Wales have been put on alert to expect “lightning bolts” in their Rugby World Cup opener against Fiji on Sunday.

It is the fifth-successive tournament for Wales and Fiji to meet, with Warren Gatland’s team on a run of three-consecutive wins.

Fiji, though, dumped Wales out of the 2007 World Cup following a thrilling clash in Nantes, while four years ago they led by 10 points before Wales recovered to prevail 29-17.

Fiji have improved their set-piece play considerably under head coach Simon Raiwalui, a dazzling running and off-loading game remains central to their outlook.

They are currently above Wales in the world rankings and fresh from beating England at Twickenham, with players like Semi Radradra, captain Waisea Nayacalevu and number eight Viliame Mata posing major threats.

“I think we have got to expect lightning bolts from this team – line-breaks, off-loads, how they pick through the breakdown,” Wales assistant coach and defence specialist Mike Forshaw said.

“We have got to be really alert and alive around our defence in every area.

“We are expecting that kind of arm-wrestle. We have just got to stay in the game physically and mentally.

“We are going to take lightning bolts at some point, but it is about really focusing on ourselves.

“We’ve got to be physical, we’ve got to take some bruises tomorrow and hopefully dish them out if we can.

“Everyone is talking about this Fiji team and rightly so because I was at Twickenham a couple of weeks ago and they were mightily impressive.

“I think tomorrow we have got to see the best of us against this team, I really believe that.

“Physicality is an easy word to say, but we have got to lead with our actions tomorrow, as I am sure Fiji will.”

Gatland has arrived at a fourth World Cup and his record of two fourth-placed finishes and a quarter-final exit in 2015 is impressive.

And victory on Sunday would give Wales a flying start in terms of their quest to reach the knockout phase from a group that also features Australia, Georgia and Portugal.

“I think from a coaching perspective, the ultimate pinnacle is the World Cup ,” Gatland said.

“It’s the one time in international windows that you get full preparation. It feels like you are working with a club side in having a pre-season.

“We’ve been able to work on a lot of things in the last few months in terms of the detail and putting together a strategy, but also making sure we have not done just the hard work but worked hard on other aspects of the game.

“For us, we’ve spoken about discipline and keeping them (Fiji) out of our 22. They tend to come alive in opposition 22s.

“We’ve prepared well, particularly the last few weeks. We are in a good place for the challenge, physically and mentally.”

Scotland kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against South Africa in Marseille on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency sets the scene with five talking points ahead of the mouth-watering Pool B showdown at Stade Velodrome.

Box-office starter to top-heavy group

Beyond the opening game between France and New Zealand on Friday, the Scots’ showdown with the Springboks is the most eye-catching of the first round of pool fixtures. Indeed, Sunday’s match in Marseille is for higher stakes than the opening game in Paris given the strength of Pool B and the reduced margin for error.

The fact the draw was made back in 2020, when several teams were in notably different shape to what they are now, has led to a situation whereby three of the current top five in the world are in the same group. One of South Africa, Ireland or Scotland is guaranteed to be eliminated at the group stage.

Each of the head-to-heads between those three teams are sure to be crucial in deciding who qualifies, assuming they all make light work of both Tonga and Romania. Victory for either team at Stade Velodrome will stand them in good stead to progress from this heavyweight section.

Both teams in buoyant mood

The two sides kick off the World Cup with every right to be optimistic about their chances.

South Africa have climbed from fourth to second in the world rankings in the weeks leading up to the tournament on the back of four consecutive wins. Their emphatic destructions of Wales and New Zealand last month were particularly impressive, ensuring they begin their defence of the Webb Ellis Cup as one of the favourites.

Scotland go into the tournament with words of lofty praise from John Jeffrey ringing in their ears after the 1990 Grand Slam hero branded them the best Scottish team ever at their World Cup welcome ceremony in Nice on Monday.

The Scots are ranked fifth in the world and have arrived in France with a genuine belief that they can beat any team in the world. One of these sides is set to have their bubble burst on weekend one.

Scots must defy history and break new ground

Scotland have never previously defeated a tier-one nation at a Rugby World Cup. In addition, they have lost each of their last seven meetings with South Africa.

It is 13 years since the Scots last beat the Springboks as Dan Parks kicked every point for Andy Robinson’s team in a 21-17 victory in an autumn Test at Murrayfield in November 2010. The last clash between these two nations was almost two years ago, when South Africa won 30-15 in Edinburgh.

The Scots have beaten the Springboks only five times in 28 attempts over more than a century, but Gregor Townsend’s side have ended long winless streaks in recent years, most notably away to France and England.

