Andy Farrell expects rookie fly-half Jack Crowley to take “massive confidence” from the experience of running the show for Ireland in their 33-17 World Cup warm-up win over Italy.

Johnny Sexton’s three-match ban opened the door for his understudies to stake claims during the lead up to the tournament, with Crowley the first to be given an opportunity.

The 23-year-old, who is also competing with Ross Byrne and Ciaran Frawley for a place on the plane to France, produced an assured performance against the Azzurri on the occasion of his second Test start to strengthen his case for further action.

Unlike his full Ireland debut, when he was elevated from the bench at the 11th hour for the autumn victory over Australia due to Sexton’s late withdrawal, Crowley was given a full week to prepare.

Head coach Farrell is planning a midweek debrief with the Munster man but was encouraged by his showing on Saturday evening in Dublin.

“He did well,” said the Englishman. “Certainly in the first half, he controlled the game very well.

“I didn’t think he overplayed too much. He looked composed enough.

“There are a few things we’ll chat about during the week that will help his performance but he will be glad to get that one done.

“Another experience where he’s started at 10 and this time he’s been able to run the week, so he’ll gain massive confidence from that.”

Crowley’s mature display at the Aviva Stadium included slotting three of four conversions as two Caelan Doris tries, plus scores from Dave Kilcoyne, Stuart McCloskey and Cian Healy, secured a victory which Farrell termed “a bit clunky”.

He filled in at full-back for the second period due to Jimmy O’Brien’s shoulder injury, with debutant Frawley taking over at 10 and adding the extras on Doris’ second effort.

Farrell, whose side have further fixtures against England and Samoa this month, was less convinced following that reshuffle.

“We’ll have a look at the performances of the two of them playing together,” he said of Crowley and Frawley.

“We try and get two ball players playing together, whether that came to fruition or not, I’m not too sure at this moment in time.

“We started the second half pretty poorly really and didn’t really get going for a while there so we’ll have to look at that.”

Leinster player Frawley was one of three international newcomers from the bench alongside Ulster hooker Tom Stewart and Munster wing Calvin Nash.

The 25-year-old has been involved in Ireland training camps since November 2021 but had to be patient for his Test bow, partly due to an untimely injury.

“I’m delighted I got it and hopefully there will be more to come,” said Frawley, who is bidding to make the cut when Farrell chops his current 42-man squad down to a final 33 on August 28.

“It’s very competitive in there, it’s hard to believe they’re going to drop nine players.

“At the moment, you’re just trying to put your best foot forward and get selected for the games that are coming around the corner, focus on what’s coming.

“You obviously have the big picture in the back of your mind but, if you get ahead of yourself, you might not perform on the day.”

Nash, 25, added: “Naturally after getting our first caps, we want to push on and try to get to the World Cup for sure and get a few more caps. That’s the aim.”

England’s experimental side tumbled to a 20-9 defeat by Wales at the Principality Stadium in the opening match of their warm-up schedule for the World Cup.

The only Test to take place before head coach Steve Borthwick names his 33-man squad for the tournament on Monday, it was seen as the stage to influence the handful of remaining selection calls.

Few emerged with credit from the contest, but here the PA news agency looks at three players who gave Borthwick a timely nudge.

Lewis Ludlam

England’s most effective forward in Cardiff by a significant margin, carrying with intent and disruptive at the breakdown. Started at blindside flanker against Wales but covers all three back-row positions, including number eight where Alex Dombrandt once again proved unable to stamp his authority on a Test. Factor in his leadership and defensive steel and the Northampton captain could be a valuable asset at the World Cup, having travelled to Japan four years ago as a bolter.

Joe Marchant

Of all England’s players on display at the Principality Stadium, it was Marchant who seized the opportunity to show Borthwick why he should be included in the squad announced on Monday. The dynamic 27-year-old provided pace and sharp running lines to an attack that showed signs of life in the first half before crumbling amid a host of handling errors. Marchant’s 16 caps have largely been hit and miss, but he offers something different and covers wing as well as centre.

Joe Cokanasiga

Although hardly a stellar display, there was enough on show from Cokanasiga to suggest he could make an impact at the World Cup. The Bath wing of Fijian heritage hunted for the ball and punched holes in the home defence and while his rugby instincts may fail to match his athleticism, his power would be an X-factor asset to England’s backline. Vulnerable defensively at times and can be targeted with a clever kicking game, but his key tackle on Louis Rees-Zammit was an important moment.

Andy Farrell played down the severity of injuries suffered by Jack Conan, Jimmy O’Brien and Craig Casey during Ireland’s “clunky” World Cup warm-up win over Italy.

Number eight Conan was pictured in a protective boot following his first-half withdrawal in Dublin, while full-back O’Brien and scrum-half Casey were taken off with shoulder and back issues respectively.

Caelan Doris shone for the Guinness Six Nations champions with two tries in a 33-17 victory in which Dave Kilcoyne, Stuart McCloskey and replacement Cian Healy were also on the scoresheet.

Speaking of the injury concerns, head coach Farrell said: “They seem not too bad.

“Jimmy’s shoulder has shut down a little bit, it’s something he’s had in the past. Jack lost power in his foot, he seems OK.

