Paul O’Connell has no reservations about the possibility of Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley or Ciaran Frawley starting a World Cup match in place of influential Ireland captain Johnny Sexton.

Suspension has ruled fly-half Sexton out of his country’s warm-up matches against Italy, England and Samoa, leaving a trio of inexperienced understudies vying to stake their claim for the role.

Frawley remains uncapped at international level, while his Leinster team-mate Byrne and Munster man Crowley have just four Test starts between them.

Veteran Sexton will complete his three-match ban in time to feature in Ireland’s World Cup opener against Romania on September 9 but he is short of match fitness having not played since March due to injury.

Although forwards coach O’Connell acknowledges the stand-in options are Test rookies, he would back each of them to perform on the biggest stage if required.

“I’d be confident in all of them,” he said, ahead of Saturday’s Dublin clash with Italy.

“One of the strengths we have is that we’ve good clarity on how we’re trying to play the game and the players have to take ownership of that clarity quite a lot.

“You do figure out a guy that’s unsure very, very quickly. But all of our guys know how we want to play.

“They don’t have as much practice at it or as much experience as Johnny has of taking ownership of it but that’s why these few weeks will be great for them.

“We play differently to Munster and to Leinster and the guys that are there but there is a lot of similarities as well so it’s nothing massively new to them.

“They’ve all driven the ship for their provinces in big, big games and done really well. There’s a little bit of a tweak to how we do things and they’ve got to pick that up.”

Sexton’s last competitive action was four and a half months ago when he limped off with a groin issue during Ireland’s Grand Slam-clinching win over England.

The 38-year-old, who has 113 caps for his country, has been training fully with Andy Farrell’s 42-man preliminary squad this summer ahead of his last competition before retirement.

Ireland’s selection is due to be cut to a final 33 on August 28 and O’Connell has urged those who do miss out to not feel too disheartened.

“It’s not all or nothing,” said the 43-year-old, who represented Ireland at four World Cups between 2003 and 2015.

“You hope that by being in here, training with us, training with good players, that players are improving and they’re looking at their opportunity to get a chance, to try to get picked for the World Cup and, if they don’t, that they break in in the future.

“They all want to go to the World Cup for sure, but selection for the World Cup is not an all-or-nothing thing.

“I’m sure plenty of guys are going to be disappointed.

“They’ve their sights set on getting their chances and taking it but I think they’re all going to be better on the back of this pre-season.”

Ollie Chessum is in contention to win a place in England’s World Cup squad after making a successful early comeback from the ankle surgery that had jeopardised his tournament hopes.

England feared they had lost their breakout star of the Six Nations after he was ruled out for between five and six months with the injury sustained during preparations to face Ireland in March.

But on Tuesday he took part in a live scrummaging session during training as he closes in on making a complete recovery that should see him named in Steve Borthwick’s 33-strong squad on Monday.

England had made it clear Chessum would not be risked in Saturday’s opening warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff if not fully fit, but would be willing select him for the World Cup on the strength of his performances this year.

“Ollie’s close to a return. He’s done incredibly well and has been so diligent with his rehab. He looks really good,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.

“He’s definitely a great character and I’ve enjoyed working with him over the last few years, but he’s also a top-quality player who we are keen to get fit.

“The medics said that if he’s free of complications then there’s a very good chance of him being ready for the World Cup. He’s had no complications and flew into his rehab.

“I don’t think we’re going to rush someone back from that injury and say ‘you have to play (against Wales)’ – it’s up to us to make a decision on the best 33 on the back of all the evidence we’ve had.

“Ollie has obviously given pretty strong evidence that he’s a top international player when he was fit.”

Chessum won the first of his nine caps under Eddie Jones but it was during the Six Nations that he announced his arrival as a high-calibre Test player through a series of imposing displays in an otherwise-underperforming team.

The 22-year-old can play lock or blindside flanker and made a big impression on Wigglesworth, who played alongside him and coached him at Leicester until leaving to join Borthwick’s coaching team at the end of the season.

“When Ollie’s fit and firing he brings an energy with him that’s infectious and he’s someone who’s just going to get better and better,” Wigglesworth said.

“He’s got a great attitude, great athletic ability and he’s got the mind to be in an England shirt for a long, long time if he keeps progressing the way he wants to.”