Style war – power v panache

Along with France and New Zealand, Scotland have become one of the most swashbuckling attacking teams on the planet, while South Africa are the most powerful.

The brutish Springboks will attempt to bulldoze their opponents out of their rhythm, while the Scots – with the on-form Finn Russell pulling the strings at stand-off – are intent on outrunning and outplaying the formidable world champions. It promises to be an intriguing clash of styles.

Can Scots handle the heat?

With France sizzling amid a late-summer heatwave, both sides have had to contend with scorching temperatures throughout their first week at their respective bases on the Cote d’Azur, with the Scots in Nice and the Springboks along the sunkissed coast at Toulon.

The two teams will now come together in the melting pot of Marseille, where it is expected to be in the mid-20s come kick-off at 5.45pm local time.

Scotland will hope the two previous stints they spent in Nice earlier this summer will stand them in good stead, although coach John Dalziel said earlier this week that it feels hotter now, in early September, than it did when they were here previously in June and August.

A French journalist in the media room in Marseille commented on Friday that “it is too hot to play rugby”, although the implementation of water breaks is sure to be welcomed by all involved.

The Scots’ fitness – something they have prided themselves on this summer – is sure to be tested to the limit.

Wales kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign on Sunday when they tackle Pool C opponents Fiji in Bordeaux.

It will be a fifth successive World Cup at which the teams meet, with Wales having reeled off three successive wins since suffering a tournament-ending defeat by Fiji 16 years ago.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points heading into the game.

Familiar World Cup foes

Wales and Fiji will look to launch their campaigns with a momentum-generating victory. Since beating Wales in 2007 – a 38-34 success that meant a pool-stage exit for their opponents – Fiji have suffered three successive World Cup defeats.

Wales triumphed 66-0 at the 2011 World Cup, and although the two latest meetings were much closer contests, Warren Gatland’s team found a way to cross the finishing line.

Fiji are fresh from humbling England at Twickenham, while Wales have won only two Tests this year, setting up an encounter that should be full of twists and turns.

Hundred-club key for Wales

The saying goes that you cannot buy experience, and such a commodity could prove priceless for Wales in the heat of Sunday’s battle.

It will be an occasion for cool heads and calm decision-making, so it should come as no surprise if the likes of George North, Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau make significant contributions. The cap centurions boast 323 Wales international appearances between them, with North among an elite band to feature in four World Cups.

It is Biggar’s swansong before he retires from international rugby, and number eight Faletau is back from an injury lay-off. They could hold the keys to victory.

Warren Gatland’s pledge

Wales boss Warren Gatland probably surprised many rugby followers when he claimed ahead of the World Cup warm-up Tests: “I am telling you this team will do something pretty special (in France). I promise you now, we will surprise some people.”

Gatland is eight Tests into his second spell as head coach – Wales have lost six of those games – while headlines earlier this year were dominated by financial issues in Welsh professional rugby and player contractual problems that almost led to a full-blown strike.

Gatland, though, thrives amid adversity, and he has arrived at his fourth World Cup as Wales boss with a rejuvenated squad fit and firing following an intense build-up. Watch this space.

Memories of 2011

There is an undoubted symmetry between the Wales World Cup squad that went to New Zealand in 2011 and the current crop of players. For 22-year-old skipper Sam Warburton, read current co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake – aged 23 and 24, respectively – while the new brigade this time around includes prospects like Sam Costelow, Rio Dyer and Mason Grady.

Twelve years ago, Ken Owens was at the start of his Test career, Faletau only had three caps and North just eight. Wales reached the semi-finals in that tournament – their best World Cup performance for 24 years – bowing out to France, and the same adventure of youth accompanies them this time, combined with vast experience offered by seven players with 70 caps or more.

The Fiji magic men

Fiji’s set-piece game has undoubtedly improved under head coach Simon Raiwalui, but it is still an ability to cut teams apart through razor-sharp running angles and raw physical power that makes them such a threat.

Players like Semi Radradra and Viliami Mata can cause havoc with ridiculous ease, and there is no doubt that Wales could have their hands full defensively.

If Gatland’s team get on the front foot early, then they can boss the game tactically, yet that is far easier said than done against opponents who will fancy their chances of progressing from a pool that also includes Australia, Georgia and Portugal.

France handed a nation the result it craved as they opened their Rugby World Cup campaign on home soil by beating New Zealand 27-13 in Paris.

It was the All Blacks’ first pool-phase defeat in World Cup history and they could have few complaints.

Although the game never took off as a true spectacle at Stade de France, it was all about the result as Les Bleus prevailed through second-half tries by wing Damian Penaud and replacement Melvyn Jaminet, plus 17 points from full-back Thomas Ramos.

