Luke Crosbie revealed his pride at bucking the trend to emerge from a public school background and represent Scotland at a Rugby World Cup – but the flanker’s friends will ensure he never lets his success go to his head.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh back-rower grew up in the West Lothian town of West Calder, which is far from a traditional rugby heartland.

Crosbie’s love for the game, which he first got into while at primary school, has taken him to a level whereby – after winning five caps for his country – he is preparing to make his first appearance at a World Cup after being selected to start Saturday’s must-win match against Romania in Lille on Saturday.

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“Looking at my journey to get here, it’s obviously special for me and my family that I’ve come right through,” he said.

“At school, I don’t think there was anyone who played rugby, we didn’t have a rugby team or anything like that.

“To reflect on that and be sitting here at a World Cup is special for me and obviously my family have seen me go through all the stages. I’m just really excited and proud to be here.”

Crosbie knows it is more difficult to make it in professional rugby in Scotland if not educated at a private school. His relatively humble beginnings in the sport, and those close to him, ensure he will always keep his feet on the ground.

“If you want something you have to go for it,” he said, reflecting on his rise. “At school this is what I wanted to do. But not everybody knew you could do this as a job.

“When I went back to school, they said, ‘what do you do for work, though, what’s your job?’ Which is fine, I quite like that.

“None of my friends know much about rugby at all so when I chat to them they don’t know what is going on.

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“It could be the biggest game for Edinburgh or Scotland and they’ll be asking for a night out! And I’m like ‘you’re not following it at all, are you?’ Which is great. But it’s special for me and I’m just proud to be here.”

Crosbie was unavailable for the opening match against South Africa after suffering a rib injury in the build-up. Nonetheless, he has enjoyed his World Cup experience so far and is looking forward to his first outing on Saturday.

“Picking up an injury wasn’t great, but I’m totally fine now and I’m looking forward to the opportunity this weekend,” he said.

“I’m feeling really confident, the performances I have put in at Edinburgh throughout the season have been great. To get in the World Cup squad was great for me and my family.

“The support I get from my family is the same wherever I play. I could be playing a game for Currie at Malleny Park and they would be there.

“I played an Under-20 game in France for Scotland and my dad and uncle drove all the way down to watch my play. It doesn’t matter who I’m playing for, they’re always there supporting me.”

Kicking coach Dave Alred and fitness specialist Paul Stridgeon were found to have illegally switched balls during England’s 67-3 triumph over Romania on this day in 2011.

The pair were duly suspended by the Rugby Football Union from the Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Scotland.

The substitution of balls happened when fly-half Jonny Wilkinson was taking conversions. Stridgeon was involved in the delivery of a chosen ball for the kicks, while Alred was on the touchline, suspected of planning the activity.

Law 9.8.1 states the kicker must convert tries with same ball that was touched down, unless the referee agrees it is defective.

The pair failed to notify referee Romain Poite that they switched the balls and after an internal RFU review, the pair were banned from entering Eden Park for England’s 16-12 victory over Scotland.

An RFU statement read: “Those team management members took it upon themselves to substitute balls during the match in contravention of both the laws of the game and the spirit of the game.

“The RFU fully accepts that the action of those team management members was incorrect and detrimental to the image of the tournament, the game and to English rugby.

“The RFU has therefore decided to reprimand those team management members, to warn them as to their future conduct and to suspend them from participation in England’s next game, the match between England and Scotland.

“This suspension means that they will not be able to be in the stadium for that match in any capacity.”

England qualified for the quarter-finals of the World Cup after Japan saw off 14-man Samoa 28-22 in Toulouse to keep alive their own hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.

The Brave Blossoms go on to face Argentina in the final round of Pool D matches – and only one of them will join Steve Borthwick’s side, who are confirmed as group winners ahead of their clash with Samoa due to their superior head-to-head record, in the knockout phase.

Japan, who reached the last eight for the first time four years ago as hosts, opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Pieter Labuschagne stretched over in the corner and Rikiya Matsuda converted.

A penalty from D’Angelo Leuila got Samoa, without captain Chris Vui through a late change, on the board, but Matsuda’s kick soon restored Japan’s advantage.

Michael Leitch added another try in the corner before Samoa’s Jonathan Taumateine was sent to the sin bin after a shoulder barge in the build-up.

Japan hooker Shota Horie was then shown a yellow card for making head-on-head contact as he stood up in a challenge with Seilala Lam, which went to the TMO for a bunker review but was not upgraded.

