Prop Andrew Porter insists every member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad believes Ireland can win the World Cup.

Rugby’s top-ranked nation are among the favourites for glory in France but have never won a knockout match at the tournament following a string of disappointing last-eight exits.

The Six Nations champions launched their campaign by dispatching Pool B minnows Romania 82-8 and on Saturday face Tonga in Nantes before pivotal Paris showdowns with title holders South Africa and Scotland.

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“I don’t think this squad does,” said the 27-year-old, who was part of the team eliminated 46-14 by New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

“We all have the belief that we can go and win. I don’t think anyone is too bothered with what’s happened in the past.

“Obviously there’s lads that have been in three World Cups and four World Cups, and it’s incredible to have their experience in the squad.

“But there’s not one player in the squad who doesn’t believe we can go and do this.

“I don’t think there is really any hang-ups about whatever you call it, ‘the curse’.”

Ireland face a major challenge to snap their unwanted World Cup record as they are likely to face a quarter-final clash with formidable hosts France or the All Blacks.

Farrell’s men must first secure progression from arguably the competition’s toughest group.

Ireland performance coach Gary Keegan, who works with players and management on mental preparation, believes head coach Farrell is “100 per cent convinced” of breaking new ground.

“It takes a leader who has the confidence in himself to want to break the mould and to want to reach for the stars,” said Keegan.

“Because if he’s not convinced that it can be achieved, it’s very hard to convince everybody else that it can be achieved.

“He’s 100 per cent convinced. That doesn’t mean there’s any guarantees in terms of where you end up.

“It’s about how we respond to difficulties as we face them. We’re not expecting the paths to be clear or easy. It’s not meant to be because it wouldn’t be worthwhile if it was.

“I think the group has always had that potential, there’s a lot of talent . One of the big changes is the empowerment that Andy provides to those players.

“There’s a very significant buy in to what we’re trying to achieve and a belief in how we’re trying to achieve it.”

Leinster player Porter shed around four kilograms and had a face “like a strawberry” during Saturday’s sweltering curtain-raiser in Bordeaux.

In addition to recovering from that gruelling experience, he and team-mates Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Joe McCarthy took time out from training to visit Clocheville Children’s Hospital in Ireland’s base city of Tours.

Porter, who aged 12 lost his mother Wendy to breast cancer and is involved with the Irish Cancer Society, found the experience “incredibly humbling”.

“It’s obviously a charity that’s close to my heart,” he said.

“It was a hospital for children with cancer, so it was incredibly humbling seeing how brave those kids were, and just kind of being able to brighten their day.

“It meant a lot to myself, and I’m sure the other players who were there as well.

“It’s obviously something I dealt with a lot when I was younger and didn’t have a lot of knowledge about it at the time.

“But, given my status, it’s incredibly important to use that status to benefit others and that’s what I’m going to try and do.”

Diminutive scrum-half Craig Casey is content to be the butt of the jokes after confirming his Ireland team-mates regularly “take the p***” regarding his height.

Casey is comfortably the smallest member of Andy Farrell’s 33-man World Cup squad at just 5ft 5in.

The 24-year-old was immediately teased after arriving in France when captain Johnny Sexton acted as though he was the team mascot during Ireland’s open training session in front of 12,000 spectators in their base city of Tours.

Munster player Casey, who emerged from the tunnel holding Sexton’s hand and then posed with him for a photograph, feels there is little point in rallying against the good-natured mockery, particularly with squad “sheriffs” imposing penalties.

“They like to take the p*** out of my height, as you can tell, but you just have to roll with it,” he said.

“I think if you don’t roll with it, you’ll probably be fined.

“There are a few sheriffs in the camp that keep everyone on their toes. I’d say if I fought against it, I would probably be in big trouble so I just get on with. It’s good craic.”

Casey, who is competing for action with Jamison Gibson-Park and Conor Murray, is still awaiting his World Cup bow after acting as water carrier during Saturday’s thumping 82-8 win over Romania in sweltering Bordeaux.

He hopes to be named in the matchday 23 for this weekend’s Pool B clash with Tonga in Nantes and believes it would be “unbelievable” to make his tournament debut.

“It’s exactly where you want to be as an Irish rugby player, at a World Cup being involved in this group,” he said.

“I think we’ve all talked about what the buzz has been for the last two or three years and it’s definitely increased since we got over here, the excitement levels within the group are brilliant.

“The first two weeks here were definitely hard work but we’re mixing it with the craic as well so it’s a very enjoyable place to be.