Wing Mark Telea scored two tries for New Zealand, with fly-half Richie Mo’unga kicking a penalty. While New Zealand are still odds-on to secure a quarter-final place from Pool A, France’s success sent an immediate message of their world title intent.

New Zealand suffered a late injury blow when captain Sam Cane was ruled out.

The All Blacks announced just 45 minutes before kick-off at Stade de France that flanker Cane would miss the heavyweight clash, although they did not specify his injury.

Number eight Ardie Savea took over as skipper, with Dalton Papalii moving from blindside to openside flanker and Tupou Vaa’i being promoted to the starting XV.

Despite the loss of Cane, New Zealand showed no sign of it unsettling them as they went ahead after just 93 seconds when full-back Beauden Barrett’s precision kick was gathered by Telea for the opening try.

Although Ramos kicked a penalty shortly afterwards, Les Blues struggled to settle and hooker Julien Marchand was forced off injured after 13 minutes.

A second Ramos penalty nudged France ahead, but Mo’unga quickly cancelled that out ahead of a water-break as temperatures nudged 28 degrees at almost 10pm local time.

Ramos completed his penalty hat-trick 12 minutes before half-time as France claimed a 9-8 interval lead.

New Zealand began the second period with an immediate statement of intent as skipper Savea’s kick was gathered by wing Will Jordan before centre Rieko Ioane’s superb long pass found Telea, who sprinted over for his second try.

Back came France, though, when fly-half Matthieu Jalibert’s half-break set up Penaud for an outstanding try, and Ramos’ wide-angled conversion made it 16-13.

Jordan was shown a yellow card by referee Jaco Peyper for an illegal aerial challenge on Ramos, which was also referred to to the ‘bunker’ before remaining as a sin-binning only.

Ramos’ fourth successful penalty opened up a six-point gap inside the final quarter, and another successful kick seven minutes from time sealed the deal as France triumphed 27-13 on the back of Jaminet’s late touchdown.

Gregor Townsend insisted the 15 players he has selected to face South Africa have “earned the right” to start together as he challenged his burgeoning Scotland team to deliver on the biggest stage of all.

The head coach named a starting line-up on Friday with no surprises as key duo Darcy Graham and Zander Fagerson returned from injury and suspension respectively for the World Cup Pool B opener against the world champions.

Townsend believes the sense of “cohesion” within the team he has picked will stand them in good stead for Sunday’s showdown in the late-summer heat of Marseille.

“It’s been the team that has played (together) in the main,” he said at a press conference at Stade Velodrome on Friday. “The majority of the players have played together all year. A couple of players missed the Six Nations, Rory Darge and Darcy Graham who are back fit and back with us.

“It’s a team that deserves to go out there. They have earned the right to start in such an important fixture because of the way they have played and the way they have trained.

“We have built a lot of cohesion over the last two or three months by training with certain combinations week after week. We’ve seen the benefits of doing that transfer into the warm-up games and now it’s about delivering the most complete game we have done this year.”

Scotland go into the World Cup as dark horses for the Webb Ellis Cup having emerged as best of the rest behind the heavyweight quartet of Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand.

Several players in Townsend’s team go into the global showpiece at the top of their game and the head coach is confident they can produce collectively when it matters most.

“It’s the biggest opportunity you’ll get: a World Cup game, playing the world champions,” he said ahead of Sunday’s showdown.

“We believe we’ve been building to our best performance – and I know that’s a continual journey and we’ll say it again as we go towards the Tonga game – but really this is where it’ll count for our players to deliver what they have been delivering in training and what they have been delivering in other games we’ve played this year, and we have every faith they will be able to do that.”

Townsend has no worries about his players’ temperament as they prepare for a huge occasion in front of 67,000 people in the Marseille heat.

“That’s the job for us as coaches, the senior players and the players who have been there before, to be calm and to calm others,” he said. “But there is an expectation that it’s going to be a very emotional and exciting build-up.

“I’m sure the players will feel the sense of adrenaline, nerves and excitement as we get closer to kick-off. But that can be turned into a real positive. It can narrow your focus, but also give you that extra energy boost that you need.”

Scotland trailed in all four of their summer warm-up matches and came back to win three of them, including a stirring 25-21 victory at home to France, while they also went close to pipping Les Bleus in the rematch in Saint-Etienne before eventually succumbing to a 30-27 defeat.

Townsend believes such experiences will give them reason for confidence if they find themselves trailing at any point on Sunday.

