Nick Tompkins says his first Rugby World Cup experience has been “everything and more” as he builds towards the tournament’s business end.

The Wales centre has proved a stand-out performer, excelling during Pool C victories over Fiji and Australia.

Tompkins’ second-half try during Wales’ record 40-6 victory over the Wallabies highlighted his impact as part of an impressive midfield combination alongside George North.

The pair will team up again on Saturday when Wales require only a point against Georgia at Stade de la Beaujoire to win their group.

With a quarter-final place already secured, attention will then turn to a likely last-eight appointment with Argentina or Japan in Marseille next week.

Wales have reached the World Cup knockout phase for a fourth successive time under head coach Warren Gatland, and Tompkins is relishing a first taste of rugby union’s global spectacular.

“I have never experienced anything like this,” Saracens star Tompkins said.

“The build-up, the hype, seeing how proud and pleased the families are. It has been everything and more.

“I want to just keep getting better and keep pushing myself. There are a lot of things I need to improve on.

“I am happy with some areas, but there are some things I really need to push myself on. I hope there is more to come – I don’t know where the limit is.

“If I want to be the best I can be, you look at some of the other centres out there in the tournament and how well they are doing, and you want to emulate that.”

Wales have risen from the low points of a home loss to Georgia under Gatland’s predecessor Wayne Pivac 11 months ago and a Six Nations campaign dominated by off-field issues to deliver an impressive World Cup showing.

And Tompkins has underlined squad dynamics on and off the pitch as a key factor behind Wales’ success since World Cup preparations began in late May.

“Being together (for five months) means you can have those little conversations and make little tweaks,” he added.

“It has been really healthy, and it has been all of us pushing each other. We all like each other, and the atmosphere is fun as well.”

Even during some inevitably feisty moments on the training pitch, Tompkins says that humour is never far away.

“You have a laugh about it afterwards,” he said. “Whatever happens, you get laughed at afterwards, especially with this group.

“You can get torn to pieces at times, but that kind of thing is healthy for a group. You need it.”

That also extends to the squad’s fines committee, with Tompkins regularly on the receiving end for all kinds of misdemeanours.

“I’ve worn wrong shirts, I think I have forgotten suit shoes before,” he added.

“I was also late to one meeting and forgot my passport. I think it is because I am too laid-back.”

Prop Tadhg Furlong believes Ireland have proven they can thrive under big-game pressure as they seek to avoid a shock Rugby World Cup exit.

Andy Farrell’s men have topped the world rankings for well over a year and won a national-record 16 Test matches in a row.

Yet the Six Nations champions are still in danger of flying home from France before the knockout stages heading in to Saturday evening’s decisive Pool B clash with Scotland in Paris.

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Leinster tighthead Furlong has helped his country beat each of their major rivals during the Farrell era and expects the team to once again deliver under the weight of expectation.

“I think it brings the best out of rugby players,” he said. “It shows your mentality, it shows what you are about, it shows what the group is about. It shows a lot.

“The proof is always in the pudding in terms of how the match goes, and how you deal with the pressure. It’s just about trying to get on.

“I think as a group, we are relatively experienced and we have a good understanding of how we work and how the team works and how to get the most out of the team in these big games.

“We have played in big games before. Now it’s just about trying to get your prep right and try to get your best performance out there.

“It’s (about) not being afraid of it, it’s about embracing it and getting on with it.”

Head coach Farrell will name his team for the Stade de France showdown on Thursday afternoon and is likely to make few, if any, changes following a 13-8 victory over South Africa on September 23.

A win or draw will send Ireland through as group winners ahead of the Springboks.

But success for Gregor Townsend’s side could see them snatch progression at the expense of their rivals, depending on the margin of victory and bonus points obtained.

Ireland have dominated recent meetings between the two nations, winning eight in a row and 12 of the last 13 across the last decade, including March’s 22-7 Six Nations triumph at Murrayfield.

Furlong feels Scotland represent a “ huge challenge” and a far tougher proposition than that match just under seven months ago when the Irish overcame a host of injury setbacks to keep themselves on course for the Grand Slam.

“Of course you look at the last game, you probably don’t look at the seven before that,” said the 30-year-old.