“Craig had a tight back which was making his hamstring cramp. They were taken off as precautions more than anything.”

An experimental Ireland side recovered from a sluggish start at a subdued Aviva Stadium to take control of the contest but did not fully convince, despite the comfortable scoreline.

“To get up and running with a victory is nice, but I think we all know really that it was a bit clunky, to say the least, at times,” said Farrell.

“There was some really good stuff as far as possession is concerned and opportunities to convert were there in spades.

“But we weren’t patient enough to be able to convert that, so I think that’s the morale of the story really.”

Back-rower Doris, selected in an unfamiliar role at openside flanker, was the standout performer, while Ciaran Frawley, Calvin Nash and Tom Stewart came off the bench to make Test debuts.

“I’m sick of him getting man of the match,” joked Farrell.

“He just keeps getting better and better. We all know he’s good at jackalling and good over the ball and I don’t know whether he took that through the roof because he had a number seven on his back.

“He epitomises what we’re trying to do as far as the player being in control of his own mind.

“It doesn’t really matter whether he makes a mistake or two, he just gets on with the next job the whole time.

“He’s playing extremely well but he’s certainly growing as far as his leadership role is concerned as well. He’s coming on leaps and bounds.”

Ireland move on to a training camp in Portugal before taking on England and Samoa later this month.

Italy head coach Kieran Crowley said: “In the first half, we were dominated all over the place.

“Ireland were too good for us in that first half. Second half, we came back but we’ve still got a lot of work to do in our breakdown work and just in general with our management.

“I saw an improvement in that second half – we won the second half, I think, but that’s not winning the game.”

Caelan Doris shone and Jack Conan suffered an injury scare as Ireland launched their World Cup warm-up fixtures by easing to a 33-17 win over Italy in Dublin.

Back-rower Conan departed the field shortly before half-time and was later pictured in a protective boot on the bench.

Full-back Jimmy O’Brien and scrum-half Craig Casey were also withdrawn for treatment to give head coach Andy Farrell cause for concern ahead of his side’s campaign in France, which kicks off in just five weeks’ time.

An experimental side missing a host of rested stars, in addition to suspended skipper Johnny Sexton, overcame a sloppy beginning to cruise to a 15th successive home victory.

Doris’ two tries, plus scores from Dave Kilcoyne, Stuart McCloskey and Cian Healy, earned victory, while Jack Crowley and debutant Ciaran Frawley kicked six and two points respectively.

Lorenzo Pani and Tommaso Menoncello claimed consolations for Italy but they never threatened to shock the Six Nations champions.

Ireland were back in action for the first time since clinching the Grand Slam against England in March.

Farrell retained only three of the players who began that day as part of an unfamiliar XV, while Italy included England-born debutants Paolo Odogwu and Dino Lamb in a strong selection.

The Aviva Stadium was far from full for the late kick-off and Ireland’s sluggish start, during which Tommaso Allan’s early penalty put the visitors ahead, initially did little to enhance the subdued atmosphere.

Italy lost Saracens prop Marco Riccioni to injury inside 10 minutes and that setback was quickly compounded by Kilcoyne burrowing over at the other end to register his first Test try since November 2014.

The score settled Ireland down to an extent and they capitalised on Italian indiscipline to stretch the scoreboard just before the half-hour mark.

Doris claimed the second try of the evening, crashing over wide on the right, moments after Azzurri loosehead Danilo Fischetti was sin-binned for failing to retreat.

Conan’s 35th-minute departure was an unwelcome sight for Farrell but the hosts’ performance continued to improve, with man-of-the-match Doris proving to be a real menace.

The Leinster man, selected in the unfamiliar position of openside flanker, produced a crushing tackle on Stephen Varney deep inside Italian territory to pave the way for McCloskey to power over.

Crowley landed his third conversion of the evening to make it 21-3 at the interval.

Farrell shuffled his pack slightly for the restart, introducing the uncapped Frawley at fly-half and pushing Crowley to full-back in place of the withdrawn O’Brien, who had received treatment on a shoulder issue.

A further change was required just four minutes later as scrum-half Casey followed Conan and O’Brien into the treatment room.

Italy, whose only Dublin success came in 1997, had struggled for territory in the opening period.

But, on the back of some cheap penalties conceded by Ireland, they reduced their deficit in the 51st minute when Pani was afforded yards of space on the right to charge forward and hold off the attempts of Jacob Stockdale.

Replacement prop Healy then celebrated moving level with Rory Best as Ireland’s third most-capped player on 124 appearances with his 12th international try.

Menoncello again reduced the arrears for Italy 12 minutes from time before the impressive Doris had the final say.

Following a week’s training camp in Portugal, Ireland move to matches against England and Samoa with plenty of positives but some fitness concerns.

Steve Borthwick said he would reflect ahead of his World Cup squad announcement following England’s lacklustre performance in their 20-9 defeat to Wales.

England withered after leading 9-8 at the interval in Cardiff, making over 20 handling errors in total and being outshone after the break as head coach Borthwick was given plenty to ponder less than 48 hours before naming his World Cup squad.