Billy Vunipola has also provided a fitness boost as he shows no adverse effects from his recent knee surgery, nudging him closer to regaining his place as England’s number eight.

“Billy looks highly motivated and he’s had a big impact in training, coming back in straight away,” Wigglesworth said.

“He’s shown his class and his form. His training is slightly modified but not much.”

Borthwick will oversee the final selection meeting in Cardiff on Saturday night before telling each player individually on Sunday whether they made the cut for the World Cup.

The date of the announcement means that the Principality Stadium clash will be the final opportunity for players to play their way into the 33.

“We pick a team to try and win a Test match, without a doubt, but it would probably be disingenuous to say we aren’t trying to get a squad ready for the tournament as well,” Wigglesworth said.

“We have to have a squad that is ready to play in France to the best of its ability. Will the same team play four weeks in a row? No, absolutely not. There will be changes throughout the four weeks.”

Paul O’Connell believes suspended Ireland captain Johnny Sexton will be concerned about his lack of game time ahead of his World Cup swansong.

Fly-half Sexton, who is set to retire following the tournament in France, will miss each of his country’s warm-up matches after being hit with a three-match ban for misconduct.

The 38-year-old has not played competitively since March, having been forced off by a groin injury in the final match of the Guinness Six Nations against England.

Forwards coach O’Connell insists Sexton’s extended absence is not a major worry for Ireland’s management team but concedes his former team-mate is likely to feel uneasy about the situation.

“Whenever he’s come back from injuries (previously), he rarely needs a lot of games to get back up and running,” said O’Connell.

“It’s a real strength of his. He’s trained since the start of pre-season pretty much, he hasn’t missed a training session.

“He seems to watch an awful lot of rugby, he thinks a lot about rugby, so I think that kind of helps him hit the ground running when he comes back.

“(But) I’d say it’s a worry for him, you know. He wants to finish playing really, really well, and I’d say he’d love to have a few more games under his belt.

“It is what it is. It’s not something I’m worried about.”

Ireland face Italy, England and Samoa this month before beginning their World Cup campaign on September 9 against Romania in Bordeaux.

Sexton’s prolonged spell on the sidelines – in the wake of his behaviour following Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup final defeat by La Rochelle on May 20 – has opened the door for rival number 10s Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley and Ciaran Frawley.

O’Connell says the opportunity for the three understudies is a significant “silver lining” of the undesirable circumstances.

“They’re all playing for places – Johnny’s selection allows those guys to own it a little bit,” said the 43-year former lock, who represented Ireland at four World Cups.

“It puts us in a good position heading into the World Cup because those guys get to accumulate more experience; not just of playing on the big day, but of owning it and running the week, driving some of the detail as well.

“Johnny’s suspension is unfortunate for us. But there’s a real good silver lining for us as well.”

England’s new scrum coach Tom Harrison has revealed his passion for rugby helped him overcome some of the challenges of living with dyslexia.

The 32-year-old likens the learning difficulty, which mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling, to running a 100-metre race “but your lane’s got hurdles in it”.

He would often lean on twin brother Sam for help during childhood but eased his literacy issues by devouring match-day programmes bought during trips to watch Premiership club Bath.

Harrison joined the national team from Leicester at the start of June to reunite with head coach Steve Borthwick and is tasked with ensuring England’s forward pack is firing in time for the forthcoming World Cup.

“I’m hugely dyslexic, so found school hard,” he said.

“If you don’t like doing something, the majority of the time you don’t do it and I wasn’t very good at reading.

“But then when you find a love for something, you’re like, ‘OK, I can do this’. The bit for me was I found a love in rugby.

“I’m not saying had I not bought a match-day programme or had I not bought a rugby magazine I would never have been able to read or write.

“But what it allowed me to do is hone other skills that were underdeveloped.”

People with dyslexia often have strengths in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving.

Harrison feels that could prove advantageous to his country during the upcoming showpiece tournament in France, which England begin on September 9 against Argentina in Marseille.

“You have to coach players equally but differently,” he said. “Everyone has a different way of retaining information.

“For me personally, I see it as a positive. It’s almost like you are in a 100-metre race but your lane’s got hurdles in it.

