England have been watching footage of their calamitous defeat by Fiji in August as a reminder of what not to do in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final.
Fiji stormed Twickenham 30-22 to claim their first ever victory over the red rose in eight meetings and defence coach Kevin Sinfield has been showing clips of the worst moments to the squad ahead of the rematch in Marseille.
To offset memories of the one the nation’s lowest ebbs, Sinfield has also been demonstrating to England how far they have successfully rebuilt come since that grim day.
“That match has been brought up this week. We would have been stupid not to because it was almost like a line in the sand, something for us to step forward from,” hooker Jamie George said.
“We learned a huge amount that week and we are a significantly better side on the back of it.
“We weren’t physical enough and some clips have been shown because it is a reminder we can’t be that team again, playing against a very, very good Fiji who are very dangerous when you give them what they want.
“Kev Sinfield said ‘I wasn’t sure about showing you this, but we can’t be this team again’.
“We are still hurting from performances like that, I still hurt from performances three years ago. You don’t like to be reminded of those things but if that can fuel the fire then why not?
“It has been received really well and the way we trained today (Wednesday) showed our intent is going to be very different, there was a bite to training.
“We probably got a few things wrong tactically during the week of that game but emotionally and physically we were off as well for whatever reason. It was us not being the England team we wanted to be.
“Fiji running riot at Twickenham and it’s been like ‘that can’t happen’ and then showing some positive clips of where we have come to now, how we have defended through the World Cup.”
Since that victory, the Islanders’ progress has been mixed with the narrowest of defeats to Wales and a victory over Australia, followed by an escape against Georgia and shock loss to Portugal.
They grew steadily worse as Pool C unfolded, perhaps in evidence of the pressure they are under to meet the expectations of a hopeful nation and at being cast as darlings of the World Cup.
England are significant favourites heading into the Stade Velodrome showdown but lightning could strike twice against one of the most naturally gifted teams in the tournament.
“I’m a fan of their work. I like how they have grown their set piece, everyone talks about Fiji and thinks about their offloading game, which they are fantastic at, they talk about the way they move the ball but they are a team that if you break it down are based around the set piece,” George said.
“They have big men in the pack who know what they are doing, they have played in top leagues for a long time. The way they have evolved their game is impressive and they deserve to be in this quarter-final.”
Jamie George says England will call upon all their big-game experience to overcome Fiji in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final.
England have appeared in the last eight of the tournament in all but one of its editions – on home soil in 2015 – and reached the final four years ago when they lost 32-12 to South Africa in Yokohama.
Of that matchday 23, there are 15 survivors currently in Steve Borthwick’s squad who are continuing preparations for the Stade Velodrome showdown.
Fiji, meanwhile, are appearing in the knockout phase for only the third time and their first since 2007, placing a question mark over their ability to deliver when the pressure is on.
“We can’t shy away from the fact this is probably one of the biggest games we are ever going to play in,” Saracens hooker George said.
“We’ve got a lot of players who have been there and done that on some big stages. We’ve got players who have experience of a World Cup final and the latter stages of World Cups and some players who are playing in their fourth World Cup.
“We’ve got a great group of senior players who are very open and honest with the younger players who this could be intimidating for.
“But this is why we’re here. We want to play on the biggest stage, the quarter-final of a World Cup is exactly where we want to be. Next week want we to be in the semi-final and so on.
“These are exciting times and the more experienced players need to draw on their experiences and make sure everyone is in the right spirit going into the weekend.”
Simon Raiwalui’s men are regarded as the most complete Fiji team to have emerged from a nation of 925,000, even if their group campaign ended with a seismic upset by Portugal.
They have become less reliant on their historical strengths such as outrageous running skills and athletic offloads to become a force at the breakdown and the scrum.
Their line-out remains a recurring weakness, however, and this vulnerability will be targeted relentlessly by England with head coach Steve Borthwick and consultant coach George Kruis plotting their downfall.
“Fiji’s set piece as a whole has got better. Portugal targeted their line-out in particular and that was very interesting, particularly in how they went about it,” George said.
“We’ve got some complete line-out pigs in our team. George Kruis coming in, who is a complete nause and obviously Steve Borthwick – his father! – doing a lot.
“Their conversations together are not necessarily fascinating, but they are going to be coming up with a very good plan.
“We trust in that plan and we are going to try and put Fiji under a huge amount of pressure in that area. We trust the line-out pigs to be coming up with a good plan.”
Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan is delighted to have “X-factor” wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe fit and ready to join him for a blockbuster World Cup quarter-final with the All Blacks.