“I will give a period of reflection,” Borthwick said. “I will reflect where I am in terms of the squad selection and whether this game changes anything or clarifies anything regarding that.

“It is another piece of information in terms of the full picture, which is what I was always after on each and every one of the players to make the best informed decision.

“This game informs many different elements and it is another step as we build forward through these four games.

“I’m looking forward to announcing the squad on Monday and the Test match against Wales at Twickenham next Saturday.”

England will also travel to Ireland and host Fiji before heading to the World Cup in France next month.

Borthwick will be able to reintegrate players who were absent at the Principality Stadium but who are expected to start England’s World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9.

On England’s underwhelming display, Borthwick said: “We created a load of opportunities, but in Test rugby you have got to score when you are down there.

“Instead, we came away with three penalties. So, we created no scoreboard pressure.

“Our line-out and scrum went well in the first half, but at the mid-point in the second half, in both of those areas of the set piece we faltered.

“We also made a large number of handling errors and errors in contact against a team that jackal hard for the ball. We couldn’t sustain pressure because we turned the ball over.

“The turnover count I saw was 21 to nine and it’s very difficult to win Test matches with that. We created opportunities in the opposition 22 and we’ve got to take them.

“We’re still in quite a big training phase and we will sharpen up over the next three games together.”

England second row Dave Ribbans will be assessed after leaving the field with a HIA in the second half.

Second-half tries from Gareth Davies and George North rewarded Wales’ dominant second-half show, although injuries to Ryan Elias and Dafydd Jenkins threatened to take the gloss of their victory.

Hooker Elias left the field as early as the sixth minute while second row Jenkins suffered a knee injury in the second half.

Head coach Warren Gatland said: “They’ll be scanned on Monday. Ryan looks like a slight hamstring tear but it’s not too bad.

“I thought the two second-rows were great, so with Daf we are hoping it isn’t too serious a knee injury.”

Wales had won only two of their previous 10 games but Gatland, who took over before the 2023 Six Nations Championship, believes his squad have benefited from pre-World Cup camps in Switzerland and Turkey.

He said: “I think we’ve done a lot of work as a group in the last eight weeks. The line-out defence was excellent and we competed well.

“Despite the scrum penalties, I thought we dominated there. I need some clarity from the referee in terms of the decisions.

“We were winning the collisions and the hit. It’s a good start.

“The pleasing thing is there’s a group of players who will get an opportunity next week who are desperate to perform.”

England’s began their final phase of World Cup preparation in horribly underwhelming fashion as Wales sent them spinning to a 20-9 defeat in Cardiff.

Second-half tries from Gareth Davies and George North staved off a fifth successive home loss for Wales as England boss Steve Borthwick was given plenty to ponder less than 48 hours before he names his World Cup squad.

Few players left lasting impressions, although there were some impressive moments from fly-half Marcus Smith and number eight Alex Dombrandt, with Wales responding superbly to a three-point interval deficit.

England were abysmal with their ball-retention, conceding a colossal 22 turnovers, and Wales did not require a second invitation to capitalise.

Full-back Leigh Halfpenny marked his 100th cap by converting both tries and kicking two penalties, with Smith kicking England’s points through three first-half penalties.

England’s opening World Cup game against Argentina is just five weeks away, yet Borthwick will not be reaching for any panic button with three warm-up fixtures still to come on the August schedule.

For Wales, it was a significant confidence-booster following a fifth-placed finish in last season’s Six Nations as they recorded just a third win from the last 11 Tests.

Halfpenny led out the Wales players, who wore black armbands in memory of former Wales captain and coach Clive Rowlands following his death last weekend at the age of 85.

Wales suffered an early injury blow when hooker Ryan Elias was forced off after taking a blow to his right leg, with Dragons forward Elliot Dee replacing him.

A long-range Smith penalty nudged England ahead, rewarding initial dominance as the visitors monopolised possession and territory, putting Wales firmly in back-foot mode.

Smith soon doubled the advantage when Wales were guilty of a scrummaging infringement, but a Halfpenny strike made it 6-3 towards the end of an opening quarter high on intent, yet littered with errors.

Wales fly-half Sam Costelow created the game’s first clear-cut chance 15 minutes before half-tine when his inside pass freed wing Louis Rees-Zammit, but he slipped with England’s line at his mercy.

It was much better from Warren Gatland’s team and Halfpenny deservedly drew them level through a 26th-minute penalty.

England responded through some clever work from Smith that created space for centre Joe Marchant, before wing Joe Cokanasiga was tackled into touch near the corner-flag.

Despite conceding 12 turnovers during the first 35 minutes, England remained on top, while there were also scrummaging issues for Wales as debutant props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti had a testing opening half.

Smith completed his penalty hat-trick to make it 9-6 at the interval, yet England knew they needed to sharpen their attacking edge in the second period.

The game required a spark and Wales duly found one just eight minutes into the second period.

Costelow’s kick found number eight Aaron Wainwright and his one-handed pass was collected by captain Jac Morgan, who brushed off challenges from Cokanasiga and replacement Jonny Hill before a supporting Davies touched down.