“We didn’t want to be 21-3 behind against France but this team have shown they are capable of coming back, whether it’s in Paris (in the Six Nations), or at Murrayfield when a man down, or Saint-Etienne with the crowd and momentum against us.

“It would be nice to be 15 points ahead, but we’ve got to deal with whatever situation is presented at any time in the game.

“We will be tested, no doubt. There will be times when South Africa have dominance, South Africa have points on the board.

“There will be times when we aren’t able to execute things as well as we like and that’s not because it’s the first game of the World Cup, it’s because of the opposition and what they bring with their pressure.

“But we’ve got to find a way to win and that’s what this World Cup is about, finding a way to win.”

The Scots were unable to include either scrum-half George Horne or hooker Ewan Ashman in the 23 after the pair suffered concussion in training.

Stuart McInally, who was cut from the squad last month, has flown out to France as cover until Ashman recovers.

England and Argentina collide in their pivotal World Cup opener at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday with Steve Borthwick’s side in the unusual position of being considered underdogs.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the fixture.

Moment of truth

England have been upbeat since their arrival in France, refreshed by the change of scenery that provided a locational reset in the wake of losing five of their last six Tests. The positive talk must now be backed up with action on the pitch but on the basis of recent evidence it is hard to see how the upset will be sprung given so many areas of their game are malfunctioning. The stakes are high – win and England suddenly have a cause to rally around, lose and each remaining game in Pool D brings do or die jeopardy.

Time to deliver

A curious feature of England’s dismal run of just three wins in nine Tests under head coach Borthwick has been the lack of form seen from stars such as Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, Jamie George and Freddie Steward. If Argentina are to be dispatched, they will need to exit their slump with a bang. On paper, England have a strong starting XV but when so many are underperforming the odds are stacked against them.

Mitchell’s World Cup rollercoaster

Few shards of light emerged out of the gloom of a first defeat by Fiji, but the urgency brought at scrum-half by Alex Mitchell’s full debut was one of them. The Northampton player added zip to the game with speedier service and quicker decision-making and his selection represents a change in thinking from Borthwick, who was expected to pick England’s most capped player Ben Youngs in the number-nine jersey. Mitchell now has a central role in Pool D’s box-office clash despite not being included in the original 41-man training squad, his opportunity arising when Jack van Poortvliet suffered a tournament-ending ankle injury against Wales at Twickenham.

Curry reinforces England

It is a reflection of Tom Curry’s influence on England that he has been propelled straight into the back row despite missing the entire build-up campaign because of damaged ankle ligaments. The squad’s fittest player, his conditioning is never in question and he has experience of making a successful immediate return from injury lay-offs. Regarded as the team’s defensive kingpin, he will provide physical intent and add to England’s breakdown potency in his first appearance since Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones in December. A lot of hopes are being pinned on his return.

Pumas on the prowl

Argentina’s scrum may not be the force of old, but the Pumas have evolved their overall game significantly. Their appetite for forward combat remains undiminished, but is now led by the back rather than front row and their breakdown work has improved as a result. The threequarters possess genuine X-factor with the likes of wings Mateo Carreras and Emiliano Boffelli and they are a cohesive team who will fight until the final minute, playing with a sense of purpose grounded in their fierce national pride. There is much to admire about a team that stormed Twickenham in November and is capable of progressing deeper into the tournament.

England must leave everything out on the pitch as they aim to set the tone for their Rugby World Cup campaign against Argentina on Saturday, though Mike Tindall does not see Steve Borthwick's side as being among the favourites.

The 2023 World Cup gets under way in Paris on Friday, with hosts France taking on New Zealand.

England's campaign starts on Saturday, when they face Argentina in Marseille.

The Red Rose – who were runners-up to South Africa in 2019 – head into the tournament ranked eighth in the world, below Fiji and two places below Argentina.

After a disappointing Six Nations, England will be looking to put things right, and Tindall wants to see a fast start on Saturday.

"The first game against Argentina, they can't leave anything out there," he told Stats Perform. "They're not in a place where they can build something, they have to play [well].

"Imagine that is the World Cup final and then deal with the outcome of it and then rebuild to go into quarter-finals and semi-finals.

"Argentina for England is the World Cup final. 

"They have to play the biggest game in their first outing that should get them into a quarter-final and hopefully in that time you build momentum and they can then go on."

Asked if he fancied England's chances of going all the way, Tindall said: "To be honest, at the moment, I don't see them be the favourites.

"I think I think they can muster a challenge, and we are on the right side of the draw. France, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, they're going to take chunks out of each other, and you don't know what's going to happen injury wise.