Hansen appeared to be a major doubt for Saturday’s Stade de France clash after sitting out training on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a calf problem sustained in last weekend’s 36-14 win over Scotland.
Lowe has also overcome injury – an eye issue suffered against the Scots – to retain his starting role for the crunch meeting with his native New Zealand.
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Ireland ended their final Pool B fixture in unfamiliar fashion with a scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park on the left flank and centre Garry Ringrose on the right.
Head coach Andy Farrell has been able to name an unchanged starting XV for a titanic last-eight encounter, including a first-choice backline.
“Its brilliant,” said Keenan. “We finished the game with an interesting back three.
“Jamo did a brilliant job, didn’t he? He is such a creative player, so exciting, so he slotted in well on the wing.
“To have the two lads back again brings a bit of X-factor to the back three. I always enjoy playing with them so great news.”
Hansen on Tuesday watched from the stands at Ireland’s training base of Stade des Fauvettes in the northern outskirts of Paris and was again absent on Wednesday, while Lowe took part in both sessions.
Veteran Keith Earls was thought to be pushing for a first appearance since the opening weekend of the tournament before Farrell sprung a surprise with his team announcement.
Referring to Australia-born Hansen, the coach said: “Everyone is very confident that he’s going to be fine for the game.”
Ireland propelled themselves to the top of the world rankings courtesy of last summer’s landmark 2-1 tour success in New Zealand, in addition to launching their current run of 17 consecutive victories.
Farrell’s in-form side have enjoyed a growing rivalry with the All Blacks, winning three of four meetings during his tenure and four of six overall.
“We haven’t played them for over a year now,” said Keenan. “They will have improved massively.
“They will have taken the learnings from those games and they’ll come out gunning for us as well.”
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Lock Tadhg Beirne, who started all three Tests against New Zealand in 2022, feels there is a healthy respect between the two nations.
“Rugby is one of those games where, when you go on to the field, you go to beat the crap out of each other for 80 minutes and when you step off it, you’re very happy to grab a beer with your opposition number and enjoy the moments afterwards,” he said. “It’s no different with New Zealand.
“One thing I will remember from New Zealand is after the last Test, we had beaten them and we ran out of beer pretty quickly.
“The New Zealand squad were pretty quick to bring in their beer and leave us celebrating. That’s respect too, off-field respect.
“It will be no different on Saturday, we’re both going to go at it for 80 minutes and we’ll be very happy to walk in and have a beer in the changing room with them, for sure.”
Johnny Sexton says Ireland are braced for the “toughest game we’ve ever faced” ahead of a mouthwatering Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand in Paris.
The world’s top-ranked nation are seeking an 18th consecutive win to reach the last four of the tournament for the first time.
Captain Sexton has faced the formidable All Blacks many times across his distinguished career, including leading his country to an historic tour success last summer.
The 38-year-old, who will retire after the tournament, said: “I haven’t thought once about what personally the game means.
“It’s all about the team and progressing in the competition, that’s all we’re thinking about.
“I’ve had some great battles with New Zealand over the years with Ireland and the (British and Irish) Lions and what you learn is that every game is as tough as the last, no matter what the result.
“And that’s what we’re preparing for: the toughest game we’ve ever faced and we’re trying to put ourselves in the frame of mind that we’re going to be ready for it.”
Ireland have the upper hand in recent meetings with the three-time world champions, winning three of four during the Andy Farrell era and four of the last six.
Sexton believes his side have put themselves in position to go and win the World Cup – an achievement he feels would have been unthinkable during his childhood.
And the veteran fly-half does not feel unduly burdened by the importance of the occasion.
“Trying to win a World Cup, it’s something to go and get, it’s not something that puts pressure on me,” said Sexton.
“It’s something you dream of, probably not as a kid because when we were kids we didn’t dream of Ireland winning the World Cup.
“I suppose we’ve put ourselves in a position now to go and do that.
“But it’s something to go and get, it’s not something to be pressured about.
“It’s all geared up towards a massive game on Saturday, a massive challenge for this team, the biggest we’ve faced, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Ireland’s string of previous quarter-final failures is well documented.
Sexton, who is playing at his fourth World Cup, dismissed the significance of those past disappointments.
“We’ve worked on our mental game for the last four years,” he said.
“We’ve put ourselves in different scenarios over the last four years to prepare for this.
“But each quarter-final that we haven’t got through, or when we haven’t got through our pool, they’ve all been different and it’s a different group again.
“Each of those groups lost once, it wasn’t the same group losing quarter-finals year after year.
“If it was club rugby, it would probably be a bigger hurdle, but it’s a different group. I don’t think we’re carrying much baggage. It’s a one-off game and we’ve got to prepare for it now.”