It was a try of outstanding quality and Halfpenny’s conversion opened up a four-point lead before Gatland made four changes.

The new arrivals included debutants Taine Plumtree and former England prop Henry Thomas, who qualifies for Wales through his father.

Thomas was able to switch countries under new World Rugby regulations which mean players can feature for their country of birth – or their parents’ or grandparents’ birth – provided a minimum period of three years has elapsed since they were last selected for an adopted country.

Borthwick also rang changes midway through the third quarter, introducing international newcomers Theo Dan and Tom Willis as England looked to reassert themselves in the contest.

But Wales were a team transformed after the break and when North crossed for his 45th try in the red shirt England entered the final quarter 11 points adrift.

Wales were within inches of adding a third try during the closing minutes, but Rees-Zammit knocked on behind the line under pressure from England full-back Freddie Steward.

The damage, though, had long been done ahead of next Saturday’s return fixture at Twickenham.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is braced for the possibility of losing Zander Fagerson for at least a portion of the World Cup after his red card in Saturday’s exhilarating 25-21 warm-up victory over France.

The Scots produced a magnificent second-half fightback to overturn a 21-3 deficit at the break and record a morale-boosting 25-21 victory despite having the Glasgow prop sent off following a high challenge on Les Bleus hooker Pierre Bourgarit in the 50th minute.

Fagerson was initially yellow carded before having his punishment upgraded to a red a few minutes later after a review via the newly-implemented bunker system.

With just two warm-up matches remaining – away to France and at home to Georgia – the Scots fear any suspension for Fagerson could carry over into the World Cup.

“Yes, of course there’s concern when someone picks up a red card,” said Townsend. “It’s a difficult one. The contact area is so fiercely competitive.

“France are a team that like to jackal and the hooker that Zander collided with is one of the best jackalers in world rugby.

“If it’s a timing issue or a height issue, yes, we have to make sure that we don’t get those head knocks, head collisions but there was no malice or foul play. It’s more from the rugby incident of mistiming on a ruck clear so we just have to hope that the judiciary see it the same as what we see.”

Fagerson was handed a four-game ban after being sent off following a similar incident against Wales in the 2021 Six Nations, but Townsend does not believe this offence was as severe.

“I’ve seen the incident again and he does adjust his feet,” said the head coach. “The one from the Wales game he comes in very quickly and at the time it was very understandable because someone else hadn’t gone to the ruck clearance so he knew if he didn’t come in quickly, Wyn Jones would have got the jackal.

“On this occasion he did adjust his feet so there’s nothing reckless in wasn’t as much speed, it wasn’t reckless, he just didn’t get underneath the French hooker’s chest area which can happen in all the 200 ruck clears there are in a game.

“What I hope for Zander and for us as a team is that they see there is nothing reckless in there, nothing was out of control, it’s just a timing issue that he couldn’t get underneath the jackaller.”

Townsend expects to find out Fagerson’s fate before their rematch against the French in Saint-Etienne next Saturday.

“Automatically any red card would go to a hearing and we’d expect that to be done by Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said. “It would affect our plans for next weekend and our World Cup squad is announced a week on Wednesday so we’ll need to know before then.”

Scotland lost another key man in the shape of Ben White, who limped off in the first half with an ankle injury, but Townsend is hopeful that it will not cause the scrum-half to miss the World Cup.

“He’s much more positive now,” said the head coach. “He got his foot trapped under him when they kicked through, he got high tackled and got his foot trapped under him.

“It was an area where he had an issue at the beginning of our World Cup camp but he’s been training fully now for the last six weeks and in initial testing (after the game) it seems OK.

“He’s off to hospital just to make sure there’s nothing in the scan so fingers crossed that he’s OK. It might be that he struggles to train this week but hopefully he’ll be available for the World Cup.”

Townsend was proud of the way his 14-man team recovered to win the second half 22-0 after being outclassed by a second-string French side in the first half.

“Even though these are not Six Nations or World Cup games, it is a Test match in front of almost 60,000 people, so we know our job is to win,” he said.

“And when you are defending your line at the end, thoughts go through your head about whether we are going to hold out for the win.

“It was such an encouraging second-half performance and victory that it would have been a big blow if we hadn’t got that win.

“We showed much more of who we are in that second half, both in attack and defence. To do it with one less player for the majority of the second half is going to be really positive for the players’ level of belief.”

Scotland overcame the loss of key duo Ben White and Zander Fagerson to stage a stirring second-half fightback and defeat France 24-21 in an exhilarating World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield.

Les Bleus, who fielded a largely second-string side, looked on course for a comfortable victory as they eased into a 21-3 half-time lead.

But the Scots, despite having Fagerson red-carded early in the second half, roared back to record a morale-boosting win with tries from Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman and replacement Dave Cherry.

The shine was taken off the triumph, however, by the sight of scrum-half White limping off with a worrying-looking ankle injury just four weeks out from their World Cup opener against South Africa, while they will also face an anxious wait to learn the fate of prop Fagerson following his dismissal.

Scots head coach Gregor Townsend made 13 changes to the experimental team that defeated Italy a week previously, with most of his big-hitters restored.