"So all you've got to do is try and stay in their strike, manage everything, and ultimately believe and if they can do that, I think they could create a shock. But I don't think that they're going in as anywhere near favourites."

For Tindall, New Zealand or France are the favourites.

He said: "Just from the grouping, I would say the winner coming out of the France, New Zealand group.

"Ireland are number one in the world but the schedule and the draw they're on is terrible. It's terrible for them.

"Even South Africa, who are built for big physical guys, I just think that France and New Zealand have that first big game and then they can sort of relax a little bit.

"Not relax, but they'll be able to manage their players and manage their time. And I feel that the winner could come out with those two."

Vice-captain James Ryan insists Ireland must begin the Rugby World Cup with “real intent” if they have genuine aspirations of being crowned champions.

Andy Farrell’s side are out to substantiate their status as the top-ranked Test team and one of the pre-tournament favourites.

The Six Nations winners launch their campaign on Saturday afternoon against Pool B minnows Romania at a sold-out Stade de Bordeaux expected to be packed with Irish fans.

Leinster lock Ryan, who concedes Ireland were below their best in warm-up victories over Italy, England and Samoa, says his side are striving for a complete 80-minute performance.

“It’s definitely not about easing ourselves in,” said the 27-year-old. “If we’re going to take this competition seriously I don’t think you can ease yourself into any game.

“We’ve got to go in with the right mentality.

“Tomorrow is about playing with real intent and putting in a performance that we know we’re capable of.

“We were a bit off in a couple of the pre-season games, and we didn’t hit that 80-minute performance we were looking for.

“Tomorrow for us is about winning every moment, or winning as many moments as we can.

“We don’t want to drift or lose 10 minutes or 15 minutes.

“We’re definitely striving for the full 80-minute performance tomorrow that we can be proud of, and hopefully give the Irish people there tomorrow something to cheer about.”

Warren Gatland has no doubt that Wales are fully conditioned for Bordeaux’s blistering heat as they aim to turn up the temeprature on Rugby World Cup opponents Fiji.

It is due to hit 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while not dropping much below 30 a day later despite a kick-off of 9pm local time.

Wales, though, look set to reap the benefits of punishing conditions at training camps in Switzerland and Turkey that formed a central part of their tournament warm-up.

“I think in international rugby you have to go to dark places and you have to be hurting,” Wales head coach Gatland said.

“It’s whether other teams are hurting that little bit more than you.

“Everyone is talking about the heat being an advantage to Fiji, but we’ve had some pretty gruelling sessions in heat so we are conditioned to that.

“We’ve been comfortable with the pace of the game and the intensity of the game. Probably from the warm-up games, where the ball-in-play time against England in the first game was 39 minutes, we looked good.

“In the second game against England, it was 30 minutes and it probably didn’t allow us to use some of the hard work we’ve put in. It has definitely been a focus for us.”

Wales meet Fiji for the fifth successive World Cup in a pool game, and while they have won three in a row after being dumped out of the 2007 tournament, they are expecting a fierce challenge.

Fiji’s quality – and a far stronger set-piece than previously – was highlighted in their historic victory over England at Twickenham last month.

Gatland added: “You’ve just got to defend well for a start. We know they are dangerous.

“At some stage, they will make a break or get an offload away. It’s then how we react to that quickly.

“For us, we’ve spoken about discipline and keeping them out of our 22. They tend to come alive in opposition 22s. We are in a good place for the challenge, physically and mentally.”

It will be Gatland’s fourth World Cup at the Wales helm after masterminding semi-final appearances in 2011 and 2019, while they also reached the quarter-finals in 2013.

There are similarities with that 2011 campaign in New Zealand, when Wales were captained by a 22-year-old Sam Warburton, while this time around 23-year-old Jac Morgan leads them into tournament battle.

As 12 years ago, there is also a sprinkling of exciting young players, with Morgan and his co-captain Dewi Lake leading a crop that includes the likes of Sam Costelow, Rio Dyer and Mason Grady.

“We’ve had some new faces come in, which has been great for the group. A lot of young players have got some experience,” Gatland said.

“We’ve had some issues in Welsh rugby. Hopefully those are behind us now and we can completely focus on this World Cup.

“I get nervous myself. I think nerves are always a positive. When you are nervous about the game or what potentially might happen, it focuses the mind in terms of what is coming.

“There is nothing wrong with that. I see it as a real positive in terms of the players being right on the edge in terms of their preparation before the game.

“Dan Biggar made a good point this morning, saying we were 10-0 down four years ago after Fiji scored early on, but we kept calm, stuck to our processes and got back into it.