Head coach Farrell has named an unchanged starting XV for the crunch clash in the French capital after securing top spot in Pool B with last weekend’s 36-14 success over Scotland.
Wing Mack Hansen sustained a calf issue in that match but, despite sitting out training on Tuesday and Wednesday, has been deemed ready to play.
Farrell insists the Australia-born Connacht wing is fully fit.
“He is, yeah,” said the Englishman.
“He obviously had a few things to do at the beginning of the week but he’s coming good and everyone is very confident that he’s going to be fine for the game – no problems.”
Injured lock James Ryan has dropped out of the matchday 23 but is expected to be available for the semi-final stage.
Test rookies Joe McCarthy and Jimmy O’Brien are among the replacements.
“James Ryan is out with a wrist injury that has been sorted,” said Farrell.
“We expect him to be fit for next week, if we’re able to get that far.”
Jac Morgan has received a ringing endorsement of his all-round quality as he prepares for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final appointment with Argentina.
Wales co-captain Morgan is expected to skipper the side, as he did for critical pool-stage victories over Fiji and Australia, against the Pumas in Marseille.
The Ospreys forward has arguably been Wales’ outstanding player of the tournament and it has earned him acclaim after displaying similar attributes to former back-row stars Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric.
Warburton was 22 – a year younger than Morgan – when he captained Wales to the 2011 World Cup semi-finals and similarities have often been made between the two.
Morgan, though, has also shown the attacking skills and footballing ability that Tipuric, who announced his retirement from Test rugby earlier this year, was renowned for.
“There is a work ethic there, a hunger to be the best, all those similarities,” Wales assistant coach and former international back-row forward Jonathan Thomas said.
“It is really interesting, because you had quite contrasting players in Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric.
“Both world-class players, but quite contrasting in their styles. Jac is probably a bit of a hybrid of both, if that makes sense.
“Jac is pretty physical, hard-working – characteristics that Sam had. But he has also got a good skill-set, a bit like Tips, with some of those nice kicks he has done.
“He is obviously young and he will be learning and growing through his experience as well.
“He is a really humble kid and he will know he is not the finished article at this stage, but he has got a really good balance to his game.”
Morgan will feature in a reshaped Wales back-row following a tournament-ending injury suffered by number eight Taulupe Faletau against Georgia last weekend.
Faletau broke his arm during that game, with Aaron Wainwight widely expected to be switched from blindside flanker and handed the number eight shirt.
That could mean Morgan moving from openside to blindside, with Tommy Reffell completing the back-row trio, while Dan Lydiate and Christ Tshiunza also provide options.
“Gats (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) from the outset wanted people to express their individuality and focus on what their super-strength is,” Thomas added.
“We’ve had a bit of a theme about relating your individual ability to a superhero.
“It wouldn’t work if you went into a game trying to be Toby (Faletau). You’ve got to be yourself and show your particular super-strength.
“Toby is an obvious loss to the team, but I think where this team is at at the moment and what we are about is that we are a team.
“We have a way that we want to play and whoever slots in is really clear on the team objective and then he has to bring his own individual super-strength to the team. You can’t try to say to a player that you need to play like Toby.
“A game of rugby is each individual expressing themselves, but also doing their job for the team. Whoever gets selected will hone into whatever the team objective is and how we want to play.”
Gatland will name his side on Thursday, with fly-half Dan Biggar expected to return following a pectoral muscle injury that forced him off early against Australia.
Gareth Anscombe looks likely to provide bench cover for Biggar if he recovers in time from a groin problem, and full-back Liam Williams took a blow to his knee during the Georgia match.
Thomas on Tuesday described the situation as “pretty positive” regarding Anscombe and Williams in their quest to be available for selection.
Mack Hansen has been included in an unchanged Ireland starting XV for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand in Paris.
Connacht wing Hansen sat out training this week but has seemingly overcome the calf issue suffered in last weekend’s 36-14 victory over Scotland.
Lock James Ryan, who sustained a hand injury against the Scots following his introduction as a replacement, and centre Stuart McCloskey drop out of Andy Farrell’s matchday 23.
Second-row Joe McCarthy – the youngest member of Ireland’s 33-man squad at 22 – and versatile back Jimmy O’Brien, the only player yet to feature in France, have been added to the bench.
Wing James Lowe has been selected to face the country of his birth after overcoming the eye problem he sustained in Ireland’s final Pool B fixture.
Fellow native Kiwis Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki will also take on the All Blacks at Stade de France.
But centre Robbie Henshaw and wing Keith Earls, who have been troubled by hamstring issues, will once again be absent.