“Rugby is ever changing and evolving. They’re flying at the minute. I was really impressed with their warm-up games against France and have been really impressed with how they’ve performed in the tournament so far.

“I would imagine they’re disappointed with their South Africa performance (an 18-3 loss).

“They’ve come on a lot since the Six Nations, and they had a really good Six Nations.

“They were flying then as well. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us this weekend.”

Bill Sweeney is confident he remains the right man to lead the Rugby Football Union despite the English game being mired in crisis and claims that “we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular”.

Four professional clubs have collapsed in just over a year – Wasps, Worcester, London Irish and Jersey Reds – while in January the Rugby Football Union triggered a grassroots revolt through its handling of the tackle height being lowered at community level.

On the eve of England’s victory over Argentina that opened the World Cup last month, RFU council members sent a letter to the board raising concerns over the leadership of chief executive Sweeney and chair Tom Ilube.

Sweeney stated that the “cynical” rebellion had been faced down at Friday’s council meeting, adding that it was staged by a “small group of people who are no longer in the game or have agendas that are not necessarily in the best interests of the game”.

At the elite level England have not finished above third place in the the Six Nations since 2020 and sacked Eddie Jones in December, giving his replacement Steve Borthwick just eight months to prepare for the World Cup.

“It’s probably for others to say if they don’t feel I am the right person to do it,” Sweeney said.

“I personally feel I am given my experience, given my background and my balance of business and sport. I feel I am the right person to do that.

“I came into this role for one simple reason and it’s because I’m very passionate about this game.

“There’s probably a large number of my friends and family who would be quite happy if I didn’t do it any longer. But I do believe that we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular here.

“This has been a unique moment in time because of the financial challenges, because of the working relationship with Premiership Rugby, our ability to change that relationship around the partnership, to fix the things that have stopped us winning Six Nations on a regular basis.

“The work that we’re doing in World Rugby around Nations Cup, the global calendar – that all plays into this as well.

“I feel that I have the energy, I’ve got the passion and I’ve got the desire to see this through. Now if somebody else thinks differently about that, that’s also equally fine.

“You don’t wake up every morning enjoying it, but that’s the reason why I would like to carry on.”

Sweeney was accused by a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing last November of being “completely asleep on the job” and told that he should consider resigning in response to the financial crisis that led to Wasps and Worcester entering administration.

The Twickenham chief has promised structural reform “to fix a number of issues that have been broken for some time”, thereby ending the “boom and bust periods when it is more based on hope”.

Sweeney confirmed that negotiations are proceeding for 25 England players to be placed on ‘hybrid contracts’ that would give Borthwick more control of his most important internationals.

Ben Earl admitted it was his England career igniting that convinced him to re-sign with Saracens and play his part in lifting the domestic club out of the doldrums.

Earlier this week Earl signed a long-term contract with the Gallagher Premiership champions to continue his upward trajectory in a 2023 that has produced his first Test start and selection in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad.

Now that rampaging displays against Argentina, Japan and Chile have impressed audiences in France, he has become one of Borthwick’s star performers, who is set to be restored to the back row against Samoa on Saturday.

Having struggled to convince Eddie Jones and then being discarded by Borthwick in the Six Nations earlier this year in order to work on his conditioning, the 25-year-old admits he was considering his options overseas until his England outlook changed.

“You never shut that door. I guess it is a lot easier to move abroad if you are not playing for England,” Earl said.

“If you are not in the picture, it can be nice sometimes to have a change of scene, but thankfully at the moment I’m playing for England and that made my decision for me.

“Steve has always been very honest with me about what it would take for me to play for England and hopefully I’m starting to make some steps in those directions.

“Now it is just a no-brainer, I’m fully focussed on playing for Saracens and hopefully for England for a long time.”

Earl has chosen to stay in the Gallagher Premiership during a period of upheaval.

Jersey Reds’ announcement last week that they had entered administration lifts the total of professional clubs to have gone out of business in the past year to four, painting a grim picture of the finances of the English game.

A closer relationship between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby is set to produce a series of ‘hybrid contracts’ that will give Borthwick greater control over around 20 of his Tests stars.