“We know Fiji can start well and we need to start well, but it is making sure we are really clear about what we want to achieve and sticking to the processes in place.”

Maro Itoje insists England are ready to show their true selves when they launch the Rugby World Cup with the toughest assignment of their group campaign against Argentina.

For the first time in the fixture’s 42 years England are underdogs on the basis of an alarming run that has produced five defeats in their last six Tests, including a first ever loss to Fiji.

The Pumas, meanwhile, have been acclaimed by Steve Borthwick as the best team to leave Argentinian shores and November’s 30-29 victory at Twickenham is still vivid in the memory.

England are struggling on multiple fronts – attack, defence, discipline, cohesion, confidence – and have plummeted to eighth in the global rankings, two places lower than Saturday’s opponents in Marseille.

Itoje, however, insists they are about to turn the corner and place one foot into the quarter-finals.

“We know who we are. We know the type of players we have. We know the quality of coaches we have,” Itoje said.

“Yes we haven’t in recent times played as well as we can, but we know the potential of this group.

“And when you know the potential of this group and you know the attitude of the players and the coaches, it can only fill you with confidence.

“We know we haven’t played our best rugby, but I guess that may add an element of fuel.

“The real motivation is where this team can go. The real motivation is how we can properly display the best of ourselves and give the very best account of ourselves.

“That’s the exciting opportunity that this brings. It’s an incredible opportunity and that’s the motivation to see where we can go and how good we can be.

“There is a strong feeling and belief within the group now that things can change very quickly and the best is yet to come.

“Moments like this don’t come very often throughout our careers. Top, top players have three chances and that’s a lot. So we want to take this with both hands.”

If they are to topple Argentina, England will need to produce a level of performance that has been beyond them so far in Borthwick’s nine Tests in charge.

Expectations are low, even allowing for their presence in the easier side of the draw, but attack coach Richard Wigglesworth insists the outside noise is being tuned out.

“I don’t know if I’m too interested in expectations outside of the squad, if I’m being honest. That’s been labelled at us a few times,” Wigglesworth said.

“You’ve got to understand that this squad is incredibly tight and determined. Whether that is from the outside or within, that has always been there.

“The expectation that Argentina maybe go in as favourites makes no difference to us. We are incredibly determined to go out there and give the absolute best of ourselves.”

Ireland launch their Rugby World Cup campaign against Pool B minnows Romania in Bordeaux.

Johnny Sexton will captain the world’s top-ranked nation on his return from suspension, with head coach Andy Farrell having named the majority of his star names.

Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points ahead of Saturday’s clash.

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Sexton’s final year in professional rugby has already been a wild rollercoaster ride. The fly-half sustained a cheekbone injury on New Year’s Day but returned to lead Ireland to a Six Nations Grand Slam. The joy of achieving that feat on home soil for the first time was tempered by him suffering a season-ending groin injury, which denied him a Leinster farewell and was later compounded by a three-match ban for his “confrontational and aggressive” behaviour towards referee Jaco Peyper. Sexton subsequently missed Ireland’s World Cup warm-up fixtures. The 38-year-old is “delighted to be back” and dreaming of going all the way.

Room for improvement

Ireland stretched their winning run to a national-record 13 matches with warm-up victories over Italy, England and Samoa last month. Nevertheless, Farrell’s men were far from their free-flowing best in those outings and, according to the head coach, a little clunky. Players put up for media this week repeatedly spoke of the need for improvement as well as their hopes of laying down a marker. Ireland have won their last nine meetings with Romania. Those triumphs include World Cup victories in 1999, 2003 and 2015 – each by remarkably similar scorelines: 44-14, 45-17 and 44-10 respectively.

The curious case of Mack Hansen

Farrell’s strong selection had one notable absentee: Mack Hansen. The Australia-born wing has been virtually ever-present for Ireland since his debut in last year’s Six Nations. Yet, while the rest of Ireland’s first-choice stars made the matchday squad, he was excluded, despite being fit. Farrell sparked speculation about the situation with cryptic comments in which he said some members of his squad did not handle off-field distractions very well when his team were based in Biarritz for their final warm-up game against Samoa in nearby Bayonne. Assistant coach Mike Catt dismissed suggestions Hansen had been dropped due to an internal disciplinary issue.

Baking hot Bordeaux

Ireland and Romania are poised to run out in front of a capacity-crowd of approximately 42,000 in heat of around 35 degrees Celsius. The blistering conditions will no doubt have an impact on proceedings. Yet Ireland feel primed. Training camps in Portugal and Biarritz last month provided players with exposure to warm weather, while they have trained in similar temperatures this week at their base in Tours. Vice-captain James Ryan said: “I like to think we’ve gotten maybe more used to the heat. But you can’t hide from it. It’s probably going to be the hottest part of the day. But it can’t be an excuse.”