Samoa – whose final pool match with England is in Lille on October 7 – made the most of their man advantage, Lam touching down following a driving maul to go into the break trailing 17-8.

Samoa soon found themselves a man down when Ben Lam was sent to the sin bin after the TMO spotted a high tackle into the side of Labuschagne’s head.

Japan extended their lead as Kazuki Himeno was driven over in the corner, but the usually reliable Matsuda failed to convert.

Things then got worse for Samoa when Lam’s card was upgraded to a red before Matsuda again found his range to push Japan further in front at 25-8.

Kotaro Matsushima sprinted clear for what Japan thought was a bonus-point try, but it was ruled out for the slightest of knock-ons from Dylan Riley in the build-up.

Samoa, though, kept themselves in touch as Duncan Paia’aua went over in the corner, which Leuila converted from a tight angle only for fly-half Matsuda to push Japan clear again with another long-range penalty.

The 14 men battled on and pulled the deficit back again when Christian Leali’ifano dived over and then converted his own try, but Japan held out to set up a potential winner-takes-all showdown with Argentina in Nantes.

England’s defence may have turned a corner since arriving at the World Cup but Kevin Sinfield is still refusing to smile.

Steve Borthwick’s team are expected to win Pool D at a canter, in part thanks to a defence that has leaked just one try in three matches.

Even that solitary touch down was conceded late in the opener against Argentina when England played all but three minutes with 14 men following Tom Curry’s red card for a dangerous tackle.

It is a far cry from Borthwick’s first nine Tests in charge when the line was breached 30 times.

Sinfield, who oversees the defence, is satisfied with the progress made, but with greater challenges lying ahead in the World Cup, he wants more from his players.

“I’m never happy, I’m never happy. Across the board we’ve made some improvements and taken some steps forward, but there’s plenty to come from this team,” Sinfield said.

“My job is to be never happy and to keep pushing for more, but I see a group who want to get better and we are starting to see some pride in our defence. The zero against Chile was important for us and our mentality.

“I’m more pleased than I was, but I don’t want the players to do it for me, I want them to do it for each other and the people back home.

“The way they’ve gone about their business in the last three games in particular says a lot about the group.”

England’s next assignment is against Samoa and after a torrid warm-up campaign that produced three defeats in four Tests, Sinfield insists there is no appetite to halt their victorious run.

“We are here to win. We tasted enough disappointment and enough poor performances throughout August,” the Leeds Rhinos rugby league great said.

“We have tasted that and so we want to put our best foot forward against Samoa. We owe it to each other, to people back home and the supporters who have come here and been fantastic so far.

“We owe it to everyone involved that we throw everything at Samoa and we give it our best shot. We are very respectful of them, they are a great rugby nation and a fantastic country.

“There have been some very good games between the two nations in the past and we are looking forward to next Saturday.”

Gregor Townsend has called on his Scotland stand-ins to seize their chance to impress against Romania on Saturday and play their way into contention for involvement in what is shaping up to be a box-office showdown with Ireland.

The head coach has made 13 changes to his starting XV for the must-win match against the Pool B minnows in Lille this weekend, preserving several big guns including Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Jack Dempsey, Zander Fagerson and Sione Tuipulotu for a Paris meeting with the Irish that is likely to decide whether the Scots progress to the quarter-finals.

Javan Sebastian – with six caps as a substitute – will make his first start for Scotland, and the recently-recruited Edinburgh prop will be joined in the XV by his new club-mates Luke Crosbie, Hamish Watson and Ben Healy, who are also getting their first game time of this World Cup.

Lock Grant Gilchrist will captain the side in the absence of Jamie Ritchie, who is still on track to return against Ireland as he progresses through his return-to-play protocols after suffering a head knock against Tonga last weekend.

Townsend said that this weekend’s match is “absolutely” an opportunity for players to secure a spot in the 23 for the Ireland match.

“It’s hard when you’re training to show what you can do at the World Cup,” he said. “We put a lot on what players have done for us in the past and players have been training well, so we know they are in really good physical shape.

“But the best way to influence selection is to play well. The performance against Tonga was an improvement on South Africa and we’re looking to get better than we were against Tonga. This group have the opportunity to do that now.

“Saturday will be hugely influential. We’ve gone with a similar team now for four or five games. There have been one or two changes here or there, but within that the core of that group have played since the France home game (in early August).

