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• Nice to be in control – Gareth Anscombe admits relief at securing quarter-final

  Gareth Anscombe admits there is an element of relief after Wales avoided a fight to the finish in their quest for a Rugby World Cup quarter-final place.

  Wales’ record-breaking 40-6 victory over Australia meant they got the job done early in Pool C.

  They preserved their 100 per cent record with one game still remaining – against Georgia next week – leaving other teams, led by Fiji, to fret over reaching the knockout phase.

  Had Wales lost, it would have been a different story and meant them being caught up in a nervous scramble for two available places.

  “It is probably relief. I don’t like that saying that, but we knew there was a lot on it,” Wales fly-half Anscombe said.

  “We knew if we didn’t win we would go into the last week not quite having control. It is really rewarding because we do so much hard work.

  “We’ve got a tricky little number in Georgia to finish off, and we definitely won’t overlook them, but it is nice to be in control of the group.”

  Anscombe went on for an injured Dan Biggar after just 12 minutes in Lyon, and he promptly took charge, kicking six penalties, a drop-goal and conversion.

  His 23-point haul equalled Biggar’s record for most points by a Wales player in a World Cup match, although the 32-year-old would have set a new mark had he not missed a straightforward conversion following captain Jac Morgan’s late try.

  “‘Biggsy’ reminded me that apparently the last kick was to beat his record, so I am hacked off I have only tied that,” Anscombe added.

  “Dan is a great man and we get along so well, but he has given me a bit of stick about that!”

  Biggar looks likely to miss the Georgia game because of a strained pectoral muscle, but there are no suggestions at this stage that he could be doubtful for a potential World Cup last-eight clash against Argentina in Marseille seven days later.

  “We know how important Dan is for the group, particularly on and off the field with the energy he brings,” Anscombe said.

  “It was just really important when I went on that I brought some control and steadied the ship like he does so well.

  “We always talk about nailing our roles, and all I was thinking about was making sure I was accurate and bringing some control.

  “What was great was that we kept the scoreboard ticking. We have to give a lot of credit to our forwards. We squeezed them at set-piece time, took the points on offer and kept the scoreboard ticking off the back of that.

  “I felt like I was building quite nicely in the summer (training) camps, and then I broke my hand. I thought at one point it was my World Cup done.

  “I owe a lot of thanks to the team behind the scenes here. The medical team did a fantastic job to get me back on the field, and the coaching staff backed me without much game-time.

  “There is still so much to work on from a personal perspective, but it was so nice to spend some time in the big arena.”

• Hooker Johnny Matthews is a perfectly able deputy for Scotland – John Dalziel

  John Dalziel is adamant new recruit Johnny Matthews will prove a perfectly able deputy after Scotland’s World Cup hooker curse continued with the departure of Stuart McInally from the squad.

  It was announced on Sunday night – after the bonus-point 45-17 win over Tonga in Nice – that the 33-year-old Edinburgh forward was heading home from the tournament with a neck problem less than a fortnight after being called up when Dave Cherry departed the camp due to a concussion sustained when falling on stairs at the team hotel.

  In addition to the travails of McInally and Cherry, Ewan Ashman was unable to be involved against South Africa after getting concussed in the build-up, while Fraser Brown – who was on the bench for four of the Six Nations games earlier this year – would almost certainly have come into contention if not for the ACL injury he suffered at the end of last season.

  First-choice George Turner is the only hooker who has stayed injury-free throughout the World Cup training camp and tournament itself, meaning coaches have had to draw on their depth of options for the specialised position.

  “When we were picking the hookers initially, there were a lot of names in consideration,” said forwards coach Dalziel on Monday afternoon. “We were unlucky to lose Fraser Brown to injury prior to the tournament.

  “We’ve never really had a campaign where we don’t use four hookers plus, it’s a position that’s right in the firing line, there’s a lot of injuries that come with it because of the scrummage and set-piece requirements.

  “There’s been a bit of change there, with Rambo (McInally) disappointed to miss out (on the initial 33-man squad) and then he got a lifeline and thought it was going to happen for him.

  “He added a huge amount while he was with us but it’s unfortunate that he’s got to go home again.

  “It’s been a bit of a merry-go-round for Rambo and we’re disappointed to see him go.”

  Matthews’ only previous outing with the national team came for Scotland A against Chile in June 2022. The Liverpool-born 30-year-old – whose mother was born in Glasgow – would effectively have been sixth in the pecking order if all other options were fit.