“It would be unbelievable to make my World Cup debut, if it happens. You have to be ready and when an opportunity does come, you’ve got to take it with both hands and try and cement your place.”

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After taking on Tonga, Ireland’s bid to reach the quarter-finals will be decided during pivotal Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland.

Casey and the majority of his team-mates gathered to see the Springboks defeat the Scots 18-3 on Sunday afternoon.

He is braced for a physical encounter against the reigning world champions on September 23 at Stade de France, while also expecting similar this coming weekend.

“There was a good 25 of us in the team room watching it, so there was a good buzz around that, a very physical game,” he said.

“Scotland played very well first half, as well as South Africa, definitely physical.

“(They) just outmuscled them in the end, that’s what we’re expecting in a few weeks, that physical encounter.”

Speaking about Tonga, Casey added: “We know how tough the Pacific island teams are and we’re going to have to be at our best.

“We’ve got to go up another level (from Romania).”

Will Rowlands played down his defensive heroics in Wales’ thrilling Rugby World Cup victory over Fiji, claiming “I just see it as me doing my job.”

Wales made a World Cup record of 253 tackles in the game, which they won 32-26, and lock Rowlands was at the heart it.

He delivered 27 tackles and missed none as Wales held on amid intense late pressure to claim a bonus-point win in their Pool C opener.

“I always find it a bit weird when the number of tackles becomes the headline because you defend in a system,” Rowlands said.

“Guys run at you and you tackle them. It’s nice people say nice things, but I just see it as me doing my job for the team.

“Five points against the Fijians is fantastic for us.

“We spoke about it today when we reviewed it that we did lots of things we wanted to do, and in the periods we were in control we built a nice little lead on them.

“And then there were parts of the game we need to look at and focus on which allowed them back into the game and set us up for a nervy finish, but game one, five points – very happy.

“We had gone into the World Cup feeling pretty confident, we had done some good work and we are in a good place going into the games physically.

“It was a big first game for us to play Fiji. They are a dangerous team. To get a win is fantastic, and now we focus on the next game with Portugal this weekend.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is set to name his starting line-up on Wednesday for the Portugal clash at Stade de Nice on Saturday.

And changes – possibly into double figures – could be made, especially considering the punishing nature of Fiji’s challenge and a six-day turnaround between games.

Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas said: “You will have seen for yourselves what a physical game it was and the amount of tackles we made. There are a number of sore bodies, but there are no injury concerns.

“The team gets named tomorrow but I think it is safe to say there will be changes. We’ve got complete and utter faith in our whole squad.

“I think what you will have seen from the Six Nations and then going into the three (World Cup) warm-up games, there have been opportunities for players.

“There were snapshots in those warm-up games where a number of players did particularly well.

“And that gives you the ability to make changes and freshen things up. It is a six-day turnaround, so it makes sense to make a few changes with the nature of the game we’ve just played.”

Players who could make their first starts of the tournament include full-back Leigh Halfpenny, wing Rio Dyer, centre Mason Grady, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Dan Lydiate.

Thomas added: “Are we satisfied with where we are at? There is always room for improvements for growth in our game. We are certainly not getting ahead of ourselves.

“Fiji are a team that hold possession particularly well, they are big powerful men with good ability, so they have the ability to maintain possession particularly well.

“We’ve got belief in our defensive structures. We are not afraid to play without the ball at times.”

Tom Curry will be available for England’s final World Cup group game after receiving a two-match ban for his dangerous tackle against Argentina on Saturday.

Curry was shown a red card that was upgraded from yellow upon review following a clash of heads with Pumas full-back Juan Cruz Mallia in the third minute at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.

A virtual disciplinary panel gave Curry a three-game suspension that will be reduced to two if he completes World Rugby’s ‘Coaching Intervention Programme’, otherwise known as tackle school.

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It means the Sale openside will be available to face Samoa in Lille on October 7 in England’s final Pool D assignment.

Billy Vunipola has been beasted in training for the past month in anticipation of his return from suspension for England’s World Cup clash with Japan.

Vunipola was banned for the final warm-up match against Fiji and Saturday’s 27-10 victory over Argentina that opened Pool D after being sent off for a dangerous tackle against Ireland last month.

The powerful Saracens number eight is expected to be involved in Sunday’s next group assignment in Nice, especially with Tom Curry facing a suspension for his red card against the Pumas.

To help prepare one of their most potent carriers after a four-week absence from the field, Vunipola has received special attention from head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters.