“But the other players have an opportunity and they know this is the final opportunity they will get before we play Ireland.

“The decisions before South Africa, before Tonga, and going back to before the France home and away games, were tight already in a few positions, so if players play well it will be a much longer selection meeting on Monday night, I’m sure.”

Townsend feels Wales-born prop Sebastian, 29, has earned his first start after making a big impact on the squad since his debut two years ago.

“I think he’s probably been our most improved player throughout our summer camp,” said the head coach. “He’s worked really hard to get himself in a position where he can contribute physically outside of the scrum and he’s shown that in training.

“He’s actually won ‘trainer of the week’, or ‘mav (maverick) of the week’ as we call it. That’s something that’s voted for by the players and they’ve been really impressed by what he’s done in training.

“I felt the way he played against France in Saint-Etienne (as a replacement in August), both in the tight and the loose, showed that he was a player that’s got skills and can move well. He’s a very good rugby player. But the most important thing is his fitness. He’s the fittest he’s ever been.”

Romania have been annihilated in their first two pool games, losing 76-0 to Ireland and 82-8 against South Africa. Townsend is unfazed by the expectation on his side from outside the camp to deliver a similarly emphatic win.

“There’s always pressure or expectation when you play for Scotland,” he said. “You know you’re going to have to play your best rugby, that’s what that jersey demands of you.

“It will be a different game to what most of these players are used to. It’s not a Six Nations game and there will be a different way of defending.

“Sometimes we will have a lot of ball, and sometimes we will make mistakes because it’s the first time this team has gone out together, so the important thing is focusing on each moment and us playing as a team, and doing the work off the ball. Get that bit right and our game should flow much more on the back of that.”

Townsend revealed he has had discussions with World Rugby since his strong condemnation of the decision not to show a red card to Tonga’s Afusipa Taumoepeau for a dangerous high tackle on Ritchie last Sunday, a fortnight after he had been similarly critical of the decision not to send off South Africa’s Jesse Kriel for head-on-head contact with Dempsey.

“Yes, and I’m happy with the feedback process,” he said. “Obviously, I was very frustrated and disappointed with the actions at the time, and it wasn’t the only time I’ve experienced that in this World Cup, but you’ve got to move on from it.

“We’ve spoken to the officials of World Rugby around it and those are private discussions.”

Ireland number eight Jack Conan is “in a great place” and in contention to return from a two-month injury absence in his country’s pivotal Pool B clash with Scotland.

Andy Farrell’s side resumed training on Thursday following some time off after Saturday’s thrilling 13-8 victory over World Cup holders South Africa.

All 33 squad members were involved in the session at the team’s base in Tours, including back-rower Conan, who sustained a foot injury in the warm-up win over Italy on August 5, and Stuart McCloskey, who briefly returned home for the birth of his second child.

Defence coach Simon Easterby revealed the recovery of British and Irish Lion Conan has not been without setbacks, but says “there’s no reason why he won’t be available” against the Scots on October 7.

“Jack is a really important part of the squad,” said Easterby. “He’s good around the group.

“At certain stages he’s probably felt like it might not come right, but he’s worked really hard with the conditioners, with the physios, with nutritionists, so I think he’s done everything he can to get himself in this position.

“And I guess we’ve been fortunate with injuries in his position as well that we haven’t had to call upon him. A number of things have aligned to allow Jack to get himself right.

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“When Faz (Farrell) talked about that position and him (Conan) not having had the rugby coming into the World Cup, we all felt it was the right thing to do to have him and give him the opportunity.

“I think we’re starting to see the Jack that we’d liked to have seen a few weeks ago but injury has obviously not allowed him to be in that place.

“Like anything, I guess he’s got a bit of work to get through, but certainly he’s in a great place and we’re 33 at the moment, fit and ready to go.

“There’s no reason why he won’t be available next week.”

Centre McCloskey is one of three Ireland players yet to feature in France, alongside Conan and versatile back Jimmy O’Brien.

Speaking of the Ulster player, Easterby said: “Stuart McCloskey’s become a dad for a second time as well, which is great. He’s a happy man now.”

Ireland put themselves on the cusp of the quarter-finals by defeating the Springboks in Paris.

Yet the Six Nations Grand Slam champions are likely to need to complete the job when they to return to Stade de France a week on Saturday to take on Gregor Townsend’s side.

Easterby insists Ireland will have little issue switching attention to the forthcoming challenge following the euphoria of last weekend.