  But after flying in to join up with the squad in Nice over the weekend, he now finds himself up to third behind Turner and Ashman and in contention to win his first full cap in Saturday’s World Cup pool match against Romania in Lille.

  “It’s a huge opportunity for Johnny, who was another one in great form for Glasgow last season and was unfortunate to miss out on selection,” said Dalziel.

  “We all know the speed and physicality Johnny brings, it’s probably his point of difference. Glasgow had an extended off-season but they were working hard away from it and they’ve been back in for pre-season.

  “By all accounts, he’s been training really well. As a hooker, a specialised position, he’s always working on his craft anyway so he’s arrived in good condition and he’ll be a good addition to the group.”

  Dalziel also reported that Jamie Ritchie suffered no ill effects overnight following the dangerous high tackle he was on the receiving end of from Tonga wing Afusipa Taumoepeau.

  The Scotland captain was forced off in the first half off after taking a bang to the head and is now in his 12-day concussion stand-down period, meaning he will miss the Romania game and only be allowed to return to training on the eve of the potentially-critical match against Ireland in Paris on Saturday week.

  “It was pretty nasty in terms of the head collision but in terms of after that and post-game, he’s been OK,” said Dalziel. “He’s not had any dramatic extra symptoms with it.

  “You’ve got to take full care with anything to do with the head so he’ll just be managed along with the protocols. He’s up and about and his family are here so he’ll get a day off to chill.”

  Dalziel was pleased to see the rest of the squad come through a bruising encounter intact.

  “There are a couple of sore bodies this morning, it was a pretty physical game – as we knew it would be – but it’s miraculous how everybody rocks up and looks fine today and gets food into them,” he said.

  “Credit to the conditioners as well, the boys were all in the pool nice and early doing their recovery. Apart from a couple of bumps and bruises, the majority of the group are OK and good to go.”

  Sunday’s match was Scotland’s first for a full fortnight after their opener against the Springboks and Dalziel was delighted to see them return to action with a seven-try victory to get their tournament up and running.

  “It’s been a really weird World Cup for us,” he said. “That first week seemed very busy and hectic. We felt a huge part of it building up to the first game against South Africa and then there was a real lull after that.

  “Two weeks of just training and having the appropriate time off so we didn’t feel we were really part of the tournament, to be honest.

  “You have to sit on those bad memories (against South Africa) and you’re just desperate to get back out there again so it was brilliant to get back out there and score some points and get that bonus point and get back on track.”

• Johnny Sexton insists Ireland are looking no further than crucial Scotland clash

  Captain Johnny Sexton insists Ireland are not thinking about anything beyond Scotland as they seek to avoid complacency following previous World Cup failures.

  Andy Farrell’s men are within touching distance of the quarter-finals and a likely clash with either hosts France or three-time winners New Zealand.

  Yet, despite defeating defending champions South Africa in Paris to register a third consecutive Pool B victory, rugby’s top-ranked nation could still be denied a spot in the knock-out stages by the Scots.

  Experienced fly-half Sexton, who has suffered last-eight exits at his previous three World Cups, admits his side cannot get ahead of themselves.

  “We are not talking about being champions, we are talking about the next game,” he said on the back of the 13-8 win over the Springboks.

  “Now it’s all about Scotland. We’re not thinking about anything beyond that.

  “Scotland are an excellent team. I think that they would be frustrated about how they played against South Africa (an 18-3 loss on September 10).

  “It’s all geared up towards that game now and making sure that we do what’s required to try and win the pool.

  “But we can’t look beyond the next game. This competition will hurt you, that’s the biggest lesson we can take from the last few World Cups.”

  Ireland return to Stade de France on October 7 to take on Gregor Townsend’s side after upsetting South Africa.

  Head coach Farrell believes the narrow win from a bruising encounter with the reigning champions is ideal preparation for future challenges.

  “Let’s be honest, it’s wonderful to win, but there was not much in it between two good sides,” said Farrell.

  “I think the best thing about it for us is we get to feel the intensity of a big game within this World Cup and know what that feels like for further down the line.

  “How we are able to be a little bit more composed, be a little bit more accurate and play our game a little bit more. It’s invaluable to be able to learn those lessons with a win.

  “But what I would say is when you love defending as much as we did within that game, it stands us in good stead as far as our want and our fight for the rest of competition.”