Earl would be a prime candidate for one of the contracts that would see a player’s club receive greater compensation and he believes his generation has a role to play in restoring the sport to health.

“We are hearing good things about the plans for the league over the next couple of years – salary cap stuff and commercial stuff. We are already seeing some small changes and that can only be a good thing,” he said.

“There have been times when players have shut themselves off from the commercial side of the game.

“And we as a younger generation in terms of coming through and taking on the mantle of the league, we need to be a bit more open by putting ourselves out there.

“We’ve had some talks with the league. We’re asking for a bit more, they’re asking for a bit more. Everyone is willing and saying the right things, so hopefully that’s a step in the right direction.”

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw has emerged as an injury doubt for Saturday’s crucial Rugby World Cup showdown with Scotland in Paris.

The 30-year-old is struggling with a “niggle” and will be assessed ahead of head coach Andy Farrell naming his matchday 23 on Thursday afternoon.

Henshaw suffered a fitness setback at the start of the tournament when he was a late withdrawal from Ireland’s bench for the 82-8 win over Romania.

He subsequently came on as a replacement in the 59-16 success over Tonga and the 13-8 victory against reigning champions South Africa.

Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell said: “Everyone came through training, but Robbie has a bit of a niggle and we’re finding out about that today.

“I’m sure there will be some information on that tomorrow.”

Henshaw has been providing back-up for in-form midfield duo Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.

Leinster team-mate Jimmy O’Brien, Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey and Munster veteran Keith Earls are among the options to take his place in Farrell’s squad to face the Scots, if he is ruled out.

Ireland will secure a quarter-final spot as Pool B winners with a victory or a draw at Stade de France, while a loss may also be sufficient for progression, depending on the scoreline and bonus points gained.

Farrell’s men are seeking a 17th consecutive success to set up a likely last-eight appointment with either hosts France or three-time champions New Zealand.

Former Ireland captain O’Connell, who represented his country at four World Cups, believes the current crop of players know how to remain in the moment and avoid being inhibited by passion or pressure.

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“Being able to not rely massively on emotions is a big part of it,” he replied when asked about the key to consistently backing up wins.

“It’s always a big strength of ours how much the lads love playing for Ireland, how important the history of the team is.

“But that’s kind of the icing on the cake now rather than the whole cake.

“I think probably in fairness it would have come in under Joe (Schmidt, former head coach) and that ability to focus just on what’s right in front of you and not what’s too far ahead of you.

“They’ve a big appetite around just getting better and improving, both individually and as a group.

“When the focus is all about getting better, you acknowledge the significance of what might happen if you win a game at the weekend for sure, but you’re kind of able to ignore it a little bit then as well.

“The more you understand who you are and what you stand for the easier it is to perform.

“They don’t have to build up how important the game is. We all know it and they all know it.

“They focus on getting better, they focus on the next moment, and that sometimes helps them block out some of the noise around the game.”

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw has emerged as an injury doubt ahead of Saturday’s crucial Rugby World Cup showdown with Scotland in Paris.

The 30-year-old is struggling with a “niggle” and will be assessed ahead of head coach Andy Farrell naming his matchday 23 on Thursday afternoon.

Henshaw suffered a fitness setback at the start of the tournament when he was a late withdrawal from Ireland’s bench for the 82-8 win over Romania.

He subsequently came on as a replacement in the 59-16 success over Tonga and the 13-8 victory against reigning champions South Africa.

Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell said: “Everyone came through training, but Robbie has a bit of a niggle and we’re finding out about that today.

“I’m sure there will be some information on that tomorrow.”

Henshaw has been providing back-up for in-form midfield duo Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.

Leinster team-mate Jimmy O’Brien, Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey and Munster veteran Keith Earls are among the options to take his place in Farrell’s squad to face the Scots, if he is ruled out.

George Turner admitted Scotland must produce a much better performance against Ireland on Saturday than they managed in their opening World Cup game against South Africa.

The Scots lost 18-3 against the Boks – ranked second in the world at the time – in Marseille last month.

That defeat played a big part in Gregor Townsend’s side finding themselves in a position whereby they must defeat the Irish with a bonus point in Paris this weekend or by denying the world’s top-ranked team a losing bonus point if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.