Ireland are seeking to secure a maiden World Cup semi-final by stretching their winning run to 18 Tests, which would equal the tier one record shared by New Zealand and England.
Captain Johnny Sexton will once again partner scrum-half Gibson-Park, who shifted to the left wing following Lowe’s departure last weekend, while Aki continues alongside Garry Ringrose in midfield.
Hansen and Lowe are joined in a familiar backline by full-back Hugo Keenan.
Leinster trio Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong continue in the front row, ahead of locks Tadhg Beirne and Iain Henderson.
Flankers Peter O’Mahony and Josh Van Der Flier line up either side of number eight Caelan Doris.
Test rookies McCarthy and O’Brien are joined on the bench by hooker Ronan Kelleher, props Dave Kilcoyne and Finlay Bealham, back-rower Jack Conan, scrum-half Conor Murray and fly-half Jack Crowley.
Ireland team: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), G Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); J Sexton (Leinster, capt), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), I Henderson (Ulster), P O’Mahony (Munster), J Van Der Flier (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), F Bealham (Connacht), J McCarthy (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), J O’Brien (Leinster).
Billy Vunipola insists England are comfortable being cast as the pantomime villains of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji in Marseille.
England face the darlings of the tournament with their opponents at Stade Velodrome adopting the role of everyone’s second favourite team due to their all-action style of play and underdog status.
There is also a desire to see a Pacific Islands nation progress deep into the World Cup given they produce some of the game’s finest players who contribute significantly to overseas leagues.
Every neutral will be cheering them on but Vunipola insisted England were ready to spoil the party and in the process challenge the perception that only France, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa were capable of lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy.
“I would not say Fiji is their second favourite, I would say England is their first least-favourite team,” the Saracens number eight said.
“In terms of being public enemy number one, we are happy to take that mantle.
“We are seeing a lot of teams being talked up. Apparently there’s a top four in international rugby. I didn’t know that there was a table. We are quietly going about our work and confidently going about our work.
“Our plan is to play well firstly against Fiji and deal with whatever happens after that, after Fiji.”
England are wary of the breakdown threat posed by Simon Raiwalui’s team and are seeking clarification from Sunday’s referee Mathieu Raynal over how the contest on the floor will be officiated.
Steve Borthwick has noted the number of breakdown penalties won by Fiji so far at the World Cup – they were awarded 11 in their group victory over Australia alone – and their sheer volume of jackal attempts.
At the heart of their threat in this area is openside Levani Botia, who Vunipola knows must be nullified at all costs.
“The best thing about him is his technique. He’s got a very low centre of gravity. As a former 12 who has been repositioned to seven, he’s very fast around making the decision whether to go for the ball or not,” Vunipola said.
“Again, it’s his height. If you give him an opportunity it becomes tough, but it’s not just him. They’ve got other threats in terms of jackallers.”
England name their starting XV and bench on Friday and the greatest area of intrigue is the fly-half duel between George Ford and Owen Farrell.
Ford was man of the match against Argentina and Japan and is the form 10, but Farrell is the squad’s captain and talisman.
The two were paired together against Samoa on Saturday, but they faded as a creative axis amid a poor team performance and the experiment of reviving their partnership could be over.
“Owen’s a winner. That term gets thrown around quite a bit but that’s Owen. Under the harshest of pressures and biggest of moments, he tends to get better,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.
“That is a sign of a winner. He doesn’t just get better but has more of an impact on the people around him as well. We know what gets said about Owen.
“He’s the highest ever points-scorer for England, delivers time and time again and those players tend to catch the most flak for some reason.
“We’re lucky to have him. He will no doubt have a massive impact on this week and this game.”
Wales say that fly-half talisman Dan Biggar is fit for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash against Argentina on Saturday.
Biggar went off after just 12 minutes of Wales’ record 40-6 win against Australia during an unbeaten march through Pool C.
He suffered a pectoral muscle strain and was an unused replacement for the Georgia game last weekend, having been rushed on to the bench when Sam Costelow was summoned to start instead of an injured Gareth Anscombe.
When asked if Biggar was fit to face the Pumas in Marseille, Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas said: “Yes.”
There is also encouraging news about Anscombe and full-back Liam Williams.
Anscombe withdrew 45 minutes before kick-off against Georgia due to a groin problem, while Williams was on crutches after taking a blow to his knee.
Those issues came on top of number eight Taulupe Faletau breaking his arm and being ruled out of the tournament remainder.
“At this stage, it is looking positive,” Thomas said, of Anscombe and Williams. “Every day it will evolve. It is probably not as bad as first feared.
“The crutches thing was to try and offload any pressure. It doesn’t mean he (Williams) has done anything severe. He was jogging about today with the medics.