“Unfortunately for Billy he was handed over to Aled Walters, which is not a pleasant experience for him,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.

“There’s a group of lads who are given extra conditioning, lads who maybe didn’t get many minutes or didn’t play.

“Unfortunately for Billy that’s been him every time for the last few weeks. Aled has been working him hard and he looks good to go.”

Vunipola could slot straight in at number eight against Japan, with Ben Earl either moving to openside to cover for Curry or being rested altogether.

“Billy has got great physical presence and it’s great to have him back on the training field,” Wigglesworth said.

“But he’s a really smart player as well – he puts himself in great positions and he’s got great hands. He’s got more threat than just being a big ball carrier.

“He’s really smart and knows when to shift the ball and change the point of contact for other players as well. It’s great for us to have him available.”

England are in high spirits following their astonishing rout of Argentina in Marseille that was engineered despite Curry’s third-minute yellow card being upgraded to red on review.

While there is an acceptance they must sharpen up their attack – butchering a four-on-two overlap was the most glaring of several toothless moments against the Pumas – they have a solid platform to build from.

Assisting their forward preparations is line-out expert George Kruis, the former England second row who won 45 caps from 2014-20 and who has linked up with the squad at their Le Touquet base.

“George has lost a lot of weight. He’s had a bit of stick for his weight,” Wigglesworth said of his retired former Saracens team-mate.

“He actually compared his body to mine, which, considering he was 117kg when he played, was not the best compliment for him.

“George helps with the line-out. Him and Steve Borthwick chat for hours behind closed doors and I really don’t want to listen to those conversations. They have a proper line-out nause off.

“He helps the callers and with the line-out menu that they get. All that detail that I don’t need to know.

“It’s great to have him around because he has an affinity with so many of the lads. It’s been really nice having him for a few days.”

Ben White is adamant Scotland have learned plenty of lessons from their defeat by South Africa and as a result will become a better team for the remainder of the World Cup.

The scrum-half was “absolutely gutted” by the way the Scots started the tournament, losing 18-3 to the defending world champions in Marseille on Sunday.

It was the first time Gregor Townsend’s side had failed to score a try in a match since November 2020 – the 22-15 defeat at home to France – and was also their lowest-scoring outing since their first game of the 2019 World Cup when they lost 27-3 to Ireland.

Scotland must now win all three of their remaining Pool B matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

White believes the intense test they were handed by South Africa will stand them in good stead for the rest of the campaign.

“It is a World Cup and we’re not out so we have to regroup,” said the 25-year-old. “Playing a team of that quality is only going to better us going forward in this tournament.

“There is going to be a lot of learning from it. I know Gregor is really big on us developing as a team and learning from these situations so we will improve and get better and we will come back better against Tonga.

“We’ve got to make sure now that we’re even more accurate, that we’re better in every moment and we will do that. We’ll learn and get better from it and we will give ourselves a chance of getting out of the group.”

Scotland went into their opener against South Africa with a genuine belief that they could beat them. And although they never got their renowned attacking game properly up and running on Sunday, they went in at half-time buoyed by an encouraging finish to a tightly-contested first half that ended 6-3 to the Boks.

South Africa took control in the second half, however, and the dejected Scots have been licking their wounds over the last few days, trying to reset and regroup ahead of their next game against Tonga in Nice on Sunday, September 24.

“It was gutting, absolutely gutting because you prep for 12 weeks and when you get your foot in the door as we did, you want to try and kick on from that,” said White, who will join Toulon after the World Cup.

“They’re a top side and if you give them a sniff, they’ll take their chances. They were the better team on the day.

“We missed quite a few chances and when we got good field positions we weren’t good enough at all. That’s on us to improve.

“Some of it was down to South Africa though. It’s a great challenge playing the world champions. They’re a top team and for 50 minutes we were in it and had weathered a fair few storms in the first half.

“I felt like if we could have just come out in the second half and built a bit of pressure through our possession game and looked to get the ball a little bit wider into Darcy (Graham) and Duhan (Van der Merwe)’s hands, we could have caused them some troubles but credit to them, they stopped us doing that. It felt like they were slowing us down and we have to learn from that.”

Freddie Steward has revealed that England’s heroic defensive stand against Argentina was inspired by a blast from Kevin Sinfield that was delivered in the wake of their Fiji debacle.

Steve Borthwick’s team opened their World Cup campaign with a 27-10 victory on Saturday despite playing 77 minutes with 14 men after Tom Curry was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.