Finn Russell was handed the captaincy for the first time in the absence of regular skipper Jamie Ritchie, who missed out with a minor calf injury which medical staff hope will subside in time for next weekend’s rematch between the teams in Saint-Etienne.

The French starting line-up featured three debutants in Paul Boudehent, Emilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, with Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou and Romain Ntamack among a raft of established players given the weekend off.

The team selections meant Scotland – despite being ranked three places beneath the French – went into the match as favourites with bookmakers.

The hosts got the scoreboard up and running in the fourth minute when Russell kicked a penalty between the posts.

However, Les Bleus seized the initiative in scintillating fashion in the 14th minute when Baptiste Couilloud was set free to bound over the line after a brilliant break-away down the right involving Bielle-Biarrey and Matthieu Jalibert. The latter made no mistake with the conversion.

The visitors remained in the ascendancy and stretched their advantage after 24 minutes when debutant Bielle-Biarrey found a gap on the left and darted majestically through it after being fed by Jalibert, who duly converted.

Scotland’s woes deepened when White was forced off with an injury after half an hour, replaced by George Horne.

The scrum-half looked dejected as he made his way off the pitch and punched the bench in frustration before having his ankle bandaged up by medics and limping down the tunnel.

The Scots thought they had reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute when Duhan Van Der Merwe found his way over the line, but play was pulled back for a French scrum following a forward pass.

A disastrous first half for the home side was compounded in the last action before the break when Cameron Woki picked the ball up at the back of a ruck and plunged over the line from close range. Jalibert again added the extras.

Scotland started the second period in brighter fashion, with Graham running on to a cross-field kick from Russell and just doing enough to plant the ball down under pressure from Ethan Dumortier. Following a TMO review to approve the score, Russell kicked the conversion.

Just as the hosts looked to be finding their way back into the match, though, they suffered another blow in the 50th minute when Fagerson was sin-binned for a high challenge on Pierre Bourgarit. Following a bunker review, the offence was subsequently upgraded to a red card.

However, the 14 men further reduced the French lead in the 54th minute as Pierre Schoeman bulldozed his way through to touch the ball down, with Russell converting.

The Scots were rampant and they thought they had got their noses in front when Blair Kinghorn bolted in behind the posts, but it was ruled out for a knock-on by Graham.

Remarkably, however, they did get themselves ahead in the 67th minute when substitute Cherry pushed his way over. This time Russell hit the post with his conversion attempt.

The captain was more accurate six minutes later as his penalty gave the Scots a four-point lead before they withstood some late French pressure to see out the win.

Wales will step up their World Cup preparations on Saturday, with George North claiming “the vibe is completely different” following a dismal Six Nations campaign last season.

England arrive at the Principality Stadium for an opening pre-World Cup encounter that sees Wales back in action after winning just two of their last 10 Tests.

A tense victory over Italy in Rome prevented a Six Nations whitewash and staved off the wooden spoon as Wales’ poor on-field displays were mirrored by events off it through major financial issues in Welsh professional rugby and grave uncertainty with player contracts.

And those behind-the-scenes troubles led to a threatened players’ strike ahead of England’s last Cardiff visit in February.

“After the Six Nations, anything is better than that, really, after all the stuff going on. It is a much better place. The vibe is completely different,” North said.

“We all took it (Six Nations) very personally, as we do, because it is our fingerprints on it.

“And ‘Gats’ (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) took it on himself to make it right. He has been back playing his normal mind-games, he has been around the boys geeing them up.

“He has had the ability to put his stamp on it, more than he did in the Six Nations, and the same with the coaches.

“We have had a lot more time on the paddock with them, a lot more time to sit down with them, being away in (training) camps, having a coffee with them and understanding how they see things working, bouncing ideas off them.

“Some of those sessions (in Switzerland and Turkey last month), you think there’s no way we can do it, but you grind it out as a team and you get what you want out of it.”

A fourth World Cup beckons for 113 times-capped centre North, who is among just four survivors from the 2011 tournament in Wales’ current training squad alongside Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Lydiate and Taulupe Faletau.

And the 31-year-old remains an integral part of Gatland’s plans, offering vast experience and a considerable midfield presence.

“I am still enjoying it, still loving it, still competing, which is the main thing,” he added.

“It is not just knowing your role, but knowing two or three roles – which can obviously help with selection – covering both wings, in the centre, knowing that injuries happen.

“And it’s just imparting some wisdom to the younger guys knowing that ‘yes, you can do this, but you need to be good at this and this to really open that opportunity’.”

North, meanwhile, has paid a glowing tribute to Halfpenny, who will become the ninth member of Wales’ 100-cap club when he runs out against England.

“We’ve been doing it together for 14 years, through thick and thin, and in sickness and in health,” North said.

“I can’t think of a Welshman who deserves it more for his service to the country. What he has given for years in big moments where he has stepped up and delivered for us.

“He has had a rough old time with injuries and it has kept him on 99 caps for a long enough time. But what a player.

“If any young players want to look up to anyone as to how it should be done, how you should look after yourself on and off the field, then look at Leigh.

