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• Finlay Bealham determined to ‘make the minutes count’ as Ireland face Scotland

  Ireland prop Finlay Bealham is determined to “make the minutes count” as he prepares for a crucial showdown with Scotland following a frustrating start to his maiden Rugby World Cup.

  Australia-born Bealham made his first meaningful contribution of the competition by coming off the bench to help secure a statement 13-8 victory over defending champions South Africa in round three.

  He had been left out of the matchday 23 for his country’s opener against Romania and was then forced off by a head knock just 10 minutes into a second-half cameo the following week against Tonga.

  Bealham, who showed his quality with some fine performances in this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam triumph, has won most of his 34 Test caps as a replacement and is understudy to first-choice tighthead Tadhg Furlong.

  But the 31-year-old is ready and raring to go when called upon as Andy Farrell’s men attempt to avoid a shock early exit at the hands of the Scots.

  “From a mindset point of view, when I’m on the bench, I don’t care how many minutes I play,” said Bealham.

  “It’s ‘make the minutes count’. I try my best to do that.

  “Personally it was a frustrating start to the campaign but some of that stuff was out of my control.

  “When I got my chance, I just tried to come on and make a positive impact. It was incredible to get that experience.

  “I’m looking forward to the Scotland game.

  “Obviously there’s no team been named yet and it’s just about focusing on what I can control, fixing up things from the South Africa game and then bringing my game on top of that.”

  Three successive Pool B wins have put the world’s top-ranked nation on the cusp of the quarter-finals.

  Yet Ireland’s progression is far from assured going into Saturday evening’s pivotal Paris appointment.

  Bealham turns 32 next Monday and will celebrate his birthday either preparing for a last-eight clash with France, New Zealand or Italy, or reflecting on elimination.

  The Connacht player is eager to extend the “surreal” experience of playing on the world’s biggest stage and continue representing his late Irish grandmother, whom he thinks about when singing Ireland’s Call.

  “I moved over originally when I was 18, 19 years of age having a dream of playing professional rugby and I moved over because the dream seemed a bit harder where I was in Australia,” said Canberra-born Bealham.

  “I had that Irish heritage through my mum’s side of the family.

  “I was really tight with my nana at the time. She used to ring me every day when I was in Galway and I remember one time I forgot to bring my phone to training and she ended up calling me like 70 times, it was something crazy, you wouldn’t believe it.

  “I suppose to represent my nana, who I was always close with growing up, representing all them, would I have thought I’d be here a good few years later at a World Cup? It’s pretty surreal.

  “Every time I get to wear the jersey, every time I sing the anthem, I always think of my family and everyone who sacrificed for me to get to where I’m at.”

• Courtney Lawes says ‘selfless’ England will play to strengths at World Cup

  Courtney Lawes insists England have forged an identity based on self-sacrifice as the personalities of the World Cup heavyweights begin to emerge.

  England have crushed Argentina, Japan and Chile to claim a quarter-final place as Pool D winners with a match to spare and their procession through the group phase will be completed against Samoa on Saturday.

  Expectation is rising, even allowing for the fact they have been gifted the easiest route into the knockout phase, but the likes of Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand have been making greater waves.

  After the All Blacks’ 14-try rout of Italy on Friday, head coach Ian Foster made a pointed reference to the grinding nature of Ireland’s seismic victory over the Springboks.

  “If you look at the South Africa-Ireland game, it was a different game of rugby,” Foster said.

  “The ball was in play for 27 minutes throughout the whole game. It was a very stop-start game, very physical, very combative.

  “You saw a different spectacle from us and at some point the world has got to decide which game it would rather watch.”

  Lawes sees room for all playing styles and is satisfied with the traits developed by Steve Borthwick’s side.

  “Our way is the England way. Doing it our way is doing it for each other,” the Northampton back row said.

  “I like that it’s now really obvious what is every team’s DNA and what they’re trying to do. All the top teams have got really different genetics as a team, if you will – a team strategy.

  “It’ll be interesting when they play each other how that is going to play off. I think that’s really good for us as players to see and be a part of.

  “We’re a really strong defensive team. That’s our backbone. We’ve conceded one try in three games. We’re an aerial, kicking team and are very good at getting the ball back.