It was England’s finest hour since Borthwick took over and it arrived just in time as, until that act of defiance at the Stade Velodrome, concerns were being raised over a defence that had leaked 30 tries in nine Tests.

A conclusive defeat by Fiji at Twickenham a fortnight earlier saw the team reach their lowest ebb – and Steward admits the players deserved the reaction from Sinfield that followed.

“We got a bit of a rocket after that game. There were no complaints about that, it needed to happen,” the Leicester full-back said.

“We had a very thorough review, which we needed, and we reaped the benefits against Argentina. It was necessary for that to happen.

“That’s what makes Kev such a good defence coach – he’s so inspiring. He motivates us so much and he’s the sort of bloke you don’t want to let down.

“That’s testament to him as a bloke. When you go out there, part of it is you do it for him.

“You don’t want to see a guy like that, who puts his heart and soul into us in his work with his defence, feel let down.

“Kev is big on covering each other’s backs. That’s his big thing. He wants a defensive unit that are going to work incredibly hard for each other and, when it goes wrong, cover up for each other.

“Inevitably, you can be as good a defender as you want as a full-back but there are going to be times where it doesn’t go to plan and that is where you get tested. That’s his main ethos.”

Now that England have successfully negotiated their biggest match since the 2019 World Cup final, they have been challenged by Sinfield to ensure their defensive masterclass in Marseille is not a one-off.

“It is just a start. We saw lots of what we had seen in training against Argentina, which is pleasing, but I still feel there is so much in this team – so much improvement, so much growth,” Sinfield said.

“To get the win, given the noise that has been around us and the way the group have really circled the wagons – metaphorically that is – is really pleasing.

“We saw a fight, a spirit and attitude that the people at home supporting us and in the ground would have loved to have seen, and for us as coaches that is particularly pleasing, (but) we know we need to be better.

“Part of our challenge as coaches and part of the challenge of the playing group is to ensure this is not an anomaly, it is the start.”

Curry faces a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday night when he is expected to learn the length of his ban for the dangerous challenge that led to a clash of heads with Juan Cruz Mallia.

Dan Biggar has revealed that England’s stirring victory over Argentina helped underpin Wales’ mindset against Rugby World Cup rivals Fiji.

Wales dug deep in adversity, making more than 240 tackles as they held on for a thrilling 32-26 win that strengthened hopes of reaching a fourth successive World Cup quarter-final.

And England’s demolition job on the Pumas 24 hours earlier, which came despite them having flanker Tom Curry sent off during the early minutes, did not go unnoticed in the Wales camp.

“I thought England were absolutely magnificent after going down to 14 men,” Wales fly-half Biggar said.

“We spoke about having a little bit of a similar mindset – whether we lose a player or go down a bit, still working your absolute socks off.

“I think it was quite good for us watching that game, to be honest, as a team.

“It was almost like the red card was better for England than Argentina. I thought it galvanised them and they absolutely worked their socks off.

“They defended in twos and threes extremely well, scrambled well and forced a lot of errors.

“We knew we were going to concede turnovers and have moments when we were up against it.

“We said that we needed to have a similar sort of mindset (to England) to really grind it out and dig in in big moments.

“Results are the only thing that matter in this tournament. We are off to a good start, and if we win next weekend (against Portugal) it will be a really good start and we can build to the final two games then.”

It was an emotional time for Biggar in Bordeaux, with the Fiji game taking place on his late mother Liz’s birthday.

“I think she was looking down on us in the last passage of play with that dropped ball. You don’t see Semi (Radradra) dropping too many of those in open play,” he added.

“Not so much during the match, but I found the game quite difficult because she would have been here making a big weekend of it. It was at the back of my mind.”

Wales’ fourth World Cup win in a row against Fiji sets them up for a major tilt at winning Pool C, with Portugal, Australia and Georgia their remaining opponents.

Biggar, though, knows the importance of Wales not switching off when they arrive on the French Riviera and a week in Nice, where they face Portugal next Saturday.

“I just felt that we were nowhere near perfect, but you saw the character, the desire, the commitment of the group. We just never gave in,” Biggar said.

“We were pretty pleased to see that last ball dropped because we were certainly under the heat and it felt like everything was imploding in that last 12 minutes or so. We did well to get across the line in the end.

“We are going to enjoy it because there has been a lot of pressure on this group, a lot of things written, a lot of people said we weren’t good enough to win.