“I saw him (Anscombe) jogging around on the pitch, along with Liam today.
“The first 48 hours after you have a knock is very important in terms of assessing it. With both Liam and Gareth, it is pretty positive.
“That is not me committing to saying they are definitely going to be available. It is an ongoing thing. They were both running around today with the medics, and they will try to progress that each day.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland is due to name his starting line-up on Thursday, with Aaron Wainwright expected to move from blindside flanker as Faletau’s replacement.
That could then mean captain Jac Morgan wearing the number six shirt and Tommy Reffell starting at openside, although Dan Lydiate and Christ Tshiunza could also be back-row options.
Thomas added: “There was definitely a little bit of a cloud over the victory (against Georgia) because of what happened to Taulupe.
“We have been together for a long time as a whole group, and you build relationships and you become a little bit like a family. When one of your brothers has to leave, it is tough.
“It is what it is. You have got to deal with it and you have got to move on. That is sport and the harsh reality of it.”
Wales face Argentina for the first time in a World Cup game since 1999, and they will start as favourites after collecting 19 points from a possible 20 in their group.
Argentina, in contrast, lost to 14-man England and were unconvincing against Samoa, before clinching qualification by beating Japan.
“For us as a collective, our goal from day one has been to get to knockout rugby,” Thomas said.
“We have achieved that, but we are not satisfied with just getting to the quarter-finals.
“When you get to this stage, any team on their day can beat anyone. There are quality teams and quality players in the last eight.
“I thought they (Argentina) looked more cohesive in their last game against Japan in terms of their attack.
“If you win your first game in the Six Nations, momentum is huge, and it is the same with the World Cup. Every team at this stage will feel confident and feel they have momentum on their side.”
James Ryan and Mack Hansen are major doubts for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand after missing training on Tuesday.
Lock Ryan was absent from the session on the northern outskirts of Paris, while wing Hansen watched on from the stands.
In more positive news for Andy Farrell, wings James Lowe and Keith Earls and centre Robbie Henshaw did participate.
Head coach Farrell will on Wednesday name his team for Saturday evening’s last-eight showdown with the All Blacks at Stade de France.
Vice-captain Ryan sustained a hand issue in his side’s 36-14 weekend win over Scotland and was due to see a specialist on Monday.
The PA news agency understands the 27-year-old has returned to Dublin for a scan.
Hansen went off for a head injury assessment against the Scots and then sustained a calf problem just minutes after returning to the field.
The Connacht back began the morning training session at Stade des Fauvettes in the terraces then moved down to a pitch-side dugout before media departed.
Lowe was withdrawn at half-time in the victory over Gregor Townsend’s side due to an eye issue. The Leinster player wore a white bib for the session to indicate he was not ready for full contact.
Veteran Earls could be in line to replace Hansen after overcoming the hamstring niggle which ruled him out against the Scots.
The 36-year-old seemed in good spirits and allayed fears about his fitness when speaking to the press on Monday.
Meanwhile, Henshaw appears to be making a quicker than expected recovery from his own hamstring issue after initial estimates suggested he would be sidelined until at least the semi-final stage of the tournament.
Team manager Mick Kearney said on Monday that no member of the 33-man squad had been ruled out.
Ireland will not provide a further squad fitness update to media until after Farrell’s team announcement, which has been brought forward by 24 hours.
The Englishman expressed displeasure with the condition of the pitch at Ireland’s training base.
He raised concerns about sprinklers on the surface of the field potentially causing further injuries to players and proceeded to cover them with cones.
Keith Earls insists in-form Ireland have eradicated habits instilled by Joe Schmidt ahead of a reunion with their former head coach in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.
Schmidt led the Irish into the previous two World Cups, both of which ended with disappointing last-eight exits, before joining the All Blacks’ coaching team last summer.
The 58-year-old’s largely positive six-year tenure culminated in a 46-14 hammering at the hands of the Kiwis at the 2019 tournament in Japan before he was succeeded by his assistant Andy Farrell.
Schmidt is now plotting the downfall of his former employers after switching sides, with Ireland seeking to make history in Paris by stretching their winning run to 18 matches to reach a maiden semi-final.
New Zealand boss Ian Foster publicly outlined plans to tap into Schmidt’s extensive knowledge of the opposition, but Munster wing Earls dismissed the merits of doing so.
“I don’t think Joe would know anything about this squad,” said the 36-year-old. “We’re a completely different squad.
“He probably knows things about individuals but, again, we’ve all changed our habits under this coaching staff and we genuinely don’t use any of the habits that Joe taught us.