“It’s not hard to focus on what’s coming up, even though that might not be what people think,” he said.

“Scotland are a brilliant team, they have the ability to play lots of different ways.

“They can mix it up front with their forward pack, strong maul, scrum, as we saw against South Africa (an 18-3 loss on September 10).

“But they can also play an expansive game with some exciting backs that can really hurt you if you’re not on it.

“There’s definitely no lack of focus for us.

“We always planned to have that few days off regardless of what the result was against South Africa and we knew that this final game in the pool would be pivotal.

“We need to make sure that we prepare exactly how we prepared for the first three games against Romania, Tonga and South Africa.”

New Edinburgh prop Javan Sebastian will start for Scotland for the first time in Saturday’s must-win match against World Cup Pool B minnows Romania in Lille after Gregor Townsend made 13 changes to his XV.

Backs Chris Harris and Kyle Steyn are the only two players to have retained their places in the side from last Sunday’s win over Tonga.

Stand-off Ben Healy plus back-rowers Hamish Watson and Luke Crosbie join 29-year-old Sebastian – who has won all of his six caps as a substitute – in coming in for their first appearances of the tournament.

Lock Grant Gilchrist will take over the captaincy in the absence of Edinburgh colleague Jamie Ritchie, who is undergoing concussion protocols.

Uncapped Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews – called up last weekend – will have the chance to make his debut off the bench.

Key men like Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Richie Gray, Jack Dempsey and Zander Fagerson have been left out of the 23 ahead of the following weekend’s showdown with Ireland, while established starters Blair Kinghorn, Huw Jones and Rory Darge will be on the bench.

Scotland must defeat Romania with a bonus point to ensure they have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals going into the Ireland match in Paris.

Wales captain Jac Morgan has been described as “phenomenal” following an immense contribution towards his country reaching the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old flanker has proved Wales’ stand-out performer in the tournament, inspiring pivotal Pool C victories over Fiji and Australia.

Morgan’s level of leadership and all-round game defies a relative lack of experience on the Test-match stage that has seen him win 14 caps and captain Wales only four times.

But his efforts have gained comparison with former Wales and British and Irish Lions skipper Sam Warburton, who oversaw a World Cup semi-final appearance at the age of 22 in 2011.

Wales have already confirmed a quarter-final spot this time around, and they are guaranteed to finish top of their group if they beat Georgia in Nantes next week

That would then set up a potential last-eight appointment with Argentina seven days later, with Wales having reached the knockout phase under head coach Warren Gatland for a fourth successive World Cup campaign.

“Jac is phenomenal,” Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Jonathan Humphreys said.

“He is one of these guys where nothing fazes him. He is just the same kid all the way through the week, then two minutes before the game, just the same kid.

“He is brave, and he has such an impact on the game, such an impact on the group.

“Captaincy has not changed him one iota. He is a huge figure for us, and we are blessed in that (number seven) department with Tommy (Reffell), who is back fit now, and Taine (Basham).”

Morgan was appointed co-captain for the World Cup with hooker Dewi Lake, and Gatland said: “He is growing into this role. He is still a young man, and I threw him in at the deep end.

“He has been absolutely outstanding, and I have a huge amount of admiration for him.

“He is definitely a player who leads from the front. I thought he was outstanding (against Australia), and he did exactly that. It was a brilliant performance from him.”

Wales are preparing for a training ground return following a few days’ break after their record 40-6 win against Australia in Lyon that left the Wallabies close to pool-stage elimination.

They will reassemble at their Versailles base, from where preparations will begin for Georgia.

Wales full-back Liam Williams said: “To win by 34 points (margin) against Australia at a Rugby World Cup is a dream. On to the next game now.

“Our pack was outstanding (against Australia). They got us on the front foot, and there was nothing more you could ask from a pack of forwards.

“As the head coach said, it is about being a hard team to beat, and that is what we are being at the moment.”

And lock Will Rowlands added: “It is not always the most flashy rugby, but for us it was so satisfying.

“We put pressure on them (Australia) – good scrum, good maul and got the points and went again.

“We are really pleased with how the three games have gone. Now everyone is switched on and focused on doing a job on Georgia so we can top the pool.”

Billy Vunipola insists England will rally around Manu Tuilagi in expectation of the Samoan onslaught he will face when the rivals meet in their Rugby World Cup clash.