“I think it is important that this week, especially going to a very nice place in Nice, that it can turn into a bit of a holiday mode and that is the exact opposite of what we need.

“We probably need a fair bit of work on the training pitch this week.”

Louis Rees-Zammit admits undisciplined Wales survived a major scare and have significant room for improvement after edging an “absolutely brutal” Rugby World Cup classic against Fiji.

The 22-year-old tournament debutant claimed the third of his country’s four tries to help build an 18-point advantage with just 10 minutes to go on a breathless evening in Bordeaux.

But ferocious Fiji roared back and threatened to pull off a stunning Pool C comeback before falling agonisingly short as Semi Radradra’s costly late knock-on saw Wales scrape a thrilling 32-26 success.

Wing Rees-Zammit, who was limping following the full-time whistle, was the exposed man tasked with stopping the rampaging Radradra before gleefully booting the fumbled ball into touch.

“I was stressed,” he told the PA news agency. “They had a massive overlap and I was trying to call players round, but we were getting sucked in.

“When I saw the ball go over, I was like: ‘I’m going to have to try and go low on him here and hopefully get him out’.

“Unfortunately for him he knocked it on and we won the game.

“It was absolutely brutal. It lasted 82 minutes and we had to dig deep and in the majority of our game our discipline let us down, but I think ultimately to get a win is the most important thing.

“You could see it was a brutal game and I’m a bit sore, but a decent recovery now and hopefully I will be ready for next week.”

Wales conceded 17 penalties across the course of a gripping curtain-raiser against opposition who recently upset England at Twickenham.

Rees-Zammit, who was floored by a thunderous tackle from Vinaya Habosi minutes before his score, will look to shrug off his knock in time for next weekend’s match against Portugal in Nice ahead of meetings with Australia and Georgia.

“I don’t think we played at our best at all,” continued the Gloucester player.

“We’ve got a lot to improve and that’s the best thing because we can get a lot better.

“To beat Fiji at not a hundred per cent is great. We know they are a devastating team.”

The Prince of Wales was among a capacity crowd treated to undoubtedly the most entertaining match of the competition so far.

Josh Adams, George North and Elliot Dee were also on the scoresheet for Warren Gatland’s men, while fly-half Dan Biggar added two penalties and three conversions in an engrossing bonus-point victory.

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North, who was on the receiving end of an outburst from team-mate Biggar for not kicking the ball into touch just before the break, echoed the relief expressed by Rees-Zammit at the end of a “must-win” encounter.

“That was a proper Test match,” said the centre. “We’re chuffed to get the result, we needed that to start us off well in this World Cup.

“But we’ve got to look at ourselves very quickly. We know what the issues are: discipline and playing in the right areas.

“It was a must-win for us, we needed that to get us on the right path. It was huge for us and we’ve got to tidy up and turnaround to the next one.

“The way Fiji have developed, they were probably the favourites. They’ve got the physicality and flair that they’re known for but they’re also a well-drilled side.

“They’ve got the set piece now to fight and compete with the best of them and their form coming into the World Cup really showed.”

Speaking of Radradra’s late error, the 31-year-old Ospreys man added: “That’s Test-match rugby, you play on the edge of sword, it’s the one per cent (difference).

“You’ve got to take your opportunities and luckily enough they didn’t take that one.”

Josh van der Flier would rather play at midnight than endure the scorching temperatures which caused him to ditch his distinctive red scrum cap in Ireland’s Rugby World Cup opener.

The world player of the year bolstered his side from the bench as they launched their campaign with a thumping 82-8 win over Romania on a baking-hot afternoon in Bordeaux.

Ireland’s other three Pool B fixtures – against Tonga, South Africa and Scotland – will each kick-off at 9pm local time, something Van der Flier was initially uneasy about.

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But, after enduring heat of 36 degrees Celsius, the flanker has had a change of heart, having felt ready to come back off just 15 minutes into a challenging Saturday afternoon cameo.

“I was thinking before the tournament that 9pm is so late, it’s a really long day,” he said.

“But then when I saw the weather in the captain’s run (on Friday), I said I’d happily play at midnight if it’s a bit cooler.

“In the first half, most of the pitch was in the sun, second half you were in the sun and it almost felt like a break when you got into the other half of the field where it was a bit shaded.

“It will definitely make a big difference (kicking off later).

“A lot of credit has to go to the lads who played 80 minutes out there. After 15 of my 20 minutes, I was nearly ready to get subbed off again. It was tough.”