“Look, he might have a thing on a couple of individuals, but we’re certainly not the same team that played under Joe.”
Schmidt was due to join the set-up of his native New Zealand following last summer’s three-match home series against Ireland, but he was rushed in early after Covid-19 sidelined Foster and some of his staff.
The All Blacks won the first Test but lost the next two as Ireland launched their current winning streak with a historic tour triumph.
Veteran Earls believes that landmark achievement gave Ireland greater belief, which was enhanced further by this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam success.
Yet he concedes they would be foolish to underestimate the three-time world champions, who have scored 240 points and 36 tries across thrashings of Namibia, Italy and Uruguay following an opening-night defeat to hosts France.
“This tournament is a different animal,” said Earls.
“I know we have beaten New Zealand a few times in the last few years, but they have obviously taught us one or two lessons in between that and beaten us by more than one score.
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“We’re under no illusion as to what is coming at the weekend.
“People speak about New Zealand the last year or two that they’ve dipped in performances, but what we’ve seen in this World Cup, they’re starting to come back with a roar.
“After the French game it’s obviously ignited some spark in them. They’re starting to hit their stride again.
“We’re certainly not undermining New Zealand, you would be very silly to do that.
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“I have no doubt they will be highly emotional and looking for revenge and bring everything they have.”
Earls hopes to be available to add to his 101 caps after sitting out last weekend’s victory over Scotland due to a hamstring niggle.
He also missed Ireland’s landmark first win over the All Blacks in 2016 in Chicago through suspension, a result, masterminded by Schmidt, which he credits for helping to improve Ireland’s self-image.
“As Irish people, we can lack a lot of confidence and be a small bit too humble at times,” he said.
“We’ve done an awful lot of work on ourselves to believe that we can play a certain brand of rugby that can make us compete with anyone in the world.”
Ollie Chessum has warned Fiji that they did not face the true England in their historic victory at Twickenham in August.
England’s build-up to the World Cup reached its lowest ebb when they lost to the Islanders for the first time in eight meetings, at the same time registering a fifth defeat in six Tests.
They have since regrouped by stitching together four wins to finish top of Pool D and their next obstacle is the rematch when the rivals clash in the quarter-finals in Marseille on Sunday.
“Fiji bring a lot of free-flowing rugby and a lot of offloading. They’re big, powerful men that come off the back fence and they’re a physical team,” Leicester lock Chessum said.
View this post on Instagram“They picked us apart, really, at Twickenham. We weren’t really ourselves – we weren’t anywhere near good enough.“A few weeks have gone by since then and we’ve learned from our mistakes. We feel like we’ve been building nicely. We know what to expect from Fiji.”
England’s preparations for the last-eight showdown begin in earnest on Tuesday and they are in the enviable position of operating with a clean bill of health.
Sam Underhill has joined up with the squad after Jack Willis was ruled out of the tournament by a neck injury and the Bath flanker is in contention for a place in the matchday 23 named by Steve Borthwick on Friday.
The prize on offer is a semi-final against France or South Africa and defence coach Kevin Sinfield has urged England’s players to seize the moment.
“I think these are the best weeks. There’s certainly an added pressure. If you don’t get it right you are going home,” rugby league great Sinfield said.
“I know everyone has missed home throughout this period but when you get to this point you are not ready for the competition to finish.
“You want to squeeze as much as you can out of it and you want to be in it for as long as you can. We look forward to the game.
“We understand the consequences of getting it right and we also understand the consequences of getting it wrong, so we will be doing everything we can to make sure we get it right.”
Scotland suffered a demoralising pool-stage exit from the World Cup after being unable to get the big win they needed against Ireland.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at how the tournament unfolded for Gregor Townsend’s side.
Hype and expectation
Everything seemed possible for the Scots when they first touched down in sun-drenched Nice just over five weeks ago, fresh from an encouraging summer in which they had produced two rousing displays against France and beaten Italy and Georgia to cement their status as the fifth-ranked team in the world. At their welcome ceremony their former player John Jeffrey – in his guise as World Rugby’s vice-chair – told everyone in attendance “this is without doubt the best ever Scotland team to take the field”.
False start against the Springboks
After all the anticipation and pre-tournament optimism, Scotland fell flat in their opener in Marseille, failing to land a meaningful blow as defending champions South Africa stifled the life out of them. Losing 18-3, it was the Scots’ lowest-scoring outing since the opening game of the previous World Cup.
The long, idle fortnight
The Scots had a full two weeks to lick their wounds following their demoralising start. With no game on the second weekend of the tournament, the players were given a few days’ downtime with family immediately after the South Africa loss. Even when not in action, however, the Scots’ qualification hopes suffered a further blow as Ireland defeated the Springboks.