Hooker Turner knows Scotland must prove this Saturday that they have learned lessons from their last meeting with one of the tournament’s elite teams as they bid to produce what he feels will have to be one of their best-ever displays.

“We talk about performances and we gave ourselves maybe a six (out of 10) against South Africa,” said Turner. “We really want to push our performance.

“We had opportunities against South Africa, we changed a few things up and it didn’t quite click. The intensity, will and want was there and we’ve been practising since then to make the performance better.

“We obviously need our best performance. We need to be nine or 10 out of 10 to beat the best teams in the world, especially Ireland in a World Cup where it’s a must-win game for them as well.”

Turner admitted there is an extra buzz about the Scotland squad this week as the definitive game of their World Cup draws closer.

“Obviously it’s a final for us, it’s knock-out rugby against the best team in the world,” he said.

“We know them well. It’s just a massive challenge that we are all heavily focused on.

“Excitement is building. We are getting the learning done, getting the game plan sorted and looking forward to it.

“There’s more energy, more on the line. Boys will feel it a bit more. It’s good for everyone – the guys who are playing, the guys who are not playing. Everyone in training is trying to give their best to support the team.”

Turner also reported that he had to overcome a nasty cut to his hand on the eve of the South Africa game while cutting bread with a knife.

“I cut my hand open and got four or five stitches,” said the Glasgow hooker. “It just tugged a bit and I was like, ‘that bread is a bit tough’. It was my hand.

“The doctor said I had to go to hospital, which was a bit of panic stations, but it was fine. He sewed me up straight away.

“I had to bandage it during the game and it kept coming off which was a bit annoying, but it’s fine now.”

Pierre Schoeman is hellbent on extending his “miracle” World Cup beyond this weekend as he gears up for Saturday’s critical Paris showdown with Pool B rivals Ireland.

Just under two years after winning the first of his 25 caps, the South Africa-born prop is enjoying the time of his life in France as Gregor Townsend’s first-choice loosehead.

But Schoeman knows he would likely have missed out on playing for Scotland at the tournament if not for the fact the Covid-19 pandemic led to a delay in World Rugby changing the three-year residency rule to five years.

That meant the 29-year-old – who left Bulls in his homeland to join Edinburgh in 2018 – was able to make his debut in October 2021 as opposed to having to wait until this summer to become eligible, by which time it would probably have been too late for him to force his way into the World Cup squad.

“I can only say with gratitude that it is a miracle, to be honest,” he said. “It would have actually been five years but because of Covid, it was three years, so two years less.

“I would have only made my debut for Scotland now (this summer) if it wasn’t for Covid so there is always a blessing in disguise somewhere.”

Schoeman is savouring every moment of a tournament he described as the highlight of his career.

“It has been massive,” he said. “Representing Scotland at the World Cup is the best thing I have experienced in my rugby journey.

“I have been honoured and privileged to do it. And with the team we have, the management and the players are a really good group.

“It has been amazing. I have to give credit to our partners and our families for the sacrifices they have made but in the south of France, the passion they have for their rugby and having all the Scottish fans here as well, that’s massive.

“The amount of fans that came over makes you realise that you have to play a bit harder for them as well.

“It’s not just about you and the team, it’s about playing for the fans and the country you represent.

“Putting on the jersey for Scotland in a World Cup in the south of France gives you that extra fuel to prep. You want to do it 100 times.”

Schoeman and his Scotland colleagues know their World Cup adventure will end if they are not able to get a bonus-point win over Ireland on Saturday or deny their opponents a losing bonus.

The prop is unable to countenance the prospect of leaving France this weekend.

“I haven’t even thought about making plans for a holiday or time off or going back to play with my club,” he said. “It’s all this now, this week, this test, to get another three weeks or however long it is.

“We are confident, we are going to go for the win and we believe we can get the win. As a group, we are ready to go.”

Schoeman is braced for the biggest game of his career in Paris.

“There have been some big Six Nations games but this is a World Cup and we’re against the world’s best in Ireland,” he said.

“These are the games you want to play in. They are the games you want to measure yourself against, especially the set-piece battles.

“Being a prop, you want to go against the best. As a pack and as a team, we can’t wait.”

