.

United have spent big this summer to sign England midfielder Mason Mount, Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Ten Hag said he was happy with how his squad now looks, but did not rule out further moves in the final weeks of the transfer window.

“Our squad is covered, all the positions are covered, but of course we are Manchester United, we are always looking for improvement…” he said. “With this squad I am convinced we can go for our targets.”

This week United issued a club statement regarding the internal investigation into Mason Greenwood, who has been suspended by United since January 30, 2022, over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

Greenwood was facing charges including attempted rape and assault until the Crown Prosecution Service announced six months ago that the case had been discontinued.

Following reports that United are preparing to bring the academy graduate back into the first-team set-up, the club statement said no decision had yet been made.

The issue has divided a number of fans, with some protests against Greenwood’s potential return seen at Old Trafford on Monday night.

Ten Hag said the issue was not affecting him or his team with the season now under way.

“We focus on the way of playing, we focus on the team performance. It is about the players who are available so we focus on Tottenham,” he said. “Every start to the season is difficult.

“We know the performance (against Wolves) was not what we hoped but we won. We showed the character and the personality.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland believes that “depth and competition” has increased in his squad as World Cup selection looms large.

Reigning world champions South Africa provide Wales’ final warm-up opposition at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.

The race for World Cup places in Gatland’s 33-strong group is then due to conclude on Monday when he names those players who will head to France next month.

Only fly-half Gareth Anscombe, wing Alex Cuthbert and number eight Taulupe Faletau, who are recovering from injuries, have not featured competitively among a 48-man training squad during the August schedule.

And when punishing preparation camps in Switzerland and Turkey are added to the mix, Gatland is in a strong position to make considered choices.

“We have been so impressed with this group of players,” he said.

“And as it has turned out there was an opportunity for us to give everyone a chance to put their hand up. We feel that the time we have had together, we’ve increased the depth and competition within the squad.

“A number of teams have picked up one or two injuries, so you have got to have players who have been with you for that period, hopefully had some game time and been training with the squad.”

Gatland said a discussion would be had on how many players he takes to France who are currently nursing knocks.

Cuthbert, who was due to make his first appearance of the summer Test schedule, misses out because of calf muscle tightness, with Tom Rogers promoted from the bench to start and Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit joining the replacements.

Elsewhere, hookers Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias, lock Dafydd Jenkins and back-row forward Taine Plumtree all suffered injuries during Wales’ home and away appointments with England.

And, although British and Irish Lions Liam Williams (tight hamstring) and Dan Biggar (back) have been sidelined from facing the Springboks, their absence was described as precautionary.

Asked how many injured players could be carried in the final squad, Gatland added: “Maybe one or two. That is probably the number you talk about.

“I think the important thing is when you can get back to training.

“If you look at the (World Cup) draw, you have obviously got to go fully loaded for the first game (against Fiji), then looking at Portugal with a six-day turnaround there will be changes.

“Then you’ve got eight days to Australia where you will be a strong side again, and then a 13-day turnaround where hopefully everyone gets an opportunity to recover from any bangs and bruises before you play Georgia.

“I think there is less pressure in this tournament than there has been in the past where you’ve had four-day turnarounds when that has had quite a significant impact on the squad.

“That is a discussion we will have in terms of risk and how many (players) we can carry.

“We have in the past gone to World Cups carrying players with niggles that are going to take two or three weeks to come right. That may be the case, but it is just depending on what sort of risk do you potentially take.”

Wales have beaten South Africa four times in the last five meetings on home soil, but a powerful Springboks side featuring the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Malcolm Marx, fit-again captain Siya Kolisi and his fellow flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit will be a considerable step up from England.

There are a total of 659 caps in South Africa’s line-up, compared with Wales’ 235, and Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys is relishing the challenge, particularly up front.

“I think what we have this week is a team that wants to come and scrum. There are no games,” he said.

“They want to scrummage and that is what we’ve been after. They are coming through the front door – there are no guessing games.

“We have played them a fair few times over the last four years and we’ve always enjoyed the physical confrontation that we know is going to come. It is a great test for a pretty inexperienced team.”

Forward Alessia Russo cannot wait to kick off England’s World Cup final after years spent rehearsing the winning strike in her childhood garden.

This is a monumental moment for Sarina Wiegman’s side, who until beating co-hosts Australia 3-1 in their semi-final had never finished higher than third place in a global showpiece.

On Sunday night against Spain in Sydney they could become the first England team to bring football ‘home’ since Sir Alf Ramsey and his men lifted the trophy in 1966.

Russo said: “Obviously this is the biggest game, the one you dream about and means the most.

“I think it will hit when we’re in the tunnel and ready to walk out. It’s an incredible occasion, it’s been an unbelievable tournament and this is it. This is the moment we want to be in. We can’t wait.

“Right now all I want to do is go out, put on a performance to be proud of and obviously to win. We started this tournament wanting to win seven games and this is the message.

“This is the last one to go and we’re really locked in.”