Vunipola, the Saracens number eight of Tongan heritage, has first hand experience from Japan 2019 of what it is like to be targeted by Polynesian opposition with a point to prove.

It is a scenario that Tuilagi will encounter in Lille on Saturday week when Samoa are England’s final Pool D assignment before the quarter-finals.

Now 32-years-old, Tuilagi moved to the UK from the Pacific island when he was 13 and even though he remains proud of his origins, Vunipola expects him to have a target on his back at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

“I know for a fact that the Samoan boys, as much as they respect and hold Manu in high regard for what he has done for exposure in his heritage, they will want to go after him,” Vunipola said.

“Everyone knows Manu can look after himself but we will be right next him trying to help as much as we can because they will be ready and waiting.

“It happened to me at the last World Cup against Tonga when I remember getting put on my backside. I looked up and everyone was cheering on the side of the pitch like they won the game.

“I am on the other side of it but if I were to put myself in a Tongan shirt I would think ‘let’s go get this Tongan kid or who thinks he’s a Tongan kid even if he is on the other side’.

“That’s how I would think if I was in the Tonga team but I am not. I still remember the image of them cheering on the bench and it made me laugh. You just have to accept it and move on.”

England face the prospect of colliding with Pacific island opposition on successive weekends given they are likely to face Fiji in the quarter-finals on October 15.

The teams last met at Twickenham in August when the dangerous Fijians prevailed 30-22, securing a historic first victory in the fixture. It was an important moment for Islander rugby, but Vunipola felt only deflation.

“You obviously have that link to what you have in common with them but at the end of the day I am representing England and I want to win,” the back row said.

“As soon as I cross the white line against any Polynesian team, it’s like ‘right, how do we get the result?’

“Watching the Fiji game in August there was no part of me that was thinking ‘oh great win Fiji, I am happy for you’.

“I was gutted for the boys and was disappointed that we lost. It does not matter about history or they are Polynesian, it is just about the result.”

Billy Vunipola insists he is ready to resume his primary function as England’s battering ram having played a supporting role against Chile which allowed others to shine.

Vunipola is competing with the in-form Ben Earl for the number eight jersey in the final group match against Samoa on October 7 when Steve Borthwick’s team are expected to clinch their World Cup quarter-final spot as Pool D winners.

Making his first start since completing a two-match ban for a dangerous tackle, the imposing Saracens back row found his ability to make a significant impact in the 71-0 demolition of Chile last Saturday curtailed by the all-out assault being conducted around him.

“It’s funny to say this because we beat them quite convincingly but it’s tough for me to try and take all the onus on myself when everyone else is very keen to try and get the ball in their hands,” Vunipola said.

“My role becomes that of a support player and as much as I want to have the ball in my hands, I want to put the team in the best position possible. So if that means giving the ball to Owen Farrell more often, then so be it.

“Obviously having a lot of involvements is a positive. I would have liked to have had 15-16 carries, but at the end of the day that’s not what the team needed from me on Saturday. My role was to try and help the team and I felt like I did that.

“But I felt positive coming away because the forwards put the backs in positions where they could run free and attack.

“I’m supremely confident in what I bring in terms of my physicality and against physical teams I know I can hold my own. When I’m called upon I’m right here, waiting.”

England have overcome an abysmal World Cup build-up consisting of three defeats in four preparation fixtures to dispatch Argentina, Japan and Chile with ease since arriving in France.

Although the suspicion remains that they will struggle when meeting the type of heavyweight opposition they have yet to face, they will enter a likely quarter-final against Fiji with the wind in their sails.

It has since emerged that their disastrous results last month were partly a consequence of their heavy conditioning programme, which has been designed to place them in the best possible position for the key phases of the World Cup.

Vunipola uses David Haye’s world heavyweight title defeat by Wladimir Klitschko in 2011, which he blamed on an injured toe, to explain why England kept the knowledge of their empty tanks to themselves.

“I sit here with a team that’s doing really well after what some people said was a disaster in August, but the work we were doing away from prying eyes was always going to bear these results.

“It was just tough little period to ride through but luckily we have come through it. We couldn’t talk about it otherwise it would be seen as an excuse.

“The only example I can think of is when David Haye was complaining about his little toe after he lost his fight.

“It’s not something you can disclose but we were training really hard because our goal was to be ready and fresh for Argentina.”

Prop Finlay Bealham feels Ireland have “lots to tidy up” ahead of a crunch Rugby World Cup clash with rivals Scotland.