“Over the course of growing up, I’ve developed different ways of thinking – some call it cognitive diversity. Sometimes they are brilliant ideas, sometimes they’re horrendous but I probably think slightly outside the box to different people.

“I see that as a problem-solving tool, it can be very beneficial. (But) I’m not the biggest fan of writing on a whiteboard and people probably can’t read my notes!”.

Harrison replaced Montpellier-bound Richard Cockerill in the England setup by following Richard Wigglesworth, Aled Walters, Kevin Sinfield and Borthwick along the well-trodden path from Welford Road to Twickenham.

Having never played the game at the top level, he has taken a less conventional route into elite coaching.

The former prop studied a sports coaching degree at Hartpury University in Gloucestershire, where current England stars Jonny Hill and Ellis Genge were among his contemporaries.

Alongside teaching the game, he went on to play for French PRO D2 side Auch – Antoine Dupont’s club as a junior – and Plymouth Albion in the Championship.

“It’s a quick route in some aspects because I’m young but actually if you go career experience, I’ve been coaching for a long time,” said Harrison, who helped Leicester win the Gallagher Premiership title in 2022.

“I do have moments where I go, ‘wow, I’ve got one of the coolest jobs in the world, I get to coach my country in a sport that I love’.

“But it’s very much you’re then back down to work and actually let’s do the job rather than be in that honeymoon period.

“If we want to get England back to being one of the world’s best, then the scrum is an aspect where you do have to improve.”

Wales young gun Louis Rees-Zammit insists he has only shown a fraction of his talent in his short career to date as he targets a World Cup debut.

The Gloucester winger has scored nine tries in 25 Test matches and earned British and Irish Lions selection since making his debut as a teenager in late 2020 but, still only 22, he wants to take his game to another level.

After a season in which he was hampered by injuries, Rees-Zammit is itching to get onto the pitch for Wales’ World Cup warm-up fixtures – home and away against England before a Cardiff date with South Africa – and remind everyone what he is capable of.

“I feel like I’ve got a lot to give,” he said. “You’ve probably only seen a little bit. I’m ready to showcase my skills on the field whenever I get the chance. I don’t think you’ve seen the best of me. I’ve got a lot more to give.”

Rees-Zammit made his name on the wing but has also been seen in a 15 shirt for Wales, and he wants to develop that side of his game as he takes the next steps in his career.

“I want to be versatile,” he said. “I want to add more strings to my bow and if that means playing 15 as well then I’m ready for it. I’ve trained at wing and full-back so wherever I get played I’ll try my hardest.”

Rees-Zammit said the biggest thing he had to work on to play full-back was his defensive positioning, but he feels he has the attributes to excel in the backfield.

“In Test rugby there are a lot of kicks and you’ve got to be ready,” he said. “You’ve got to be in the right position at the right time. That’s a lot different to being on the wing but in attack you get more of a licence to go and look for the ball and get more touches.

“We do have a licence and freedom on the wing as well but stepping up as a first receiver from full-back I quite enjoy. I’d say I get my hands on the ball more at 15.

“I’d say my kicking game is pretty strong but obviously I do love running with the ball. Being a threat on the counter attack is also there.”

So much has come so fast for Rees-Zammit to date, but his dream as a boy was always to play in a World Cup for Wales, and this autumn’s tournament offers him a first opportunity.

He remembers watching the 2019 tournament with his team-mates at Hartpury College, never imagining he would be a Wales international himself a year later.

“Everything has come so quick and I’ve tried riding the wave in a sense,” he said.

“I absolutely love it here. I love rugby and playing for Gloucester and Wales and obviously I got on the Lions tour as well which was unbelievable. This is the next step and I haven’t been to a World Cup yet. That is a dream.”

The 33 players that make Warren Gatland’s final selection for France will have had to work hard for their places as Wales continue a punishing summer of training camps, spending the last week in Turkey where temperatures have been hitting 40 degrees.

Rees-Zammit described the training camp as “brutal” and “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically and mentally”, but it is just what he needed to put his injuries behind him.

“My body feels as sharp as ever,” he said. “I feel the best I’ve ever felt so I’m really looking forward to these games coming up and showing what I can do.”