“He is a very good friend of mine and I am chuffed to take the field with him on Saturday for his 100th cap. He’s probably the one guy who deserves it more than most.”

Freddie Steward has welcomed the introduction of the ‘Bunker’ review system after enlisting the help of a psychologist to move on from the controversial red card he received against Ireland in March.

England’s full-back was sent off at the Aviva Stadium for making a dangerous tackle on Hugo Keenan but a hugely contentious decision was subsequently overturned by a disciplinary hearing.

World Rugby has since trialled a procedure designed to help referees make the right call that will be in place throughout the Summer Nations Series, which will see England face Wales in Cardiff in their opening match on Saturday.

The Bunker enables a foul play official to review yellow cards at the request of the referee, with the scope to upgrade them to a red if warranted by the offence.

Any incident will be analysed while the match continues and the player is in the sin-bin, thereby preventing the type of lengthy delays witnessed when Jaco Peyper deliberated over Steward’s red card.

“It’s a good step forward. Games are significantly affected because when it’s 15 v 14 it’s a different game,” Steward said.

“If the right decision is made or the wrong decision is made, it gives an opportunity to correct that which is good for the game.

“Also when a decision like that takes about five or 10 minutes out of the game, it’s not good for the spectators or the players to have that break.

“It’s a really good initiative to keep the game flowing and ensure the right decision is made.”

Keenan was concussed during the incident that took place in the climax to the Six Nations won 29-16 by Ireland, but there was little Steward could do to avoid the collision.

The disciplinary hearing determined that Steward has been reckless only and that the offence should have been limited to a yellow card, but the saga still left its mark on the 22-year-old Leicester star.

“We actually played at the Aviva Stadium a couple weeks after it happened,” Steward said.

“I had done a bit of work with the psychologist David Priestley and he said to me before the game ‘go and stand where it happened, on that bit of turf, and just replay it and park it’.

“Ever since then that was the line in the sand and it’s not really something that I’ve thought about since.

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“It definitely helped. To be back in that same spot, it was so much easier to think ‘it happened, deal with it’. And that was that.”

Steward is one of five starters at the Principality Stadium who are assured of their places in England’s final World Cup squad named on Monday.

Another is Ellis Genge, the Bristol prop who leads England out in the first of four warm-up Tests fully aware of the need to ensure those on the fringe of selection focus on the match rather than making an impression on head coach Steve Borthwick.

In 2019 Genge was outstanding against Wales at Twickenham, leading to his inclusion in Eddie Jones’ squad for Japan.

“It would be naive not to address that. I was in that position four years ago,” Genge said.

“The squad hadn’t been announced yet and I went out and played well and then went on the plane. So I know it’s a huge game for some people.

“I was a different character back then. I just went in with all guns blazing and hit everything as hard as I could and it all looked after itself.

“Taking a step back from that now, I see how that could have worked against me. Luckily on that day it didn’t. So I’ll try and share some advice.”

Wales boss Warren Gatland has hailed Leigh Halfpenny as “the ultimate professional” ahead of him joining rugby union’s 100-cap club.

Halfpenny will reach three figures for Wales in Saturday’s opening World Cup warm-up game against England at the Principality Stadium.

Only eight other Wales players have clocked up a century of caps, with Halfpenny just the fifth back after Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, George North and Dan Biggar.

He made his Wales debut as a teenager against South Africa 15 years ago, while he has had to overcome a number of injury setbacks that meant lengthy absences from the game.

“If you are talking about role models as a professional, you could not get a harder worker than Leigh Halfpenny in terms of how he prepares,” Gatland said.

“The analysis, training and recovery, he is the ultimate professional. He started his career on the wing and then has been brilliant as a positional 15.

“He is a tremendous goalkicker and is probably still the best defensive full-back in the world. It’s a great honour for him and I am delighted for him.”

Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas was still playing when Halfpenny first arrived on the international scene, and he added: “The big thing when he first came in was how relentless he was in putting the extra hours in on the training field – after everyone else had finished – around his kicking, his high-ball stuff and his contact work.

“The contact-skill side of the back-three is much more important now, but 15 years ago it wasn’t high on the job description for back-three players. Even back then he was putting a huge amount of work in around his high-ball stuff and all of that.

“He has been the ultimate Welshman, the ultimate team man. I’ve got three kids and if you want to give them any anecdotes of what to look for, what to be like, it’s Leigh Halfpenny.”

While Halfpenny will be centre of attention in front an anticipated 65,000 crowd, considerable interest also surrounds some new faces.

Gatland has handed out Test debuts to centre Max Llewellyn, plus Cardiff props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti as the World Cup countdown continues.

And there is also an opportunity for 22-year-old Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow, who won the first of his two caps last autumn, in a team led by first-time skipper Jac Morgan.

Gatland added: “He (Costelow) gets the ball through his hands really well and we’ve been impressed with his ability to the line when he becomes a running threat.

“He is brave and doesn’t take a backwards step defensively and he has spoken well when he presents to the group and shown some leadership skills.

“Max has impressed in training with the lines he is running. I’ve been really pleased with how he has started to step up and how vocal he has been.

“That is one of the big focus areas for this squad, how important your voice is, particularly under fatigue.