Opportunity knocks for Joe McCarthy

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Farrell’s opening line-up suggests a statement win is very much in his mind. Rookie lock Joe McCarthy is an eye-catching exception. The towering 22-year-old is the least-experienced international in Ireland’s 33-man group but has been handed a chance to impress with only his second Test start. His inclusion in the second row sees Tadhg Beirne drop back to blindside flanker and Peter O’Mahony switch to openside, while world player of the year Josh Van Der Flier begins on the bench. Speaking of McCarthy, Farrell said: “He deserves it with the form that he’s shown, not just in the games that he’s played, but also in his preparation over the last 10, 11 weeks.”

Alex Mitchell is ready to continue riding his World Cup rollercoaster after being entrusted with the scrum-half duties for England’s critical opener against Argentina.

Mitchell starts Saturday’s showdown at the Stade Velodrome despite being overlooked for Steve Borthwick’s 41-man training squad named in late June, an omission that enabled him to take a week’s holiday in Hvar in Croatia.

But the stars aligned for England’s most dangerous running nine when Jack van Poortvliet went down with a tournament-ending ankle injury against Wales at Twickenham last month.

Van Poortvliet’s misfortune offered his route back into the squad and when asked to start against Fiji, Mitchell seized the opportunity by emerging as one of the few bright sparks on an otherwise gloomy afternoon.

The 26-year-old now starts England’s biggest game since the 2019 World Cup final ahead of veterans Danny Care and Ben Youngs with the aim of bringing a misfiring attack to life.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster – out of the squad, then back in and now getting a shot against Argentina,” Mitchell said.

“I stayed fit and stayed ready and then got called to come in. I trained hard and tried to put my hand up again.

“I had one week off in Croatia, which was nice, just to reset the batteries. That was a couple of months ago now, so it was nice to get away and relax.

“I’m massively excited to be getting an opportunity to play and putting my hand up. It’s all been a bit weird but I’m excited.

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“As a kid it’s a thing you dream of, playing at the top of the game, and the World Cup is that.

“To start the first World Cup game is a massive honour – my family are massively proud of me. I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully we can get a result.”

Mitchell was a regular fixture in England training squads under Eddie Jones before being used as a dynamic replacement by Borthwick during the recent Six Nations, so it came as a shock when he was deemed surplus to requirements for the World Cup.

The Saints half-back had to wait until the Fiji match a fortnight ago to make his first start in six caps as his patience finally paid off.

“You appreciate you’re in a really good position. You’re still getting paid to play the sport you love and you are not far off,” he said.

“The whole time you’re not far off, you’re in and out of camp so you’re getting opportunities. You have just got to keep your head up and that’s what I focused on.”

Mitchell’s elevation to a central role in the main event of Pool D has come at a difficult time for England, who are reeling from five defeats in six Tests.

“I’ve got to try and control the game, get the team to tick and when I can imprint some tempo into the side. I’ll try and do that, but stick to the game-plan,” he said.

“We know we’re a good side when we play well and stick to our style of play. The main thing is to do that and try to bring our X-Factor alive after that, if you can.”

Darcy Graham has been passed fit to start Scotland’s Rugby World Cup opener against South Africa on Sunday after his pre-tournament injury scare.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh wing – seventh on the national team’s all-time scoring list – missed the last warm-up match with a quad strain but, after coming through training in Nice this week, he has now been cleared to play.

Prop Zander Fagerson is also back in the team after being suspended for the last two summer Tests following his red card in the victory at home to France five weeks ago. The Glasgow front-rower goes into the match having played less than an hour of rugby since the end of last season.

In a selection featuring no real surprises, Jack Dempsey has got the nod over Matt Fagerson to start at eight, with the latter on the bench. Captain Jamie Ritchie and the burgeoning Rory Darge complete the back row, with the experienced Hamish Watson missing out on the 23.

The Scots have gone for a five-to-three split on the bench, with Ali Price, Cam Redpath and Ollie Smith the three backs selected, meaning there is no place in the squad for in-form wing Kyle Steyn.

In a notable development, Stuart McInally – who was cut from the squad at the end of last month – has travelled to France as injury cover for Ewan Ashman, who is recovering from an injury picked up in training this week which ruled him out of the match against South Africa.

McInally, who had already announced his intention to retire from rugby after the World Cup, has not joined the 33-player squad. Dave Cherry is the replacement hooker this weekend.