Scotland rookie Ben Healy was delighted to land the man of the match award against Italy on a day when he knew he had to deliver a big performance to keep his hopes of going to the World Cup alive.

The 24-year-old Edinburgh fly-half appears to be vying with Gloucester counterpart Adam Hastings for a place in Gregor Townsend’s 33-man squad, which is due to be finalised over the next couple of weeks.

And Healy – who made his Scotland debut as a replacement in the Six Nations match against Italy in March – stepped up and marked his first start by kicking 10 points from a possible 12 and playing a prominent part in two of his team’s three tries as they defeated the Azzurri 25-13 at Murrayfield on Saturday.

“Probably a little bit, yes,” he said when asked if he felt pressure to produce the goods.

“It was more important that we got the win and put into practice a lot of things we’d been working on throughout pre-season.

“But without question, I knew I had to have a good game against Italy because there are only four warm-up games and there are other lads that need to play games.

“Realistically, I knew I had to put my best foot forward.”

Healy played at Under-20 level for his native Ireland, but he qualifies for Scotland through his Scottish-born mother.

The stand-off was called up to Townsend’s squad for the first time for the Six Nations earlier this year just after his impending transfer from Munster to Edinburgh this summer was announced.

Having been involved with the national team for the best part of seven months, serving as back-up to the talismanic Finn Russell, he was delighted to finally make his first start.

“It was great to get the start,” he said. “You have a bit more control of the week when you know you’re starting rather than coming off the bench.

“The boys were brilliant to work with all week. It’s been really good to build all those connections with the boys over the past few weeks and then put it into practice.

“It was far from perfect as a team performance but it was a step in the right direction.

“It was great to play in front of a crowd like that at Murrayfield and get across the white line with a result.”

Healy – who will begin life with Edinburgh once his World Cup commitments are over – has enjoyed the opportunity to get to know his new Scottish colleagues during their gruelling summer training camp.

“I’ve loved being part of the squad for the last couple of months,” he said. “It’s my first World Cup pre-season and it’s probably the hardest I’ve done.

“It doesn’t really compare to any I’ve done at club level in terms of the intensity and the volume of work you get through.

“It’s been great to be in camp and build connections, which is something we’ve put a real emphasis on in the last few weeks and months.”

Former Wales captain and coach Clive Rowlands has died at the age of 85, the Welsh Rugby Union has announced

Rowlands, who played 14 times for Wales as scrum-half, also managed the British and Irish Lions and served as president of the WRU.

He captained his country on each of his international appearances and led the team as they shared the 1964 Five Nations title with Scotland.

As coach he guided the team to a first Grand Slam in 19 years in 1971, after retiring from playing at the age of 29.

Darcy Graham marked his return to the international fold with a double as an experimental Scotland side defeated Italy 25-13 in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh wing missed the entire Six Nations with a knee injury but – after scoring a hat-trick in his last match for the Scots against Argentina in November – he picked up where he left off with a couple of clinical touchdowns to put the Azzurri to the sword.

Replacement Josh Bayliss sealed the victory with the Scots’ third try in the last play of the match after Montanna Ioane’s score just after the hour had given the Italians hope.

Graham was one of the few established starters in Gregor Townsend’s XV as he allowed several of his key players the weekend off ahead of the upcoming double-header against World Cup hosts France.

Glasgow centre Stafford McDowall was given his international debut while Glasgow prop Murphy Walker and Edinburgh fly-half Ben Healy – both previously capped – made their first starts.

It looked like it might be a difficult afternoon for the Scots when the visitors instantly got themselves on the front foot and had their hosts penned inside their own half for the opening five minutes.

However, the hosts burst into life after six minutes when Healy, working off a turnover, kicked a ball into space for Graham to chase down but the rapid Edinburgh wing was thwarted by some impressive defending just as he looked set to get himself clear.

The same two players combined as the hosts made the breakthrough in the 13th minute. Healy again kicked wide to the right, picking out Graham who was already beyond the try-line as he received the ball before helping himself to a straightforward touchdown. Healy was unable to add the extras as his conversion attempt went wide.

However, the Azzurri managed to get themselves in front by half-time courtesy of a couple of penalties from Tommaso Allan, the Harlequins stand-off who has a Scottish father as well as an uncle capped nine times by Scotland in the early 1990s.

