Related items

• Tom Curry raring to make England return ahead of final World Cup group game

  Tom Curry has been tearing into his team-mates on the training field in preparation for his comeback when England complete their World Cup group campaign against Samoa on Saturday.

  Curry has played just 179 seconds of the tournament after being sent off for a dangerous tackle in the opener against Argentina, resulting in a two-match ban that ruled him out against Japan and Chile.

  It was a frustrating first appearance under Steve Borthwick having missed the Six Nations and last month’s warm-up fixtures because of hamstring and ankle injuries.

  Now the high-energy Sale flanker is poised to start England’s final Pool D assignment in Lille with a quarter-final against likely opponents Fiji looming on the horizon.

  Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth revealed that Curry was straining at the leash to get his World Cup underway having made his presence felt in practise.

  “Tom’s been a menace in training because he’s so good, which means he’s everywhere!” Wigglesworth said.

  “He’s incredibly committed and diligent. As you’d expect from the really, really top player that he is, he shows all those traits.

  “He’s chomping at the bit and we’re delighted for him that he’s back and raring to go. He won’t hold much back – he’s all action.

  “He’s fit as a fiddle and that’s the way he plays – multiple actions in games where he affects the game on both sides of the ball.

  “I think we will get the best of Tom Curry in terms of him getting straight into it from the start.

  “We’re absolutely delighted to get him back. It was tough for him to come back from that (red card) but he has reacted really well and got stuck into his training.”

  Owen Farrell insists the ultra-fit Curry, a world player of the year nominee in 2019, is ready to make his mark on the World Cup.

  “Tom’s in a good place. I don’t think there is too much revving up that Tom can do – he is pretty much 100 per cent every time you are out there training,” England’s captain said.

  “I’m sure he has got a bit of frustration at not being involved and I’m sure he can’t wait to show what he can do and get out there with the team.”

  England secured their quarter-final spot when Japan toppled Argentina on Thursday and progress as pool winners with a match to spare, taking full advantage of being positioned in the easier half of the draw.

  When they arrived in France, expectation outside the squad was at an all-time time low amid fears they would fail to emerge from the group, having lost five out of their previous six Tests.

  But they have brushed aside Argentina, Japan and Chile and confidence is growing that they can advance deeper into the World Cup.

  “So far the team has done well. It is not a massive pat on the back to ourselves because we have still hopefully got a long way to go in this competition. All we are trying to do is focus on what we are doing now,” Farrell said.

  “With regards to people writing us off on the outside, that has not been the case in the camp.

  “We believe in what we are doing and we have done even when things weren’t going quite as we would have wanted them to.”

• Rio Dyer insists Wales will keep ‘chasing that perfection’ at World Cup

  Rio Dyer says that Wales will aim to keep a collective foot on the accelerator as they build towards their fourth successive Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance.

  Wales’ place in the last eight was confirmed through a record 40-6 win against Australia.

  They require only a point from next Saturday’s appointment with Georgia in Nantes to guarantee finishing top of Pool C.

  Japan or Argentina, who meet in what is effectively a group eliminator 24 hours after Wales tackle Georgia, are then set to await Warren Gatland’s team as quarter-final opponents.

  “We taken learnings from every game previously, and we are chasing that perfection,” Wales wing Dyer said.

  “Every game won’t be perfect, but there are things we can get better at. It is about not letting the foot off the gas and see how far we can push ourselves.

  “Let the result take care of itself, because I am more than sure if we put the effort in during the week and take the learnings, we will get even better and hopefully top the group.

  “The training we have been putting in is amazing. The competitiveness of the sessions has been phenomenal.

  “No-one is sulking or moping about. We are a 33-man squad trying to get the same result, and everyone is helping everyone.”

  Twelve of Wales’ World Cup group were involved when Georgia claimed an historic 13-12 victory in Cardiff during last year’s autumn internationals.

  It came just eight months after Wales had lost at home to Italy, and effectively signalled the end for Gatland’s head coach predecessor Wayne Pivac.