Van der Flier looked slightly unfamiliar as he emerged without his customary scrum cap to replace Leinster team-mate Caelan Doris.

The 30-year-old also felt compelled to remove the distinguishing head gear, which was initially chosen to match his school’s kit, during Ireland’s pre-tournament training camp in the Algarve.

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“I tried wearing it in training in Portugal and I really, really struggled,” he said.

“It’s just an extra bit of heat and it makes a big difference when you take it off.

“I did notice that it just feels different not having a scrum cap on but definitely glad not to have it in this heat.

“Last World Cup, I didn’t wear it for the first game, then I got a cut on my head so I had to start wearing it.

“I had done it before but I would probably be more comfortable wearing it.”

Ireland take on Tonga in Nantes before Paris showdowns with reigning world champions South Africa and Scotland.

Wing James Lowe is braced for tougher tests against some “scary teams” and is not yet contemplating a potential quarter-final clash with his native New Zealand.

He said: “It’s not going to get any easier now, the further we get, is it?

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“Tonga are physical, we struggled against Samoa (a 17-13 win) a couple of weeks ago and Tonga are a very similar outfit: physical, combative.

“They’re going to run hard and tackle hard, so we’re going to have to be smart there, and the week after it’s South Africa, so it’s not going to get any easier the longer we last.”

Asked about possibly facing the All Blacks in the last eight, the 31-year-old replied: “There’s a fair few scary teams before we even think about a quarter-final.

“People are labelling our pool as the ‘pool of death’, fair play.”

Kevin Sinfield believes England are ready to accelerate their development at the World Cup now that they have shown their true colours.

England have reported no fresh injury problems after Saturday’s spirited 27-10 victory over Argentina but are expected to see Tom Curry suspended following his dangerous tackle on Juan Cruz Mallia.

Curry’s red card meant Steve Borthwick’s side played all but three minutes of the Pool D opener at Stade Velodrome with 14 men, yet they rose to the challenge magnificently to produce their most resilient display since Sinfield was placed in charge of the defence 10 Tests ago.

It was a department of England’s game that was under close scrutiny after they had conceded 30 tries in nine matches, but even with Curry watching from the stand their tryline remained intact until the final minute.

“We showed a bit of what we’re about and I still feel there’s loads of improvement in us,” Sinfield said.

“We’re disappointed to concede at the end, but I thought we did a really professional job.

“We knew that performance was coming and to have to do the vast majority of it with 14 men shows the fight and the spirit that we have spoken about for some time now. However, it wasn’t being transferred onto the field.

“It was pleasing to see some aspects really improve, but more so for the players because they’ve seen what this group is capable of.

“And we need to ensure we get more of that and keep moving forward in each of our training sessions.”

Curry is to attend Tuesday night’s independent disciplinary hearing in Paris in person as England seek a favourable outcome to his dismissal after a clash of heads with Mallia.

The Sale flanker, who was making his first appearance since the autumn because of hamstring and ankle injuries, is facing a suspension in the region of three matches, which is likely to be reduced by one if he attends tackle school.

Offsetting his unavailability, however, is number eight Billy Vunipola’s return from his ban for a dangerous tackle against Ireland for Sunday’s second group match against Japan in Nice.

George Ford is the man of the moment after he masterfully guided England to victory against Argentina, who entered the match as favourites but proved to be a disorganised rabble.

Ford’s brilliance poses a selection conundrum for Borthwick given squad captain Owen Farrell comes back from suspension – also incurred for a dangerous tackle – against Chile on Saturday week.

Both are vying for the fly-half duties and while Ford is sure to be rested against the South Americans due to his heavy workload, Borthwick will need to make a difficult decision for the Pool D finale against Samoa.

“It was a masterclass from George. He really grabbed hold of the game for us. He managed it really well and he was faultless with the boot,” Sinfield said.

“He brings a calmness to us. You want your leaders to step up in a variety of different ways in big games and George certainly did that.”

Jonathan Humphreys insists the pressure is not off Wales after a thrilling victory over Fiji increased hopes of a fourth successive Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance.

Wales’ 32-26 success came after they repelled a ferocious Fiji fightback that saw them score two tries during the last seven minutes.

And had Fiji’s star centre Semi Radradra not spilled possession with the line at his mercy just seconds from time, then it could have been a totally different outcome.

Wales face remaining Pool C games against Portugal, Australia and Georgia, and the knockout phase is now undoubtedly in sight following a statement win.

“The big one for us is Portugal. We did well in a lot of areas, but there is still massive room for growth for us,” Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Humphreys said.