Andy Farrell’s squad will resume training at their base in Tours on Thursday, having enjoyed some time off in the aftermath of Saturday evening’s physical 13-8 success over South Africa.

Despite the result, Ireland endured line-out struggles against the Springboks in Paris, while they were let off the hook by some wayward opposition goal-kicking.

Tighthead Bealham is ready to “get back on the horse” after the well-earned break and believes there is plenty of room for improvement ahead of a decisive pool B encounter with the Scots on October 7.

“There are certainly things to tidy up for sure,” he said. “We’ve a game against Scotland and we’ll fix up what we’ve got to fix up.

“A few things (against South Africa) didn’t go to plan and the resilience and the fight (was pleasing).

“Everyone was working for each other, (it’s a) special group and to be a part of it is an honour.

“We knew they would be a big challenge and we fronted up well, but certainly lots to tidy up.

“We’ll get back on the horse and get after it.”

Following the jubilation of defeating the defending champions, Ireland’s World Cup fate will be decided by further 9pm kick-offs at Stade de France.

Test rugby’s top-ranked nation still have work to do to secure a spot in the knockout stages and will play each of their remaining tournament matches – potentially four – in the French capital, beginning in late evening.

Australia-born Bealham believes it is important players switch off from rugby in the long hours leading up to kick-off in order to avoid “playing the game 10 times before it actually starts”.

“I’ve gotten better since I’ve got older,” the 31-year-old said of not overthinking matches during free time.

“We have such a tight-knit group, everyone knows what each other is like and you can go hang out with the lads and have a bit of craic, which takes your mind off the games.

“Especially these late kick-offs, you don’t want to be sitting in your room playing the game 10 times before it actually starts.”

For the third successive weekend, Ireland were backed by hordes of travelling fans, with wide-ranging estimates suggesting between 30,000 and 60,000 Irish supporters were in attendance in Saint-Denis.

“When you’re playing you notice it at times, but when we are doing the lap at the end, seeing all the Irish, it felt like a home game,” said Connacht player Bealham.

“The support we get from the fans is second to none. They are the best fans in the world.

“Lots of credit to them, we love our fans so much. To see them all there, the sea of green, it was class.”

Marcus Smith has developed into England’s fastest player over short distances, according to sprint student Jonny May.

Making his first start at full-back, Smith excelled in Sunday’s 71-0 rout of Chile that has placed unbeaten England on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals.

The 24-year-old Harlequins magician, a converted fly-half, conjured a dazzling solo touch down as part of an individual two-try haul and also offered an extra dimension in attack.

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While Smith’s creativity as a ball player is well established, the lightening-quick May has been caught by surprise by just how rapid he has become.

“Marcus’ acceleration is as good as anyone’s,” said May, who sharpened his own running technique with a spell at Michael Johnson Performance in Texas.

“Off the mark he’s frightening. Top speed he’s getting faster as well.

“His top speed is probably not like a winger yet, but he doesn’t need that.

“He is deadly in the outside channels. He’s as good as anyone out there.

“He has his famous goose-step and change of direction, and then acceleration which really is as fast as anybody’s here.

“He’s probably the fastest off the mark.”

Racing 92 wing Henry Arundell underlined his pace when plundering five tries against Chile, but even the squad’s most rapid player can not match Smith for sheer speed from a standing start.

When asked if Smith is faster than Arundell, May replied: “Yes, I think he is – off that 10-metre burst.

“For acceleration you want low heel-recovery – and that’s how Marcus runs. For top speed you want your legs to come up high, but for acceleration you want it to be low.

“He really does drive his knees and keeps his feet close to the ground.

“He just whizzes off the mark. He’s an acceleration guy and he’s quick at it.”

May first encountered Smith when the Brighton resident, who was making waves as an age-grade player, was invited by former head coach Eddie Jones to join an England camp on the south coast in 2017.

“I’ve actually been saying to Marcus, ‘mate you are physically blossoming’. It’s sort of sprung up on me,” the veteran Gloucester wing said.

“You forget he has been coming in with us since he was 16. We’d put a GPS on him and he’d be running around Brighton College with us.

“I don’t want to sound patronising but because he’s always been that little guy running round with us, it’s only now I’m realising he’s looking quick and that all of a sudden his legs are big.

“You start to come into yourself at 24. Rugby is bit of a late-development sport. He’s definitely coming into himself physically.