Gareth Thomas knows from painful experience the misery that Georgia’s forwards can inflict on opponents.

Wales need one point from Saturday’s Pool C finale against Georgia in Nantes to guarantee topping their group.

With a quarter-final place having already been secured for the fourth successive World Cup under head coach Warren Gatland, they are building towards an expected last-eight appointment with Argentina or Japan.

But before that there is unfinished business for Wales, even though Georgia are already out of the tournament following losses to Australia and Fiji either side of a draw with Portugal.

Ospreys prop Thomas will line up at Stade de la Beaujoire as the solitary survivor from Wales’ starting pack against Georgia in Cardiff 326 days ago.

He played just over an hour of what became one of Welsh rugby’s darkest days – a 13-12 defeat that effectively signalled the end for Gatland’s predecessor Wayne Pivac.

Two Jac Morgan tries helped Wales build a nine-point lead, but they were overhauled when Luka Matkava kicked a penalty two minutes from time that put Georgia in dreamland.

Asked about Georgia’s scrum threat, Thomas said: “Yes, 100 per cent. That is what won them the game against us in the autumn last year.

“They are just such a physical side. Set-piece stuff we have to be on top of our game, as we know they are going to come strong.

“We have come a long way since the start of the summer, but we know this week will be a big test for us.”

Only an eternal optimist would have predicted Wales’ status as World Cup quarter-finalists just over a year after that Principality Stadium debacle.

A poor Six Nations followed, when victory over Italy in Rome staved off the wooden spoon, but Gatland has once again weaved his magic.

A 12-year first stint in the job produced Six Nations titles, Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-finals and a brief spell as world number one team.

And three games into their World Cup campaign, Wales have a 100 per cent record and are strongly fancied to make the last four.

Thomas added: “We want to keep the momentum going that we’ve had over the last few weeks here, trying to hold onto that and push and grow as a team as we go forward to the quarter-finals.

“We are a completely different team to what we were last year.

“There has been a massive improvement in the squad, but we know that they are a very good side and we have to be on top of our game to be successful this weekend.

“It is the time we have spent together and the amount of work we have put in together. You cannot fault the amount of effort that has gone in this summer.

“The confidence within the team at the minute is something I haven’t felt before. We are in a good place.”

England must face down a Samoa side that has been reinforced by rugby’s updated eligibility rule but Kyle Sinckler still views the change as an improvement to the game.

Tighthead prop Sinckler is poised to start England’s final World Cup group match in Lille on Saturday when he could go toe to toe with fellow Bristol forwards Steven Luatua and Chris Vui.

Luatua won 15 caps for New Zealand from 2013 to 2016 but his Test career was revived when in 2022, World Rugby allowed players to transfer national allegiance upon completing a three-year stand down period.

Former All Blacks Lima Sopoaga and Charlie Faumuina are also in Samoa’s World Cup squad, while their fly-half Christian Leali’ifano represented Australia at Japan 2019.

Tonga have benefited as well from a rule that extends the international careers of talented Islanders through the availability of another of Sinckler’s Bristol team-mates in Charles Piutau, amongst others.

“Knowing Stevie personally, I know that playing for Samoa means a huge amount to him. Charles, because he made the decision to go back and play for Tonga,” Sinckler said.

“They’re massively appreciative to have played for the All Blacks but the sense that I got from them was that they wanted to give something back to their community and where they’re from.

“Look at the Tonga game against South Africa and how competitive they were and look at Samoa in the World Cup and how competitive they have been.

“It’s nothing but good for rugby in my opinion, those guys going back and strengthening those so-called tier two nations. It doesn’t feel like that when you play against these teams!

“The likes of Charles, Steven Luatua, Charlie Faumuina and Christian Leali’ifano are all world-class players. It’s good to see them playing and it’s good for rugby.”

Sinckler was welcomed with open arms by Luatua and Vui when he joined Bristol from Harlequins in 2020 but the all-action front row knows the friendship will be put on ice at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

“They are pretty chilled out to be honest, they don’t say too much,” Sinckler said.

“But don’t be fooled by their nice and chilled-out demeanour – they can definitely flick the switch. And when it’s time to go, those guys can definitely really go.