Allan reduced the deficit with a close-range effort in the 26th minute and then in the last action of a largely underwhelming first half the number 10 sent another kick soaring between the posts from inside Scotland’s 10-metre line.

Scotland got themselves back in front eight minutes after the interval when Healy pinged over a penalty. And in the 55th minute, Graham scored his second try of the match when he received a reverse pass from Ali Price and bounded over the line. Healy was accurate with the conversion as the Scots opened up a 15-6 advantage.

Italy got back into the match just after the hour, however, when Ioane went over on the left after a lovely pass from Allan, who duly converted.

Leicester lock Cam Henderson became the second Scotland debutant of the afternoon when he replaced Scott Cummings and the hosts regained control when Healy kicked another penalty in the 74th minute.

The Scots finished on a high note, with substitute Bayliss scoring his first international try – converted by the impressive Healy – in the last action of the match.

Wales are confident Taulupe Faletau will recover from injury in time for the World Cup, even though the 100-times capped back-rower may not play before the tournament.

Faletau stayed at home to nurse a calf complaint as Warren Gatland’s squad headed for a pre-World Cup training camp in Turkey.

The Cardiff number eight reached a century of caps against France in March and remains a vital component of the Wales side at the age of 32.

But the British and Irish Lion may not be risked ahead of September’s World Cup in France in two warm-up games with England and one against South Africa next month.

“He’s coming back, and in his rehab programme he’s going really well,” said Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, speaking from the squad’s current base in Antalya.

“So it’s just a question of do you drag him out here to do some stuff, or can he do it back home and spend a lot more time with his family?

“The decision was made that he can do the same rehab process back home. It’s looking positive for him.”

Asked if playing no part in the August games would deny Faletau – who missed the 2019 World Cup in Japan through injury – a place in the squad, Humphreys said: “If he doesn’t feature it’s not going to necessarily rule him out.

“I’m not sure if he will play (in the warm-up games). Hopefully he will, but I don’t think it’s something we’ll massively push if he’s not 100 per cent.

“The rehab is going well so we’re very hopeful he will be available for World Cup selection.”

The uncapped Taine Plumtree has emerged as a World Cup back-row option after confirming his move from New Zealand to Wales.

Plumtree, the 23-year-old son of former All Blacks assistant coach John, was born in Swansea when his father was working in Wales and the New Zealand Under-20 international will play for the Scarlets next season.

“He’s a genuine contender and hopefully we’ll see him in these next three games,” Humphreys said.

“We haven’t brought him in just to gain experience. We’ve brought him in because we feel he can add something to us.

“He’s a six, he’s a big man, and he’s very athletic as you’d expect from someone coming from New Zealand. He’s got a very good rugby sense.

“We are not blessed with people of that stature in that position. We looked at him, we liked what we saw, and he was keen to come over.

“He came off the plane jet-lagged from New Zealand, came to Switzerland, and the training was brutal over there. His first couple of sessions was an eye-opener but we’ve been impressed with what we’ve seen. ”

Temperatures have exceeded over 40 degrees Celsius since Wales arrived in southern Turkey.

They will spend a few more days there before returning home to prepare for their first World Cup warm-up game against England in Cardiff on August 5.

Humphreys said: “It was really hot when we first got here and a lot of humidity.

“Then we saw the temperature was dropping but the humidity went up. I’m not sure which one I prefer.

“It’s incredibly tough training in over 40 degrees but it’s exactly why we came here.

“The World Cup starts in six weeks and it’s an opportunity for players here to put their hands up and for us to find a way forward.”

Wales must trim their current 48-man squad down to 33 for the World Cup, with their opening game against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.

Max Malins denies that England have suffered from the high turnover of attack coaches since he made his Test debut almost three years ago.

Eddie Jones, Simon Amor, Martin Gleeson, Nick Evans and Richard Wigglesworth have each filled the role during Malins’ 17-cap Test career that began against Georgia in 2020.

England’s attack has functioned only sporadically during that time, but Malins believes the frequent changes are not the reason for any shortcomings.

“Every attack coach has their own ideas but it doesn’t vary too much,” the Saracens wing said.