“He has put on a bit and his legs are looking good. People are whacking him and he’s spinning off them.

“He’s looking quick, he’s obviously fit and it’s crept up on me a bit. Suddenly I’m thinking ‘bloody hell, mate, good stuff’.”

Alex King has hailed the hard work of Wales’ Rugby World Cup squad and says their quarter-final achievement has been “four months in the making”.

It was towards the end of May that head coach Warren Gatland and his assistants began work with an extended training group.

That came on the back of a dismal Six Nations campaign, where Wales only avoided the wooden spoon by beating Italy in Rome.

Off-field issues in the Welsh professional game such as finances and contractual uncertainty for players, meanwhile, almost led to a full-blown national squad strike ahead of Wales’ Six Nations clash against England.

But the transformation quietly began at Wales’ training base in the Vale of Glamorgan, before punishing camps in Switzerland and Turkey moved preparations to another level.

A record 40-6 victory over Australia confirmed Wales’ place in the last-eight for the fourth World Cup in a row, setting up a probable appointment with Argentina in Marseille on October 14.

“I am just delighted for the lads,” Wales assistant coach and attack specialist King said.

“They have worked so hard – four months in the making. We are now in the quarter-finals, but we want to really focus on Georgia next week to finish top of the group.

“We know how hard that Georgia game is going to be, and then we can see what happens, going forward, after that.

“It was awesome (against Australia), wasn’t it? We knew how important the game was for both countries.

“We scored a really good try early on, and it probably settled a few nerves.

“We then just managed to get control of the game, our set-piece got on top and we managed to keep the scoreboard keep ticking over.

“When you are playing a team that is low on confidence, the game just goes away from them. We were able to establish a good lead and stay in control to the end.”

Two of Wales’ three tries came from impressive creativity, with Gareth Davies scoring the first following captain Jac Morgan’s break, then Gareth Anscombe’s superbly-placed kick into space being finished off by Nick Tompkins.

On Davies’ score, King added: “The guys work hard, and it is nice when one comes off like that.

“It’s hard to break down defences at this level because they’re so well organised, but Gareth Davies did the support line and Jac was superb. It set the tone, really, and gave us a foothold in the game.

“All the teams that are going to go far (in the World Cup) will bring a balance of structured and unstructured (play).

“We realise that it wasn’t perfect, and no game ever is, and realise we have things to build on. But it is a good foundation to build from.

“If there is anything, there is some work in the 22 we need to tidy up on.

“It is one of the hardest places to attack because you have got a front line of 15 defenders.

“I thought Gareth finding space in the back-field for Nick Tompkins was an example of where we can go to with our kick-space.

“There are always things to work on, and we want to get Louis (Rees-Zammit), Josh (Adams), Rio (Dyer) and Liam (Williams) on the ball as much as possible.

“Sometimes a game works out that way, sometimes it doesn’t. But that is the plan.”

Scott Cummings described Gregor Townsend as “a massive influence” on his career as he savours his second World Cup under the Scotland head coach.

The 26-year-old lock has enjoyed the most significant moments of his rugby journey under the man currently in charge of the national team.

Townsend was the Glasgow head coach when Cummings broke through and made his debut at club level as a teenager in 2015.

Two years later – and just months after landing the Scotland job – he gave the Warriors second-rower his first full international call-up for the Autumn Tests in 2017.

Townsend then handed Cummings his first cap in the summer of 2019 and took him to his first World Cup that year in Japan, where he made four appearances, aged 22.

The dependable Warriors forward has remained involved throughout the head coach’s reign and – although not always a starter – has accumulated 31 caps, two of which came in the opening matches of this World Cup against South Africa and Tonga.

“Gregor’s been massive for me,” he said. “World Cups have always been a good time for me. Eight years ago was when I made my debut for Glasgow, as we had about 22 guys away at the World Cup (in England in 2015).

“Gregor gave me my debut, and then I managed to get in the squad for the last World Cup, and then this one. He’s been a massive influence on my career and has helped shape me into the player I am.”

Asked if Townsend has evolved as a coach since he first played under him, Cummings said: “Yes, I think he probably has. The game has changed as much as anything.

“We play a different style to what we did back then. He has always been an attacking coach, something I like. I don’t want it to be slow. Gregor has always had a fast-paced game plan and I’ve really enjoyed playing under that.”

Cummings feels being at the previous World Cup has helped him deal with the demands of this one.