“I’ve seen a huge improvement in him and he has built some confidence. It’s not just the physical side, though. He is also a good passer of the ball and he can hopefully put us outside in space.”

Iain Henderson has backed Ireland and Ulster team-mate Jacob Stockdale to return to his devastating best as he bids to force his way into Andy Farrell’s World Cup squad.

Stockdale will make his first international appearance in more than two years in Saturday evening’s warm-up clash with Italy following a difficult period in his stalled Test career.

The 27-year-old wing was player of the championship when his seven tries helped Ireland clinch a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018 and first choice on the left flank under Joe Schmidt at the following year’s World Cup in Japan.

But, in part due to injuries, he has struggled to make an impact during the Farrell era and has work to do to ensure he is on the plane to France having slipped behind James Lowe and Mack Hansen in the pecking order.

Lock Henderson, who will captain his country against the Azzurri, believes Stockdale still possesses the attributes and quality to rediscover top form.

“Jacob’s an incredible athlete, you still see him in training doing phenomenal things,” he said.

“At that time (2018), our team was in a hot run of form and Jacob finished off a lot of very well-created tries from the whole team.

“He still has all of those athletic attributes, he still has the mindset and desire, he still has age on his side.

“For anyone who knows Jacob personally, he’s not one to give up in terms of any sort of argument or fight you get into with him.

“Knowing his personality, knowing what he has, I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t see another 2018 Jacob Stockdale coming out again. I think that’s exciting for him, exciting for everyone else.

“He knows himself he has to be patient and continue to work away. He won’t throw the head up and I know Jacob will plug away at it.”

Only five men – Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Tommy Bowe, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan – have scored more tries for Ireland than Stockdale.

Yet 14 of his 19 Test scores came in the first 17 of his 35 caps and he has become a peripheral figure in recent years, not helped by knee and ankle issues.

Henderson admits Stockdale has been frustrated by his international exile.

“After that ankle injury was the explosion of Mack Hansen, and James Lowe is obviously a phenomenal player too,” said the 31-year-old.

“The two wings are positions that are hotly-contested and there’s incredible depth, thankfully, in our country.

“Jacob fully understood that coming in last autumn, he knew he would have his work cut out, and again through the Six Nations both of those guys were in top form and injury-free.

“I know Jacob found it incredibly frustrating not being able to get an opportunity over the course of those two campaigns but he knew if he kept plugging away that he would eventually get one.

“He has trained incredibly well and he is rightly being rewarded.”

With Johnny Sexton suspended and James Ryan and Peter O’Mahony given the weekend off, Henderson will skipper Ireland for the second time.

The Aviva Stadium was empty due to coronavirus restrictions the last time he led out his country – a 15-13 Six Nations loss to France in 2021 – but around 42,000 fans are expected this weekend.

“Faz (Farrell) said I was going to be captain and I was over the moon,” said Henderson.

“This is going to be incredibly special for me to have my family at this.”

Ewan Ashman is aiming to stake his claim for a World Cup starting berth after being handed the number two jersey for Saturday’s warm-up match at home to France.

The 23-year-old – who will make just his second international start this weekend – is a notable inclusion in an otherwise established XV chosen by Gregor Townsend for the showdown with Les Bleus.

Ashman appears to be vying with the more experienced George Turner for a starting place, while Dave Cherry and Stuart McInally are the other two hookers battling to win a place in the final 33-man squad for the World Cup.

Head coach Townsend said earlier this week that the Canada-born Ashman – who moved to Edinburgh this summer from Sale – “has the attributes to start for us” and that he “absolutely” has a chance to play his way into a starting berth for the World Cup opener against South Africa in Marseille.

“The whole team is preparing for the World Cup but for individuals it’s about trying to put your best foot forward to get into that starting team,” Ashman said following the team run at Murrayfield on Friday.

“I’m just glad to have that opportunity because the competition is fierce for every position now with the depth we have. You have to view every game as an opportunity to try and get on that plane and into the team.

“I’m really excited. This is only my second start in a Scotland jersey and I’m really, really excited to get out there, especially at home.”

Ashman – whose father Jonathan is Scottish – scored a try on his debut as a substitute against Australia in autumn 2021 while he also came on against the might of New Zealand last November.

The hooker’s only start among his seven caps to date came against Argentina last summer, so this weekend’s match against France will be arguably his biggest for the national team so far. With his family in the crowd, he is determined to ensure his emotions do not get the better of him.

“It’s a big game but they’re all big games at Murrayfield,” he said. “My first start was over in Argentina which at the time felt like a big game but I’m a lot more experienced now.

“For me personally, it’s easy at Murrayfield to get quite emotional, like when you walk off the bus, and at the anthems, when the adrenalin is going and you’ve got butterflies in your stomach, so I try to play it down a bit more,” he said.

“I try not to treat games too differently. Obviously this is a big game but I try and play it down and relax and treat it as another game of rugby and perform my role for the team. I try not to get too up for it because that’s when I can make mistakes.”

Scotland play France away next weekend and Ashman believes back-to-back fixtures against the world’s second-highest ranked team will stand them in good stead for pool-stage matches against the heavyweights of South Africa and Ireland.