Cherry bows out
One of the most notable stories of that week was hooker Dave Cherry’s withdrawal from the squad after suffering concussion when falling on stairs on the way to his bedroom following a team day off. Cherry, 32, had made his World Cup debut as a substitute against South Africa the previous day. The Edinburgh forward at least had the consolation of going home to welcome his baby daughter into the world later in the month.
McInally’s emotional roller-coaster
Stuart McInally became one of the big stories of Scotland’s World Cup without actually getting to see a minute’s action. The 33-year-old hooker announced in April he would be retiring after the tournament. He was named in the provisional 41-man squad in May, then cut from the final 33 in August, called out to France as cover when Ewan Ashman suffered concussion before the Boks game and then flew home when his fellow hooker recovered. It looked like the fairytale career swansong was on when McInally – on 49 caps – got the call to officially join the squad after Cherry’s withdrawal, but cruelly he had to pull out himself just over a week later after suffering a neck injury.
Back on track
Scotland needed bonus-point wins over Tonga and Romania to keep their slim qualification hopes alive and they duly obliged with comfortable 45-17 and 84-0 victories. The two wins featured 19 tries for the Scots, with five of them scored by Darcy Graham, who climbed to joint second on the national team’s all-time try-scoring list with 24, just three shy of record-holder Stuart Hogg.
Matthews’ big moment
After the misfortune of his fellow hookers Cherry and McInally, 30-year-old Johnny Matthews – effectively the sixth-choice in his position – was called up after the Tonga game, having never previously won a full cap. Just over 10 minutes after entering the fray for his debut against Romania in Lille, the Glasgow forward bolted over to mark his unlikely international bow by scoring the Scots’ 10th try of the match.
Outclassed by Ireland
Those triumphs over Tonga and Romania helped revive Scottish morale and sparked hope of pulling off a shock win over Ireland to qualify for the quarter-finals. The Scots needed to beat the world’s number one team – whom they had not defeated since 2017 – either with a bonus point or by denying their opponents a losing bonus. All the pre-match talk of permutations was rendered pointless, however, as the Irish raced into a 36-0 lead. Scotland rallied to make the scoreline a more respectable 36-14, but the damage was done.
Killed in the group of death
Ultimately – as a result of the pool draw being made almost three years ago – Scotland were undone by sharing a group with the two nations who began this tournament as the top-ranked pair in the world, Ireland and South Africa. Over the past year the Scots have beaten each of the four sides who reached the quarter-finals in the opposite side of a lop-sided draw – England, Fiji, Wales and Argentina – but, despite the undoubted progress they have made in recent years, they remain a considerable way short of the level of the game’s four current heavyweights.
Wales’ head of physical performance Huw Bennett says that Gareth Anscombe and Liam Williams are “recovering well” from injuries ahead of their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.
Fly-half Anscombe suffered a groin problem during the warm-up when Wales tackled Georgia on Saturday and withdrew 45 minutes before kick-off.
Full-back Williams, meanwhile, was on crutches after taking a blow to his knee.
And Dan Biggar, who was called on to the bench against Georgia but not used, has been continuing his recovery from a strained pectoral muscle that prompted an early exit during Wales’ record 40-6 victory over Australia.
On Anscombe and Williams, Bennett said: “They are good, recovering well.
“Liam was noted on crutches after the game, but that was just precautionary. And Gareth, it was upsetting to make a last-minute call, but he is recovering well.
“As far as I am aware everyone is available for selection.”
Number eight Taulupe Faletau suffered a broken arm in the Georgia match and will take no further part in the tournament.
Wales, though, are happy with their back-row options, and scrum-half Kieran Hardy has joined the squad as a replacement, adding to resources in that position alongside Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams.
Bennett added: “Kieran was a big part of our group in the 54-man (training) squad in the camps.
“We have been keeping tabs on players on the short-list, making sure they are ready to go.
“Kieran is a great professional, so on that basis we are happy to see him coming into the group and he has got a great relationship with the players as well.
“It has been well-documented – losing Taulupe Faletau is massive for Wales. He is a big character and leads by example.
“After the (Georgia) game we were happy for the victory, but losing Taulupe put a sobering stamp on things.”
Wales face the Pumas in Marseille on Saturday. It will be the countries’ first World Cup meeting for 24 years.
“This is what it is all about,” Bennett said.
“We got together on May 25, we have commented on the dark places we’ve been to in training, and that tends to come up as a reminder in the changing rooms before a game
“It is doing the little things throughout the week. All the effort, all the sacrifices in the camps, all the little things count this week.”