“Both have leadership roles at Bristol. They don’t tend to say too much, they lead by example. They are two massively physical players and great line-out options.

“They have great hands and good offloading skills, but they honestly couldn’t be any more different from how they are off the field because they are literally the most chilled out personalities you’ll ever meet.”

Hooker Dan Sheehan admits it would be “stupid” of Ireland’s players to be unfamiliar with complex permutations which could extinguish their Rugby World Cup dream.

Andy Farrell’s men will top Pool B and qualify for the quarter-finals by avoiding defeat in Saturday evening’s crucial Paris clash with Scotland.

Ireland could even progress to the last eight with a loss but that would be dependent on the Scots’ margin of victory and bonus points gained.

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Sheehan is eager to avoid “over-hyping” a pivotal Stade de France showdown which will also determine the fate of reigning champions South Africa.

While the 25-year-old hopes to emphatically banish any prospect of elimination by helping his country register a 17th consecutive success, he insists Ireland’s squad are au fait with all possible scenarios.

“We’re all aware of the different little permutations, but our job is to go out and win a game,” said Sheehan.

“I’m sure there’ll be scenarios throughout that, if we find ourselves in a situation, we’ll know what to do, and it would be stupid of us not to know it going into a match.

“Of course everyone is fully aware of what we need to do at what time and depending on what the scoreline is.”

South Africa top arguably the competition’s toughest pool with 15 points from their four games, with Ireland and Scotland on 14 and 10 respectively ahead of what could be a tense encounter in the French capital.

Tournament regulations state teams level on the same number of points at the end of the group stage will be separated by their head-to-head result in the first instance.

However, in the event of a three-way tie, the nation with the best overall points difference will top the pool, with head-to-head then used to rank the other two.

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“Obviously there is a lot on the line, especially this week,” said Sheehan.

“But I think we probably stick to the same procedures in regards to preparation.

“I think you can be in danger of over-hyping a game or getting too feared up about an occasion, so realistically it’s pretty similar to a Test match, but obviously everyone knows that there is a lot on the line.”

The weight of expectation is firmly on in-form Ireland, with comments from Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and head coach Jacques Nienaber ramping up the pressure.

Sheehan is uninterested in the outside noise and pays no attention to press coverage.

“I don’t read or contribute to any sports media really,” he told reporters.

“I was just like that as a kid, I wasn’t really interested in… in your job, really.

“It’s just another Test week for me and I sort of focus very much on what’s going on in the camp and what people tell me within the camp.”

Leinster man Sheehan is pushing for a full World Cup debut this weekend.

He returned from a foot injury as a replacement in Ireland’s 13-8 win over South Africa on September 23 following a layoff which also allowed him to rehabilitate shoulder and hip niggles .

“I feel in a great place, probably the fittest and the best condition I have been in a long time,” said Sheehan.

“It was nice to have that rehab window, where you can focus on other things as well. The body is in great shape.”

Danny Care insists England will resume their World Cup quest armed with inspiration from Europe’s stirring Ryder Cup victory.

Care was among four England players to send a good luck message to Luke Donald’s team from a golf course in Le Touquet, where Steve Borthwick’s squad are based ahead of the final Pool D game against Samoa.

Europe emerged 16½-11½ winners against the United States on Sunday and for Care one aspect in particular stood out about their performance.

“Team spirit is the reason the best teams are successful,” the veteran Harlequins scrum-half said.

“I don’t know many environments where you wouldn’t have a good team spirit and the team ends up winning a tournament or a league or a trophy at the end of it.

“I was an outsider watching the Ryder Cup but they looked more aligned and close than the American team did.

“You could see it, you could feel it just watching on the screens. You could see how much it meant to them. That’s definitely something we’re trying to harness – how much it means to us.

“Europe hung in together, fought for everything. Those little half points that they saved. We can definitely take some inspiration from those lads.

“The golf they played was unbelievable. We haven’t shown much of that in Le Touquet, some of our lads!”

England have forged their own winning path so far in the World Cup, polishing off Argentina, Japan and Chile with plenty to spare.

Even with Samoa left to play they have qualified for the quarter-finals as group winners to continue an impressive revival since losing three of their four warm-up Tests in August.