“Being in Japan was an amazing experience but now, being a bit older, I’ve understood what it means a bit more the second time round and the magnitude of it,” he said.

“We’ve loved being here. We had a fantastic camp (in the build-up) and a lot of fun, training hard and played in some tough games. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

Cummings explained how the camaraderie within the squad has helped the players deal with the intensity of living together in their hotel in the hills just outside Nice for the best part of a month.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You’re coming in every day, doing the same sort of things, building towards the same stuff, living in a hotel.

“We’ve been in our hotel for about three weeks now. It’s just about not letting people go into their shells, going out for a meal sometimes on a day off.

“There’s a lot of PlayStation being played, getting tournaments going, things like that, keeping morale up as much as we can.

“A lot of players’ partners and families have been out, so they have been around the hotel, and people seeing their kids.

“The squad is in a great place. It’s been a real family ethos, we are all great mates who are all getting on and enjoying spending time with each other.”

Scotland have spent their entire World Cup so far in the south of France, with their time in Nice interrupted only by a trip along the coast to Marseille for their first match against South Africa.

They will fly to the other end of the country for this Saturday’s must-win encounter with Pool B minnows Romania in Lille.

“It should be a bit colder up there so it will be nice to get away from the sun for a bit and get out of the hotel, have a couple of days somewhere else, see a different part of the country,” said Cummings.

“France is an amazing country and I really enjoyed Marseille and staying out in Aix en Provence.

“It’s a lovely part of the country but it will be good to see somewhere else and not always be in Nice.”

Cummings has seen a familiar face added to the squad over the past few days, with his uncapped Glasgow club-mate Johnny Matthews called up at the weekend after hooker Stuart McInally had to pull out with a neck injury.

“Johnny had an amazing season last year, as anybody who follows the URC will know,” he said. “He’s been playing unbelievably well for Glasgow and it’s very well deserved.

“We’re all absolutely gutted for Stuart not to get that 50th cap he really deserved. But Johnny came out on tour with us last year to Chile, so he’s been in and around the squad before, and he massively deserves the opportunity. I am excited to hopefully see him play.”

Hugo Keenan hopes Ireland’s statement win against South Africa has eased “lurking” pressure of playing at Stade de France as they prepare for up to four more crunch World Cup fixtures at the venue.

Full-back Keenan revealed his partner thought he looked ill due to nerves ahead of Saturday’s thrilling 13-8 success over the reigning champions.

The 27-year-old’s only other Test outings in Paris ended in costly Six Nations defeats to France in 2020 and 2022.

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But Andy Farrell’s men ended their hoodoo at the home of French rugby to take control of Pool B moving towards a pivotal group-stage finale against Scotland on October 7.

Ireland’s World Cup destiny will be decided in Saint-Denis – the showdown with the Scots will also be staged there – in addition to each of their potential knockout matches, including the final.

Tournament debutant Keenan was riddled with anxiety at the prospect of arguably the biggest match of his career before helping to snap his country’s Paris losing streak.

“God, I was nervous, I met my girlfriend briefly (beforehand) and she thought I looked sick,” he said of facing the Springboks.

“I felt good once I got out there; it’s a pressure environment.

“Stade de France hasn’t been kind to us in the past. There’s a pressure lurking that we were keen personally and as a team from that loss to France last year to learn from.

“We’re just going to review this game and focus on Scotland; it’s the only thing we can control and we’re definitely not getting ahead of ourselves.”

Keenan’s second international cap was a 35-27 away loss to Les Bleus, which wiped Ireland out of title contention in the protracted 2020 Six Nations.

The Leinster player has been an almost ever-present since his Test debut and was part of the team ultimately denied a Grand Slam by a 30-24 defeat in the French capital in February last year.

While the second of those setbacks occurred in front of a partisan home crowd following a behind-closed-doors clash amid the coronavirus pandemic, Ireland were roared on to victory against the Springboks by tens of the thousands of travelling Irish fans.

“Jeez, that support was incredible,” said Keenan.

“The Irish crowd are amazing: the numbers, the amount of people who made the effort to get over here and support us – it made some difference.

“You need to harness it at the right times and I think the forwards did.

“I’m sure South Africa felt under the cosh at times when the 60-odd-thousand Irish fans are cheering for us, it does make a difference.

“There’s times you have to ignore it during play and just do your job, but you also have to embrace it and make the most of it.

“The walkaround after the game was incredibly special, I saw some familiar faces which makes it extra cool.”