Will Rowlands says it was Wales’ “minimum standard” to reach the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
Wales have arrived at the knockout phase for a fourth successive tournament. They went on to make the last four in 2011 and 2019.
Argentina await in Marseille on Saturday, when Wales will start as favourites following an impressive pool-stage performance that saw them collect 19 points from a possible 20 and secure a quarter-final place with a game to spare.
It is all a far cry from last season’s Six Nations, when Wales only avoided the wooden spoon by beating Italy in Rome.
“There has been a lot of confidence in the squad about what we want to do. A clear message from the coaches,” Wales lock Rowlands said.
“We train well during the week and try and deliver on the weekend. We are just playing to our strengths, and the results have been spot on for us so far.
“The performances can get better, but we are just excited now to kick on and get to the real meat of the competition next weekend.
“It feels really exciting, we want to keep going in the tournament. For us, it was the minimum standard to get to this stage.
“We were confident that if we played the right game-plan, got the right players going in the right direction, then we knew we could beat other teams. We have proved that.
“That Fiji game (opening fixture) was tough. They played really well and put us under a lot of pressure, but we got the result and we have played better and better since then.”
It is less than four years since Rowlands made his Test debut, but he has developed into a pivotal part of the Wales pack during an international career now closing in on 30 caps.
His leadership has also been to the fore, and combined with his performances it makes him undoubtedly one of the first names on Wales’ team-sheet.
Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Jonathan Humphreys added: “He is a massive player for us.
“It is interesting to see his growth as a leader, and he drives a big part of the lineout defence.
“He is a big influence over this group, and he is a great character, he really is.
“To see him in terms of the effect he has on the game, in terms of the contacts and the physicality, he is a big player for us and he is turning into a big leader for us.”
Rowlands, meanwhile, even if he spends most of his time in close-quarter action, can readily appreciate the form of Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit.
Rees-Zammit has already scored five tries in the tournament, including a hat-trick against Georgia, to leave him one behind current pace-setter Damian Penaud.
“Give the ball to Zammo in a bit of space and you can almost stop running,” Rowlands said.
“Just let him run it in. He is electric and it is great to have him in the side.
“Zammo has probably been a bit frustrated the last few weeks with not getting the ball enough, but he was great (against Georgia).
“If we can get the ball to him more, then we know he will score more tries.”
Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher admits a “do or die” Rugby World Cup quarter-final with New Zealand is the stuff of dreams but plans to treat the biggest game of his career like any other.
Andy Farrell’s men set up a mouthwatering last-eight showdown with the three-time champions by stretching their remarkable winning run to 17 games to top Pool B ahead of title holders South Africa.
Yet Ireland have never reached a World Cup semi-final and were stuffed 46-14 by the formidable All Blacks at the same stage four years ago in Japan.
Tournament debutant Kelleher won the first of his 25 international caps immediately after his country’s emphatic exit in Tokyo, having being selected for the 2020 Six Nations campaign by head coach Farrell.
“I suppose it is something you’d dream about, on the big stage, probably the biggest game of my career so far,” the 25-year-old said of facing the Kiwis.
“As we’ve chatted throughout the week with the lads, you have to take each game as it comes.
“You just have to play the game in front of you and for me personally it’ll be treated like another Test match, just make sure I get across all my detail and preparation and, if selected, make sure I’m able to do a job.
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“We know it’s going to be a massive challenge, a huge Test match but one we’re really looking forward to. It’s obviously do or die.”
Ireland have won three of four meetings against New Zealand during Farrell’s reign.
Kelleher was part of the team which defeated the All Blacks 29-20 in November 2021 before missing last summer’s 2-1 tour success through injury.
Overall, the Six Nations champions have been victorious in five of the past eight matches between the nations, including a historic first win in Chicago in 2016 under Joe Schmidt.
Kelleher was still a schoolboy back then and suggested the run of results has helped to diminish the aura around the All Blacks.
“Yeah, I suppose,” he said. “But obviously we know how good a team they are and particularly how they play in big tournaments.
“I’m just looking forward to this weekend, we know it’s going to be a massive challenge, a huge Test match, but one we’re really looking forward to.”
Kelleher is likely to provide back up for Leinster team-mate Dan Sheehan at Stade de France after performing that role in Saturday’s 36-14 success over Scotland.
His absence from last year’s series in New Zealand came amid a string of frustrating injury setbacks which he now hopes are behind him.
“It’s great to be back out there,” he said.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to get some time in each of the games so far, so I’ve been absolutely delighted with that.
“As far as contributing, it’s been absolutely great. It’s about keeping that momentum going forward and we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”
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