“It’s not like we’ve gone from trying to play wide to hitting everything through the middle. As a general picture, it’s been pretty similar.

“There’s a solid foundation and solid coaching group that can take us forward. It hasn’t held me back.”

Wigglesworth has been placed in charge of England’s attack after joining Steve Borthwick’s coaching team from Leicester at the end of the season.

With the World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9 looming large, the four warm-up Tests that start against Wales on Saturday week will provide precious opportunities to lay some foundations.

While Wigglesworth oversees the attack, he is given assistance by fly-half generals Owen Farrell, George Ford and Marcus Smith.

“It’s very collaborative. Richard will give his thoughts on the system and how we want to play,” Malins said.

“But once we’re out on that field there’s a lot of talk: Owen, George and Marcus all pitch in with ideas on different plays as they unfold.

“It’s on the go, in the moment, out on the field, fixing things or appraising things as we do them.

“Owen and George are both students of the game. If you see them chatting in the corner, you know what they’re chatting about. Two unbelievable rugby minds.

“To have those two – and Marcus, who brings a different spin on things – it’s brilliant for the team.”

Ben Earl insists England’s players appreciate Steve Borthwick’s personal touch having previously endured the experience of learning about World Cup selection on a WhatsApp group.

Borthwick’s predecessor, Eddie Jones, used the messaging app to inform the 31 who would be taken to Japan four years ago if they had been chosen, with their names appearing in a newly-created group revealing the good news.

It was seen by some as a brutal way to discover whether a player’s World Cup dream had been made or broken, while WhatsApp was regularly employed during the Jones era to communicate team selection.

Since replacing Jones in December, Borthwick has adopted a more tactful approach to interacting with his squad and that will be needed on August 7 when he names the 33 who will be involved in this autumn’s global showpiece.

“With Steve it has been very much personal and that’s been great,” said Earl, the Saracens flanker hoping to be a part of England’s World Cup campaign.

“I know a lot of players have enjoyed that side of it and not having to stay up late at night waiting to be added to a WhatsApp group, which I know a few people have experienced. That has been a really nice change.

“Obviously we are all dying to be involved. But if it’s not your day, it’s not your day. And then you’ve got to crack on.”

Earl is competing for a World Cup spot within an ultra-competitive back row contingent, England’s most recent 40-man training squad featuring eight specialists across the three positions.

Additionally, Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje and George Martin are options at blindside flanker as well as second row, increasing the rivalry for a ticket to France.

To underline the challenge facing the players is the decision made a week ago to leave out Sam Underhill, one of the stars of the 2019 World Cup and one half of the ‘Kamikaze Kid’ combination that took Japan by storm.

“Within our structured gameplan, there is still massive scope to be the player you want to be. That’s the magic of our back-row make-up,” Earl said.

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“There’s not one player who is the same as another. Every player has a strength and we’re all window-shopping, picking each little bit from each other and picking one another’s brains.

“The amount of experiences that the back-rowers have had this year is unbelievable. Jack Willis won the Top 14, Lewis Ludlam captained his club, Tom Pearson could have been player of the season in the Premiership and then you have Billy Vunipola and Alex Dombrandt, who have unbelievable international experience.

“Everyone is offering their little bit as best they can. There is obviously an elephant in the room with the competition, but it’s the healthiest and best environment I’ve been in.

“I guess not many nations will have our competition. In 2019 Sam Underhill was probably one of the players of the tournament, so that just goes to show how competitive it is.

“Sam trained brilliantly and it was a shock to us all that he was no longer involved. That really struck home with us.”

George Ford says England’s players have been teasing Marcus Smith about using rumoured interest from Racing 92 as “leverage” to negotiate his new contract at Harlequins.

Smith this week ensured he will remain available for Test selection for the foreseeable future by agreeing an extended deal with the 2021 Gallagher Premiership champions.

French club Racing, who will be coached by former England boss Stuart Lancaster next season, were reportedly lining up the 24-year-old as a potential replacement for Bath-bound Finn Russell.

“There has been a fair bit of joking going on,” Ford said of his fellow fly-half.

“Whatever the rumours were about Racing a few weeks ago, everyone was saying, ‘you were always going to stay at Quins, you were just using that as a bit of leverage’.