“We are not thinking anywhere close to what possibly could be. We know what’s definitely going to be, and that is Portugal in a few days’ time.

“It is not an easy game, it is their first game in this tournament. They are a tough side to play against, they are very skilful.

“We don’t see this as pressure off. It is just the next game and we have to perform.”

Wales made more than 240 tackles in the game, with 71 of those attributed to just three players – lock Will Rowlands, prop Gareth Thomas and captain Jac Morgan.

And that punishing defensive effort ultimately thwarted Fiji’s attacking brilliance in a game that produced eight tries and no shortage of high-octane entertainment.

Humphreys added: “You can’t make that many tackles if you are not fit and have the ability to get up and go again. The mindset and fitness was excellent.

“I don’t think many people had probably given us a shot at that game, but we had a belief.

“We knew to an extent what Fiji were going to bring, but it is still so hard to stop them. Their footwork is so late and so good, so we knew it was going to be an unbelievably tough game.

“But to get through it with a bonus point is massive for us.

“It was a hell of a relief at the end, but the next thing is Portugal. We need to play better, we need to be more accurate. That is the next focus for us.”

Rowlands was at the forefront, making 27 tackles and missing none as he delivered a performance that defined Wales’ unflinching attitude in defence.

“He is an exceptional athlete,” Humphreys said. “It is very rare you get such a big man who is such an athlete with such a big engine.

“He has turned into a very important player for us. He came to rugby late – he was early 20s when he started playing rugby. He is brilliant around the group.”

Frustrated Finn Russell hopes a two-week break between matches will allow Scotland to regroup and get Sunday’s demoralising World Cup opener against South Africa out of their system.

The Scots were unable to spark their swashbuckling attacking game as they crashed 18-3 to the Springboks in Marseille, losing the second half 12-0.

It was Gregor Townsend’s side’s lowest-scoring outing since their first game of the 2019 World Cup when they were defeated 27-3 by Ireland.

Talisman Russell said: “I’m very frustrated with the result but also with the second-half. I don’t think we showed a true reflection of the team that we are. It’s very frustrating.”

The Scots do not play again until they face Tonga in Nice on Sunday, 24 September.

When they return to action, they know they must win all three of their remaining games – the other two are against Romania and Ireland – if they are to have a chance of emerging from the formidable Pool B to reach the quarter finals.

“This was potentially the situation we were going to be in after the first game,” said Russell. “Ideally it wouldn’t have been, but now we’re in this situation we need to pick ourselves back up, we need to get going.

“We’ve got Tonga then Romania so we need to go into these games as best prepared as we can and looking to play as best we can.

“We had a 10-minute period where we let South Africa get two tries so we’ll chat about how we can get better after that second half and coming out firing straight away (after half-time) so that doesn’t happen again.

“As frustrated as we are, there is a lot to work on and still everything to play for.”

The Scotland players have been given time off with their families in the early part of this week to recover from the mental and physical demands of facing the world champions in their first game.

Russell, competing at his third World Cup, has vowed that they will come back ready for their must-win game against Tonga.

“We’ve got two weeks now so we’ll have the next few days just getting away from rugby,” said the 30-year-old. “That was very physically demanding and mentally as well.

“The next few days we’ll get away from rugby, refresh ourselves and come back on Thursday and start preparing for Tonga. That’s a massive game for us.

“We’ve got everything to play for now and to an extent nothing to lose. As tough as it is to take, in sport you have to bounce back as quick as you can and I think the boys will do that.”

Stand-off Russell was in the wars on Sunday and it looked like he may be forced off in the first half after a heavy collision left him grounded and receiving lengthy treatment.

“I’m alright,” he said. “I got a shot in the ribs and I think I was just pretty badly winded thankfully.

“The second one was a stinger which happens in rugby. These collisions happen and that’s part of it. Thankfully there’s nothing that bad.

“I’ll be good to go the next game.”

Ireland intend to give veteran captain Johnny Sexton as many minutes as he can manage during the Rugby World Cup.

Fly-half Sexton returned from an absence of almost six months due to injury and suspension to lead his country to a crushing 82-8 victory over Romania in their Pool B opener in Bordeaux.

Tougher tests await the world’s top-ranked nation as next weekend’s clash against Tonga in Nantes is followed by pivotal Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland.

Ireland face a balancing act of wanting the 38-year-old on the pitch as much as possible while ensuring he is in peak condition for the critical moments.