Assistant coach Mike Catt categorically denied Mack Hansen’s shock omission for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup opener against Romania is down to an internal disciplinary issue.

Australia-born wing Hansen has been among Ireland’s standout players amid their current 13-match winning run but was the only first-team regular left out of Saturday’s Pool B clash in Bordeaux.

Head coach Andy Farrell confirmed the 25-year-old is not injured when announcing his team on Thursday.

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The Englishman then volunteered information about some members of his squad succumbing to off-field distractions when the team were based in Biarritz for their final warm-up game against Samoa in nearby Bayonne.

“The reason we went there is that there’s a lot of distraction that goes on, certainly when you’re in a hotel that’s on the beach,” Farrell said in answering a routine question about newer members of his squad not having World Cup baggage.

“Some people handled that brilliantly, some people didn’t.”

Farrell’s cryptic admission fuelled speculation in the wake of Hansen’s surprise non-selection.

Yet Catt insisted the Connacht player has not breached team rules.

“Good question really, it’s a long tournament first and foremost and it’s making sure that we look after everybody,” Catt replied when asked why Hansen has been left out.

“In the same breath there is good competition in that area too. There is nothing that Mack has done wrong. It’s not that he’s performed badly at all.

“He’s done exceptionally well in his pre-season games and like we say, it’s a long competition and we need to keep people fresh too.”

Ireland’s strong selection is missing just three of arguably Farrell’s preferred starting XV: injured hooker Dan Sheehan, flanker Josh van der Flier, who is on the bench, and Hansen.

Hansen, who recently had Farrell’s face tattooed on his leg as part of a pact with captain Johnny Sexton, has only sat out three Test matches since his debut in the 2022 Six Nations.

One of those fixtures was the first Test against New Zealand last year when he had Covid-19, while another was last month’s warm-up match with Italy, when most of Ireland’s star names were given the weekend off.

Questioned directly on whether the selection decision was due to a disciplinary matter, Catt replied: “Not at all, no.”

Centre Bundee Aki, who was sitting next to Catt, joked that Hansen’s absence was performance-related, saying: “He was useless.”

Head coach Andy Farrell expects Ireland to be “a hell of a lot slicker” in their Rugby World Cup opener following some disjointed warm-up displays.

The world’s top-ranked nation are among the pre-tournament favourites and launch their campaign on Saturday afternoon against Pool B minnows Romania in Bordeaux.

In-form Ireland arrived in France on a 13-match winning run but having failed to fully convince during last month’s disjointed victories over Italy, England and Samoa.

Farrell is untroubled by those patchy performances – produced by largely experimental line-ups – and has backed his players to deliver when it really matters.

“It’s certainly not a concern because obviously (they were) three warm-up games with different personnel and everyone is at different stages in the pre-season,” he said.

“It’s all galvanised to one point and this is it: the start of the competition.

“The performance should be one that’s a hell of a lot slicker, let’s put it that way.

“Understanding what it’s all about and getting down to business is where we’re at at this stage. We’re looking forward to getting going.”

Farrell has named a strong starting XV for the curtain raiser, albeit world player of the year Josh van der Flier begins on the bench, while wing Mack Hansen has the weekend off, despite being available.

Fly-half Johnny Sexton is back from a three-match ban to captain Ireland, while rookie lock Joe McCarthy is among the six starting World Cup debutants.

Farrell’s 33-man squad contains a total of 18 players who have never played on the biggest stage.

The Englishman feels there are benefits to that scenario but also suggested some of the newcomers need to avoid distractions better than they did around the recent Samoa game in Bayonne, when Ireland were based in nearby Biarritz.

“It’s an advantage because of the youthfulness and the quality of those players is top drawer,” he said.

“But they also need to understand what it is that they’re coming into.

“The reason we went there (to Biarritz) is that there’s a lot of distraction that goes on, certainly when you’re in a hotel that’s on the beach.

“Some people handled that brilliantly, some people didn’t. Learning from those experiences is pretty important because you don’t get second chances after this in World Cups.

“You have to wait four more years – if you’re lucky enough.”

Unfancied Romania are ranked 19th in the world. Farrell is braced for a physical assignment amid temperatures forecast to reach around 35 degrees Celsius.

“For anyone that’s watched them, it’s pretty clear and obvious that they’re a determined group,” said Farrell.

“I think by their own recollection they would say that their point of difference is their power, their aggression, their set-piece.

“They love mauling, they love the scrummaging part of the game. They’re very direct in the forwards and pretty nippy and dangerous within the backs as well.

“We’ve scouted them well but, at the same time, more of the concentration this week has been on ourselves.”