“I’ve spoken to him, obviously he’s delighted to be staying, it’s his club and the influence he has on that team is incredible so I’m sure everyone at Quins will be buzzing for him to stay.

“I can only speak for myself but when you’re English and you want to play for England, you’ve got to play for an English club.

“It means a lot to play at club level and international level for us all, it’s no different for Marcus.”

Ford and Smith are currently working together at England’s Surrey training base as part of a 39-man preliminary World Cup squad.

Steve Borthwick is fine tuning plans for the forthcoming tournament in France, with four warm-up matches scheduled next month.

The head coach was given less than nine months to prepare for the game’s greatest competition after replacing Eddie Jones on December 19.

While Australia, who subsequently appointed Jones in January, and Wales have also recently changed coach, Ford warned England must be the “fastest-learning team” in order to be up to speed in time for their Pool D opener fixture against Argentina on September 9.

Yet the 30-year-old Sale player also believes the situation could prove beneficial.

“I think we’re in a unique place in terms of that,” said Ford, who is preparing for his third successive World Cup. “It’s a great opportunity.

“In terms of the timeframe, we’ve got to be the quickest and fastest-learning team, it’s just the nature of where we’re at.

“At the previous World Cup, we had four years together and it was quite consistent in terms of squad, coaches et cetera but this is a lot different.

“I still think there is a massive opportunity here and one that I don’t think is going to hold us back if we get it right. I think it could be a massive positive for us.

“Sometimes, in a funny way, when you’ve got less time to get somewhere, you’ve got less thinking and less messing around to get there.

“You’ve just got to go and I think that’ll help us as a team.”

Paul Wellens has urged his all-conquering St Helens squad to draw on the memory of recent heartbreaks if they wish to avoid adding an unwanted chapter to Challenge Cup history when they face Leigh in Saturday’s first semi-final.

Wellens’ men might have amassed a glittering pile of silverware but remarkably they will barely start favourites against Adrian Lam’s side, who only last season were celebrating lifting the 1895 Cup for second and third-tier sides at Wembley.

A revolution led by owner Derek Beaumont has catapulted the club to second place in their first season back in Super League – four points and two places above Saints – and within 80 minutes of a first Challenge Cup final appearance since they sunk Leeds at Wembley in 1971.

With the sport’s established order increasingly being stood on its head, it is perhaps no surprise that Wellens wants his players to forget their recent prize haul and focus on rare setbacks, such as their stunning semi-final defeat to Catalans Dragons in 2018.

Seven members of Saints’ current squad were involved in that game, which the French side won after blazing into a 27-0 half-time lead, and Wellens stressed: “A lot of of our group have won big matches but they have experienced a fair bit of heartbreak as well.

“Losing in the Cup semi-final to Catalans was an experience they have learned from, and has shaped them in terms of the way they approach big games. Sometimes out of those negative experiences, you can draw a lot of positives.”

Saints, who head into the game on the back of a gruelling Super League defeat to the French side which robbed them of influential duo James Roby and Mark Percival due to failed head injury assessments, certainly hold no fear for Lam’s buoyant side.

Lam’s men hit back from a 12-point half-time deficit to sink Saints 20-12 in their previous meeting in March, and have since forged a remarkable run of 12 wins in 13 games which has seemingly cemented their improbable place in the end-of-season play-offs.

For the Leigh-born former Saints hero Tommy Martyn, Lam and Beaumont have breathed new life into a club and a town for so long considered a “laughing stock” in rugby league circles for their inability to hold down a regular top-flight place.

Martyn, who played in Saints’ victorious 1996 and 1997 Challenge Cup final wins and also won Grand Finals and the World Club Challenge before ending his career with his home-town club, told the PA news agency: “It is the only thing anyone in Leigh is talking about.

“When I was growing up it was a golden era, winning the First Division title in 1982, and the town was booming then like it’s booming now. For so long the club was seen as a laughing stock. What Derek and Adrian have achieved is remarkable.”

Leigh’s stunning rise has been built on solid foundations, from a front row featuring stand-out prop John Asiata and mercurial hooker Edwin Ipape, to the flair in their three-quarters including the current joint-top Super League try-scorer, Josh Charnley.

But in a warning to Saints and the other clubs whom they must still face in their unlikely quest for silverware this season, Lam believes his side are still searching for their best.