Maidstone-born Russo grew up watching her brothers play for the local boys’ side in East Farleigh, where she was too young to join in but would kick a ball around on the side of the pitch.

Soon, however, the now 24-year-old was featuring for both the girls’ and boys’ teams at Bearsted FC, which meant both weekend days were often occupied with football, while Russo’s preferred school-night activity remained playing on a strip of grass at the end of her street.

It would also not be wholly inaccurate to say Russo has already lifted a World Cup.

In primary school, the summer Arsenal signing played in an inter-school ‘Mini World Cup’ and walked away with a shock victory – while representing her side’s assigned country of South Korea.

Then there were the garden tournaments where, said Russo, “we had to score to stay in”.

She added: “As a kid, growing up to think we’re playing in a World Cup in a couple of days is a special feeling. A real ‘pinch me’ moment.”

Russo admits it has not quite hit her that, just under 13 months after England lifted their first major trophy at last summer’s European championships, they could be one win away from making more history.

She said: “It’s been an incredible year but we’re always focused on what’s next. You never really kind of get to enjoy the moment. I’m sure I will when I get back and I’m old and grey. Right now it’s about what’s coming up and what’s there to achieve.

“For players, obviously we’re all aware it’s a World Cup final and there’s that on the line, but as soon as you cross the line it’s just a normal game. It’s what we love to do. It’s 11 v 11 and we have to win. As soon as we step out on the pitch, we know our job and what we need to do.

“We’re aware it’s a World Cup final but we’ll just play our game.

“Everyone is excited but we’re very relaxed and chilled. It feels like a normal game to us which is great and shows the composure of the team. Camp has been great from the first game until now. It feels pretty similar, it’s another game we must win.”

Captain James Ryan admits there is nervousness among Ireland’s returning stars as they bid to generate World Cup momentum by producing a statement display against England.

The bulk of Andy Farrell’s first-choice players are poised for their first Test appearances since clinching a Six Nations Grand Slam against Steve Borthwick’s side in March.

Head coach Farrell has changed his full starting XV for Saturday’s clash after an experimental side stuttered past Italy a fortnight ago to give his main men much-needed action ahead of the upcoming tournament in France.

Leinster lock Ryan, who will skipper his country in the absence of the suspended Johnny Sexton, insists the contest is far from a warm-up match and feels the world’s top-ranked nation must “bring our A-game”.

“I think there’s a bit of nerves heading into this game,” said the 27-year-old.

“It’s the first game for a lot of us of this summer and playing England at home, there’s always a little bit of pressure.

“Lads are keen to make a statement with selection and everything coming up.

“This has never been a warm-up game for us. It’s been very much a Test match, that’s the way we’ve prepared for this game all week.

“It’s obviously a lot of the guys’ first appearance of the summer, so it’s going to be tough but we’re not going to make any excuses.

“We need to make sure that we take a step forward for the group and we put in a performance that will give us confidence with the World Cup coming around the corner quickly. We’ll definitely need to bring our A-game.”

Ryan watched from the sidelines as Ireland overcame Italy 33-17 on August 5.

Farrell described that disjointed display as a “bit clunky” before taking his squad away to Portugal for a week-long training camp.

Ryan believes the Englishman is striking the right balance between hard work and ensuring players “aren’t burning out”.

“He is able to create that environment where people are really switched on but we also get windows where we can relax and chill out for a bit as well,” he said.

“That’s going to be huge coming into France as well, spending a lot of time together, a lot more hopefully than we even would on a summer tour.

“Making sure lads aren’t burning out by being too on all the time is going to be important.”

Savethelastdance and Bluestocking, first and second in the Irish Oaks, could clash again in Thursday’s Yorkshire Oaks on the Knavesmire.

Just half a length separated the pair at the Curragh, with Aidan O’Brien’s Savethelastdance going one place better than her second to Soul Sister in the Oaks at Epsom.

The Ballydoyle handler has three other fillies still in the mix with Warm Heart, who beat the Ralph Beckett-trained Bluestocking in the Ribblesdale but finished only fifth in the Irish Oaks, Lambada and Red Riding Hood.

Soul Sister has not been confirmed by John and Thady Gosden, with the team instead relying on Free Wind, while Roger Varian’s Nassau Stakes winner Al Husn could take the plunge and step up to 12 furlongs for the first time.

Rosscarbery is Paddy Twomey’s contender while Karl Burke has both Newmarket Listed winner Novakai and Lancashire Oaks victor Poptronic to pick from.

Sea Silk Road finished second in that Haydock event and could reoppose with Stay Alert and Via Sistina the other possibles, although the latter is also declared at Deauville on Sunday.

Super Sprint victor Relief Rally tops 12 in the mix for the Group Two Sky Bet Lowther Stakes, with impressive Curragh maiden winner Cherry Blossom a supplementary entry for O’Brien.

Flora Of Bermuda, Beautiful Diamond and Star Of Mystery also feature in the six-furlong contest at this stage.