Defence coach Simon Easterby said: “Johnny’s not got potentially many more times wearing the green jersey and – those of you who know him – he wants to play every minute that he can.

“That will be a conversation between him and Faz (head coach Andy Farrell) and making sure that he and Faz are happy with the discussions and how they want to map out the next couple of weeks.

“But certainly from our end, he’s the captain, he’s the talisman in the squad and the more minutes he can play the better.”

Sexton scored two tries as part of a 24-point haul on Saturday afternoon to surpass Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s leading World Cup points scorer.

The oldest international in Ireland’s history, who will retire after the tournament, was replaced by Jack Crowley in the 65th minute to a standing ovation.

“I think it’s great that he got that many minutes,” said Easterby.

“He looked good, he looked fresh, he was energetic and I guess because of his age and his experience, he doesn’t tend to need a huge amount of rugby to get himself back into the swing of things.

“Training throughout the pre-season has helped that and has given him plenty of opportunities to play the game, as it were, as opposed to just training and running and doing fitness.

“It is different in a game and it’s different against opposition that we don’t know what they’re going to do all the time, that makes it a little bit more unpredictable.

“But certainly if Johnny is fit and available then it’s great for us and it means that he can keep on playing.”

Ireland fielded 10 World Cup newcomers against Romania, with rookie lock Joe McCarthy claiming one of their 12 tries.

“It is great to have so many debutants,” said Easterby. “They all produced some brilliant rugby at times.

“From that perspective, it’s more about us going week to week and having the right blend, the right dynamic in the side.

“Tonga will be a very different proposition to what we faced (on Saturday).”

Warren Gatland reflected on a “pretty significant” victory for his team after Wales brought the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals within sight by beating Fiji 32-26 at Stade de Bordeaux.

Wales held their nerve in a frantic and pulsating Pool C clash. It was tense throughout, especially when Fiji scored twice in the last seven minutes and centre Semi Radradra knocked on close to the line in the game’s last play.

At 32-14 ahead deep inside the final quarter, Wales looked home and dry, but Fiji had other ideas.

Asked if he had his heart in his mouth during the closing stages, Gatland said: “Absolutely. With seven minutes to go I wondered about just going down to the changing rooms and waiting until the final whistle.

“I am absolutely delighted with the result. I think it is pretty significant for us.

“With 65 minutes on the clock we were comfortable, and we needed to control that. We gave away some unnecessary penalties, lost a little bit of composure.

“We’ve always been a team that builds on confidence and get better in tournaments. So that is exciting.

“I was pretty frustrated and angry about the last period of the game, but it’s about being honest and making sure we learn from it.

“I am delighted with the win, but we made it a lot harder for ourselves than we needed to, made some dumb decisions in the last 15 minutes.

“We changed a few things at half-time. We really wanted to go for them up front in terms of taking it out of their legs.

“A few of their players looked a bit tired and we looked in control, but typical Fiji – they never say die, get a couple of sniffs of a try and come back at you.”

Wales ultimately prevailed through tries from Josh Adams, George North, Louis Rees-Zammit and Elliot Dee, with fly-half Dan Biggar adding two penalties and three conversions in a bonus-point success.

Fiji claimed tries through captain Waisea Nayacalevu, flanker Lekima Tagitagivalu and replacements Josua Tuisova and Mesake Doge – Frank Lomani converted two and Teti Tela also added a conversion – yet Wales gained the victory they craved ahead of remaining Pool C appointments with Portugal, Australia and Georgia.

Wales were close to a staggering 250 tackles in the game, and Biggar said: “It was absolutely exhausting. The last 10 minutes felt like the clock never moved.

“We put everything into it, Fiji came strong at the end, but I am really thrilled for this group of players that we managed to see it through because the work we’ve put in over the past few months has just been incredible.

“It puts us in such a good position in the group. I am just absolutely drained.”

Captain Jac Morgan said: “We have that mentality of never giving up, always working hard for each other.

“We’ve been through a couple of camps with some tough training over the past couple of weeks, and it has really brought the boys close as you saw.”

Fiji took two losing bonus points from the game, which might prove critical in terms of the group’s finishing places and race for a last-eight spot.

Head coach Simon Raiwalui said: “We had our opportunities. We weren’t clinical enough. There were a couple of disallowed tries, and we had a chance at the end.

“We weren’t clinical enough to finish off, and we move on to Australia next week.

“We made mistakes at critical moments, and we had to chase it at the end. It was a very good Welsh team.”