“We pride ourselves on our identity but there are also one or two more levels we can keep improving on, and everyone agrees about that, so that’s the exciting part,” said Lam.

“We know the challenge ahead of us, we know it’s a massive mountain to climb, but the way this season has been rolling, if we can turn up and give our absolute best and be that same consistent side, I know we will give ourselves a chance.”

Ireland full-back Jimmy O’Brien insists that Johnny Sexton’s three-match ban will not affect the team ahead of their preparations for the World Cup.

Sexton was handed the suspension for misconduct after becoming involved in what appeared to be a heated exchange with match officials towards the end of Leinster’s Champions Cup final defeat to La Rochelle.

The ban means that the 38-year-old fly-half will miss Ireland’s three warm-up fixtures, but he will be available for their opening World Cup match against Romania in Bordeaux.

O’Brien told BBC Sport: “It is what it is.

“We’ll just keep going, and other lads will get a chance [to play in the warm-up games]. He’ll be back for the World Cup, and it hasn’t really affected us much.”

Ireland are set to get their World Cup preparations under way with warm-ups against Italy, England and Samoa in August.

The tournament then begins in France in September with Ireland drawn in Pool B alongside Romania, Scotland, Tonga and current holders South Africa.

O’Brien has earned five caps for Ireland and is hoping to make the most of the opportunities provided in August’s warm-up matches.

“Hopefully I get a chance to play in a few of them,” the Leinster back added.

“There are so many good players I’m sure everyone will be the same and they’ll all get a chance. Whenever I play, hopefully I play well and put my hand up.”

Flanker Lewis Ludlam says England’s players are self-policing the consumption of sweet treats in a bid to be in peak condition for a shot at World Cup glory.

Steve Borthwick’s preliminary squad are in the midst of preparations for the tournament in France, which kicks off in just seven weeks’ time.

Players were last week put through their paces in the heat of Italy before returning to home soil to continue building towards next month’s four warm-up fixtures.

Northampton captain Ludlam revealed diet rules and weight monitoring have been relaxed slightly since head coach Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones.

Yet, after exclaiming he had not “seen cake in weeks” after spotting a buffet at the team’s Surrey training base, the 27-year-old insists players are not allowing each other to give in to temptation.

“The regime has changed in that it’s not as much forced upon you – you’ve got the trust to do everything the right way so we are in the best position to go and put ourselves in the best spot this World Cup,” he said.

“There’s a general feeling amongst the squad that we’ve got to be on the money and making sure we’re making decisions so we are better rugby players the next week and the next month.

“It is a good group of lads and we keep each other in check.

“There might be a birthday cake here and there but I think the lads are pretty understanding of what’s ahead of us.

“In the grand scheme of things, it is a short time in our career when we can be really on it to give ourselves the chance of creating some really special memories.”

England take on Wales home and away in early August and then face Six Nations champions Ireland in Dublin and Fiji at Twickenham before heading to France to begin their Pool D campaign against Argentina on September 9 in Marseille.

Borthwick’s appointment last December led to Saints star Ludlam being surrounded at Test level by a management team previously in charge of his club’s fierce rivals Leicester.

The 19-cap back-row forward initially found it strange setting aside hostilities and having old enemies as allies.

But he believes the England setup – led by former Tigers coaches Borthwick, Richard Wigglesworth, Aled Walters, Kevin Sinfield and Tom Harrison – is beginning to feel like a club environment.

“It was weird to get over in the beginning, especially Tom, who obviously loves Leicester and having been up against him a few times,” said Ludlam.

“Now, because we’ve been in camp for a long period of time – we don’t normally get this long period without games – it’s starting to feel like a club coming together rather than an international team where you’re only in for six weeks or whatever.

“It’s starting to come together really nicely into one unit.”

England’s final 33-man World Cup selection is due to be announced on August 7.

Injured quintet Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Ollie Lawrence, Ollie Chessum and Jack Walker, who were not included in Borthwick’s initial 41-strong training squad, are continuing their rehabilitation.

“They’re good, they’re on their programmes and working extremely hard to get themselves ready,” said scrum coach Harrison.

“Everyone’s got different timescales but they’re doing their best to be available.”