  “We’re looking to build an attack off that, and hopefully by the time we get later on in the tournament that is where we want to be, and we will show a bit of a different side to us.

  “Especially at the 2019 World Cup and this time, in terms of a team of players, we are so much more selfless.

  “We want to play, we want to go out there and put our bodies on the line for each other and that is what really makes a difference when it hits the fan and you are under the cosh.

  “You have got to want to get into it for each other or you get found out pretty quickly.

  “We know what works, we want everybody to buy in, we do this for each other, not for ourselves.

  “We hit a ruck and forego the glory so we can get the ball and someone else can score.

  “Those are the things we pride ourselves on as a team and what we want to carry on into the future as well.”

• Scotland’s Finn Russell says second best will not be good enough against Ireland

  Finn Russell has psyched himself for the likelihood that he will have to operate at the peak of his powers on Saturday night if Scotland are to get the result they need from their critical World Cup showdown with Ireland in Paris.

  The talismanic stand-off carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders going into this weekend’s qualification shootout against the world’s top-ranked side.
  Gregor Townsend’s Scots require either a bonus-point victory or to deny their opponents a losing bonus if they are to emerge from Pool B and reach the quarter-finals.

  For that to happen, Russell – widely deemed to have entered his prime over the past year – knows he will have to make his mark in the French capital on Saturday as he bids to upstage his veteran Irish counterpart Johnny Sexton.

  Asked if he feels he is currently in the best form of his career, the 31-year-old said: “I’m going to have to be this weekend!

  “I don’t know. I think I had a good couple of years, then a year where I was a bit off after the Lions tour in 2021, but I think I’ve come back from that now.

  “Gregor thinks I’m coming into my peak as a 10. I think this is a good age to be at where I’m still young enough but I’ve got a lot of experience behind me, so that bodes well for a 10.

  “I think I’m playing some decent rugby just now and I just need to make sure I’m ready for what comes at the weekend.

  “I’m against Johnny Sexton, one of the best 10s in the world as well, so it’s going to be tough.”

  Less than a year ago, Russell’s place at the World Cup appeared in jeopardy when he was left out of the initial squad for the autumn internationals amid tension with Townsend, before being recalled midway through the series in November to hugely impressive effect.

  The coach and talisman also had a well-documented fall-out in early 2020 but they appear to have finally found a genuine sense of harmony since Russell’s recall almost 11 months ago.

  The player reported that their relationship remains in good order amid the intensity of a World Cup campaign.

  “Yes, it’s been good,” he said. “I think that’s all behind us now, thankfully.

  “That’s been 11 years I’ve worked with Gregor now so to have a couple of bumps in the road is not that bad.

  “We’re both on the same page, as we have been all summer, and throughout the Six Nations.

  “It’s just about making sure we continue on this journey we’re on and try to get the win at the weekend.”

  As well as being the team’s outstanding talent, Russell is also now one of Townsend’s vice-captains.

  The Bath-bound fly-half is relishing the responsibility of leading the Scots into one of their biggest games in years.

  “I think for me to be able to manage the boys and try to keep us on track throughout the week and in the game is going to be really important,” he said.

  “It’s easy to say it’s just another week but it’s not because it’s knockout rugby now for us.

  “There will be a little bit more pressure but I’ve been in this situation before with Scotland where we’ve had knockout games and other big games.”

  Scotland were described by former player John Jeffrey as having the strongest squad in their history when they arrived at the World Cup a month ago, although such hype was offset by a realisation that they were sharing a pool with Ireland and South Africa, who entered the tournament as the two highest-ranked sides in the world.

  Russell knew it was always going to be a tall order to progress but he admits it would be galling to go out at the first hurdle at a time when the Scots are ranked fifth on the planet.

  “What we’ve done as a team over the past 12 to 18 months, to get ourselves into this position, it would be so frustrating and disappointing if we don’t manage to get out of the group,” he said.

  “There’s a lot on the line for both teams but the message I’ll be driving is not to think too much about the outcome.

  “Just stick to the process, be ourselves, be confident, and play to our strengths and take our chances.

  “It will be tough to beat Ireland by eight points. They obviously don’t concede any soft tries and they’re very disciplined.

  “It will potentially be down to our defence to hold them out whilst also taking our chances.”