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” he said. “France are an all-star team. They’re going to be hugely physical and that should prepare us for Ireland and South Africa.

“They’re coming to Murrayfield and that gives us a real opportunity to set out our stall for the World Cup.

“It is going to be confrontational and physical. They pride themselves on their maul and they’re a huge team, just like South Africa, so it’s going to be a hugely challenging game. It’s the perfect opportunity to prepare for the World Cup.”

England are confident that Tom Curry will play a role in their build-up to the World Cup as he recovers from a twisted ankle.

Curry sustained the injury in training this week and will be sidelined for up to a fortnight, potentially ruling him out of the opening two matches of the Summer Nations Series which begins against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

The Sale flanker is a certainty to be picked in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad when it is announced on Monday, but England will take no risks with the fitness of one of their most influential players.

“We’re very hopeful (he’ll play this month). We don’t think it will be too long, but we’ll be smart with him as well,” defence coach Kevin Sinfield said.

Any concern over Henry Arundell’s hamstring injury has lifted after the explosive wing made a return to full training on Thursday.

England play the first of two Tests against Wales at the Principality Stadium fielding a line-up populated with players who are on the fringe of World Cup selection.

Only Freddie Steward, Marcus Smith, Danny Care, Ellis Genge and Will Stuart are assured of their places in the 33-man squad, while the others are hoping to make a final impression on Borthwick.

Sinfield, however, has downplayed the trial element of the visit to Cardiff as England look to build winning momentum.

“First and foremost, it’s a Test match. I’m sure some players will have selection in the back of their minds, but we want to show how we’ve improved,” Sinfield said.

“It would be unfair to say it’s all on this game because it’s not. We’ve got to take into account the last eight weeks, how players have performed throughout the season and exactly what we need going forward.

“There are some wonderful players who will miss out, sadly, because we can’t take everybody. We’ll try to get to the right place with the right balance within the squad.”

One player who has been making waves this summer is Northampton’s all action back row Tom Pearson, who Genge insists trains in the same we he plays – “like a man possessed”.

Pearson makes his debut on Saturday with a real chance of securing a place at the World Cup despite his inexperience.

“Tom’s been outstanding. We’ve all seen his physicality and how he plays the game and his explosive nature with London Irish last season. We’re all looking forward to seeing him play and he’s been excellent in camp,” Sinfield said.

World Cup preparations will move up a gear for Wales and England when they meet in Cardiff on Saturday.

Their first tournament warm-up fixture comes five weeks before World Cup openers that see England face Argentina and Wales tackle Fiji.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points ahead of the game.

Last chance saloon

England’s line-up is littered with fringe contenders who have the opportunity to mount a compelling final argument for selection in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad, which is named on Monday. The identity of the 33 who will travel to France has mostly been decided, but a small handful of spots still have a question mark hanging over them. Debutant flanker Tom Pearson, wing Joe Cokanasiga and centre Joe Marchant are among those hoping to give Borthwick a nudge before the final selection meeting on Saturday evening.

Wales need a performance

Wales, to put it bluntly, lost their way after the spectacular high of a first away victory over South Africa 14 months ago. In 10 subsequent Tests, just two wins were recorded – against Argentina and Italy – while a miserable home defeat to Georgia effectively cost head coach Wayne Pivac his job. Warren Gatland was then appointed for a second stint as Wales boss, but an underwhelming fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations generated more questions than answers. Saturday’s Principality Stadium encounter might effectively be a ‘friendly’, yet the importance of a Wales win cannot be overstated in terms of restoring some confidence and optimism for suffering supporters.

Captain Morgan in charge

Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan will captain Wales for the first time in what is effectively the first of three World Cup leadership auditions. Gatland has said that he anticipates appointing a different skipper for each warm-up Test – England home and away, followed by South Africa in Cardiff – before announcing his final 33-player squad and leader later this month. Others in the captaincy frame include Dewi Lake, Dan Biggar, Will Rowlands and Adam Beard, but 23-year-old Morgan has been handed a golden opportunity to stake his claim. If Wales get it right, he could prove difficult to dislodge.

Smith calls the shots

Marcus Smith is not among those on trial at the Principality Stadium after Borthwick confirmed he will take three fly-halves to the World Cup. Unburdened by the need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to secure his place at the tournament, the instinctive Harlequins playmaker can focus on providing England with the generalship his position demands. Smith stands apart as an attacking fly-half, but his game management and organisational skills will have benefited from having worked alongside veteran ringmasters Owen Farrell and George Ford throughout the summer.

Century for Halfpenny

Full-back Leigh Halfpenny will become the ninth player to win 100 Wales caps when he runs out against England. It is a red-letter day for the 34-year-old, who has overcome major injury setbacks during recent seasons and now looks firmly on course to make Wales’ World Cup squad. He is just the fifth Welsh back to reach three figures after Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, George North and Biggar, while only Jones and Neil Jenkins have more amassed more points for Wales than Halfpenny’s current figure of 785. Almost 15 years after he made his Test debut, he now joins an exclusive club and can be guaranteed a rapturous reception for such an impressive achievement.