“Sometimes you have to go through some bad stuff to get to the good stuff,” Care said.

“Maybe our bad stuff was those warm-up games, to get us to look at ourselves and go ‘Right, we need to pull together a little bit’. It’s going to take everyone to win this.”

England play Samoa in Lille on Saturday, with Borthwick naming his starting XV on Thursday evening.

Jonathan Humphreys says that Wales “cannot afford to go off-script” when they tackle Rugby World Cup opponents Georgia in Nantes on Saturday.

Wales need a point from their Pool C finale to win the group, having already secured a quarter-final place through beating Australia by a record 40-6 scoreline nine days ago.

They lost 13-12 at home to Georgia when the countries last met almost a year ago, and Wales assistant coach Humphreys has emphasised a fierce sense of determination in the camp.

“There has been a bit of an edge about training, which is what we want,” forwards specialist Humphreys said.

“We are just keen to continue the progress that we’ve shown. That is a big driving force for us, and we have talked constantly about that.

“I expect them (Georgia) to play a bit, and they are strong up-front – we are under no illusion about that.

“They are a dangerous outfit, and we cannot afford to go off-script.”

Few could have imagined Wales reaching the last eight just 11 months after Georgia triumphed 13-12 in Cardiff, and Humphreys added: “We’ve had five months together. We are more like a club team than an international team.

“We came in earlier than most teams, we know what we wanted to improve and we haven’t deviated from that.

“Probably the messages that went out in May, they haven’t changed at all.

“Every day, it has been working on those fundamentals that we felt were important and would make a difference.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made six changes for the Georgia clash, with Dewi Lake captaining a side that also sees starts for wing Rio Dyer, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Tommy Reffell.

Centre Nick Tompkins will continue his midfield partnership with George North, meanwhile, and look to maintain the form that has made him among Wales’ most impressive performers at the tournament.

“We want no dip in our performance,” Tompkins said.

“We want to get better, we don’t want to take our foot off the pedal – that’s the last thing we want. We want confidence and momentum and to keep on going.

“I want to just keep getting better and keep pushing myself. There are a lot of things I need to improve on.

“I am happy with some areas, but there are some things I really need to push myself on.

“You look at some of the other centres out there and how well they are doing, and you want to emulate that.

“Being together as a squad for five months means you can have those little conversations and make little tweaks.

“You are all looking for little things to tweak and improve. It has been really healthy, and it has been all of us pushing each other.”

Tompkins has also voiced his support for the World Cup bunker system, whereby incidents of foul play can be referred and a yellow card retained or upgraded to red.

“I like it,” Tompkins added.

“Decisions are tough at the moment anyway, referees are under a lot of a pressure to keep the game moving quickly and get the right decision.

“I think it is brilliant, I like that model. To cut down the pressure we put on referees, especially, is good.”

Ali Price feels his enhanced maturity has helped him respond positively to the frustration of losing his status as Scotland’s first-choice scrum-half in the lead-up to the World Cup.

The 30-year-old had made the number nine jersey his own for three years from the start of 2020 to the end of 2022, a period that incorporated a call-up to the British and Irish Lions squad in 2021.

However, Price was dropped at the start of this year’s Six Nations, with the burgeoning Ben White taking his place. He is now effectively vying with his on-form Glasgow colleague George Horne for a place on the bench.

Price admits such a scenario would have “eaten him up inside” a few years back and caused him to react in an unconstructive manner but he has been able to take a more philosophical view on it and is at peace with the situation.

Asked if he had been able to enjoy the World Cup, despite starting only one of the three matches – Saturday’s victory over Pool B minnows Romania – Price said: “Yeah, I really have actually.

“From four years ago, getting injured in the first game and going home, I’ve matured as a person in my outlook.

“This situation a few years ago would have eaten me up inside. I’d have probably been negative about decisions or selection issues.

“At times you have to accept that there are good players playing well in your position. It can happen and other guys take their opportunities and you have to bide your time.

“I think that’s the kind of realisation I’ve come to, the bigger picture. All I can do is focus on myself and get myself to where I want to be.