  A home loss to Australia the following weekend – Wales conceded 26 unanswered points after leading 34-13 – sealed his fate, before Gatland returned for a second stint in the job.

  “They’re a good team,” Dyer said of Georgia. “They bring qualities throughout their forwards and backs.

  “They have got very good players all around the park. Hopefully, we can put in a performance that we have put in during these three (pool) games and get the result against them.”

  Dyer and company returned to the training pitch on Friday following four days off after the Australia match, with the majority of players enjoying French sightseeing, while some briefly returned home.

  “Mason (Grady) and myself had a nice day around Paris on the bikes, then we went to Disneyland Paris together on a two-man mission. We went on all the rides there – I felt like a kid again,” he said.

  Flanker Taine Basham, meanwhile, had time at home, adding: “I went back home to see the little one. He is nearly walking now, so no days off.

  “He was keeping me busy, so I was not just laying back on the sofa waiting to go back out to France.

  “I am getting better sleep out here, there is no doubt, but I can’t wait to see him again in the next couple of weeks.”

• Pretty much a World Cup final – Darcy Graham and Scotland ready for Ireland

  Darcy Graham insisted Scotland are ready to “go to a dark place” as they bid to defy recent history in their mouth-watering qualification shootout with Ireland in Paris.

  The Scots secured the bonus-point win they required against Romania with a 12-try, 84-0 destruction of the eastern European minnows.

  To progress to the last eight Gregor Townsend’s side must defeat Ireland in next Saturday’s final Pool B fixture, either with a bonus point or by denying the world’s top-ranked side a losing bonus.

  The Scots have won only one of the last 13 meetings between the sides and have lost the last eight, but Graham is adamant his team – ranked fifth in the world – are ready to dig deep for what would be one of the biggest wins in their history.

  “It’s winner takes all, we want to get out of the group and they want to get out of the group so both teams will be going for it,” said the prolific Scotland wing. “It’s going to be a hell of a game.

  “It’s do or die now, it’s pretty much a World Cup final for us. We’ll take huge confidence from Romania and now we need to get our preparation right.

  “We’re going to have to go to a dark place but the boys are up for it. It’s an exciting week. There’s going to be massive support from Scotland and Ireland fans so there’s going to be a real buzz going into this game.”

  In their last meeting in the Six Nations in March, Scotland led briefly in the first half and were within a point of the Irish until Andy Farrell’s men pulled away to win 22-7 at Murrayfield.

  Scotland have shown for long periods of their three matches against France this year that they can live with the top teams in the world.

  “We’ve got the capabilities to beat any team in the world but we have to get things right not just for 40 minutes or 60 minutes, but for 80 minutes,” Graham said.

  “We have to take our opportunities when they come. We might only get two or three opportunities and we have to nail them.”

  Graham’s four-try haul against Romania elevated him from sixth to joint-second on Scotland’s all-time try-scoring list. He is now level with Ian Smith and Tony Stanger on 24 and just three shy of record-holder Stuart Hogg, who retired this year on 27.

  “Yeah, I’m closing in on it but I’ll get there when I get there,” he said. “I’ve added four on to my tally so I’m happy.”

  Grant Gilchrist – who captained the Scots against Romania – has no doubt his long-time Edinburgh club-mate will soon break the record.

  “If I was a betting man, I’d say yes,” said the lock.

  “He was outstanding against Romania. I’ve played a lot of games with him for Scotland and Edinburgh and you know exactly what you’re going to get with him week in, week out.

  “Some of the tries he scored were world-class, and I’m sure he’ll keep doing that as long as he plays.”

  Scotland scored six tries in each half against Romania in a match that saw them fall just five points short of their record World Cup victory, 89-0 against the Ivory Coast in 1995.

  Gilchrist said: “We knew we needed five points but we needed more than that, we needed a performance that was a step forward for us as a group, and I think we got that.

  “We know everybody will big up next weekend, it’s huge. Our preparation will reflect that and we’ll give absolutely everything.”