“I believe that when I’m at my best, I give the coach the hardest challenge of whether to select me or not and that’s all I can control.

“That’s my outlook and it has been for the last couple of years. It means I enjoy it more. I’m doing what I love, I’m with a group of boys I get on with really well.

“That’s the bonus at the end of the week, being selected, but at the same time if I’m not, I’m contributing to those guys going out there and doing the best for the team and that’ll get us the results we need to progress.

“I think I’ve matured in that way in terms of disappointment at not playing when I’d like to be.”

Despite losing his Scotland place, Price feels he is now back “in a good spot” in terms of his overall game and mindset.

“It’s been frustrating at times, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “Everyone wants to play but I feel that during the Six Nations there was maybe a bit of a turning point for me in terms of seeing progress in myself in training.

“I was fit, I was healthy and I was making the most of the opportunities I had on the field.

“The starts have maybe been less than I would have liked or what I had previously but I feel any time I’ve had on the pitch and in training, I’ve got myself slowly back to a place where I’m happy with how I’m performing.

“The game at the weekend was a lot of fun, I think how I facilitated the game and put others into space is one of my strengths. I really enjoyed the team performance we had. I was happy with how it went and I’m in a good spot.”

Price is desperate to get the chance to add to his 65 caps by having some involvement in Saturday’s showdown with Ireland in Paris.

The Scots must get a bonus-point win or deny the world’s top-ranked side a losing bonus in order to reach the quarter-finals.

“It’s huge,” said the scrum-half. “It would be one of the biggest games of my career if I was given the opportunity to play.

“I’ve not had as many minutes as I would have liked to have had this year but I think every chance I’ve had, I’ve shown what I can do.

“I’ve steadily got myself back to where I want to be as a player. It’s a big training week and what will be will be, but everyone is sticking their hand up.”

Danny Care believes hybrid contracts would be beneficial to English rugby if they succeed in keeping the nation’s stars in a financially viable Gallagher Premiership.

The Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby are at an advanced stage of negotiations to introduce an arrangement that would give England head coach Steve Borthwick greater control over a reported 20 members of his squad.

Apart from allowing Borthwick a say in how a player is managed and conditioned while on Premiership duty, the watered down form of central contracts would help clubs retain their England internationals in the face of the higher wages on offer overseas.

Extending Twickenham’s influence in this way would be a significant adjustment to the way the club-country partnership has worked since professionalism was introduced in 1995 – and Care can see the advantages.

“Is there one available for me?! Not sure I’ll see one!” scrum-half Care, 36, said from England’s World Cup camp in Le Touquet.

“We want to see English players playing in England, I’m definitely right in saying that.

“England need to have their best players in England and if there are ways that we can do it, which might help the club game and help the clubs be more sustainable, then I think the players would be on board with that. Hopefully that can be sorted.”

Borthwick is the driving force behind the plan to establish hybrid contracts as he looks to revive England’s fortunes.

Care insists elements of the plan that would form part of the new professional game agreement, such as joined up conditioning programmes and player development, began soon after he replaced Eddie Jones in December.

“Steve and the coaches are doing that already behind the scenes and they have been doing it since Steve took over the job,” Care said.

“If there was more structure to it that might help everyone but I know Steve is working hard behind the scenes to make sure the clubs are aligned and do the best thing for the players. The wheels are already in motion for that.”

The financial crisis gripping the English game has resulted in Wasps, Worcester and London Irish going out of business in the Premiership and Championship title holders Jersey Reds collapsing in the tier below.

While catastrophic for everyone directly affected, it has also presented the opportunity for the top flight to be restructured in a way that provides some benefits.

“With the club game going down to 10 teams it’s automatically going to be less games for the lads,” Care said.

“I’ve always pushed and been an advocate for Premiership games not to be played during the Six Nations window. Fans, clubs and everyone wants that.

“You want your best players playing and clubs want to have their best players available which helps everything in terms of TV revenue and fans coming to the stadium.

“Fans want to see Owen Farrell playing for Saracens as many times as he can. If there are ways and structures to do that, then I am all for them.

“I’ve said a few times that there are a lot clever, smarter people than me hopefully working on these decisions. Hopefully they get it right and the game in England can flourish.”