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.”

Wales held their nerve in a frantic and pulsating Rugby World Cup clash to beat Fiji 32-26 and put themselves on course for the quarter-finals.

Fiji were expected to provide ferocious opposition in Bordeaux, and they did not disappoint, but Wales ultimately claimed a fourth successive World Cup win against them in nerve-shredding fashion.

It was tense throughout, especially when Fiji scored twice in the last seven minutes and Wales had to dig deep during a frenzied finale when Fiji centre Semi Radradra knocked on close to the line in the game’s last play.

Warren Gatland’s team 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 watched by Welsh Rugby Union patron the Prince of Wales.

Fiji claimed tries by captain Waisea Nayacalevu, flanker Lekima Tagitagivalu, plus 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.

Gatland masterminded two semi-final appearances during his previous reign as Wales head coach, and his players produced easily their best performance this year.

Biggar steered the ship impressively, while Wales’ defence often came up trumps at key moments, even somehow withholding Fiji late on after they were matched blow for blow.

Taulupe Faletau returned to Wales’ starting line-up after a calf muscle injury that sidelined him for the entire tournament warm-up schedule.

Fiji, meanwhile, showed one enforced change from the side that beat England at Twickenham last month with fly-half Tela replacing an injured Caleb Muntz.

Wales made an outstanding start, taking an 8-0 lead in as many minutes through a Biggar penalty and Adams try.

Biggar, playing in his final World Cup before retiring from Test rugby, kicked a long-range penalty before Wales carved open the Fiji defence.

North’s powerful midfield surge was taken on by scrum-half Gareth Davies before possession quickly went wide and Adams – top try-scorer at the 2019 World Cup in Japan – finished in style.

Fiji responded strongly, though, and Nayacalevu scored a 13th-minute try that Lomani converted.

It was a breathless contest in stamina-sapping heat, and Wales fell behind just four minutes later after Radradra broke clear and his pass to Tagitagivalu gave him an easy run-in.

Lomani’s conversion took Fiji 14-8 ahead, ringing alarm bells for Wales, before Biggar cut the gap by landing a second penalty.

And Wales regained the lead after relentless pressure reaped its reward as Nick Tompkins sent North over between the posts, with Biggar’s conversion securing an 18-14 advantage midway through the second quarter.

Fiji thought they had gone back in front just before the break, but Saracens prop Eroni Mawi was denied a try following a lengthy review of his dive for the line.

Davies was then on the receiving end of a high tackle by Selestino Ravutaumada and departed for a head injury assessment to be replaced by Tomos Williams. Wing Ravutaumada conceded a penalty but escaped further punishment from referee Matthew Carley as Wales held a four-point interval advantage.

Davies returned for the second period, and Biggar missed a 30-metre penalty chance before they conjured a third try in an unlikely fashion.

Sharp work by Tompkins unlocked Fiji’s defence, and skipper and flanker Jac Morgan provided the assist by kicking into space and Rees-Zammit finished off, with Biggar’s conversion making it 25-14.

Fiji camped deep inside Wales’ 22 entering the final quarter, and it took sustained last-ditch defending to keep them out.

But the game looked to have drifted away from Fiji when Tagitagivalu was yellow-carded and Wales scored before he had barely left the pitch.

The forwards drove a short-range lineout, and Dee claimed a touchdown that Biggar converted.

However, Wales then lost replacement prop Corey Domachowski to the sin-bin for a technical infringement and Fiji had the final say through tries from Tuisova and Doge, but Gatland’s men held on.

Manu Tuilagi insists England will continue to laugh in the face of adversity after reacting to their latest disciplinary crisis by delivering one of the nation’s great acts of defiance on a rugby field.

Argentina were routed 27-10 in a pivotal World Cup opener despite England playing all but three minutes of the Stade Velodrome clash with 14 men because of Tom Curry’s red card for a dangerous tackle.

Curry’s disciplinary hearing takes place on Tuesday night when he will learn how much of the group campaign he is to miss, with fixtures against Japan, Chile and Samoa to come.

England have now had four players sent off in six Tests – each of them for dangerous tackles – and an indicator of their regularity was seen in Tuilagi’s response when his Sale team-mate was given his marching orders.

“To be honest I was sort of smiling and laughing because we’ve had a tough preparation,” said centre Tuilagi, who packed down in the scrum in Curry’s absence.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges that life has thrown towards us. But just because we’ve had a lot of challenges it doesn’t mean they are going to stop. That’s life and you’ve just got to find a way to deal with it.

“Tomorrow’s going to be different – a new day, a new challenge. So we’ve talked about the belief and the trust that you’ve got to have in each other.

“Our preparation wasn’t the best, but we worked so hard to get here so it’s time to just go out there and enjoy our rugby, not think about the past and the future.”

At the heart of a victory that places England in control of Pool D was George Ford, the fly-half who wielded the knife as the abject Pumas were subjected to death by a thousand cuts.

Ford landed three drop-goals and six penalties, as well as delivering a tactical masterclass, while around him the likes of Courtney Lawes, Ben Earl and Maro Itoje outfought Argentina even while Curry watched from the stands.

Tuilagi marvels at “our kid” Ford, another Sale colleague who is helping put Manchester back on the rugby map.

“George is unbelievable. He’s a player who has been there and done it all. We look to him in tough times and he stepped up against Argentina,” Tuilagi said.

“He deserves everything he’s got because he’s worked so hard to get back and play well.

“He’s a mastermind. He lives and breathes rugby. And he loves it. Having the love of what you do means you enjoy it. It wasn’t perfect but that’s life, it can never be perfect.”

England are mindful of remaining clear-eyed about a stirring win founded on resilience and smart rugby, but also notable for the impotency of the attack.

The humidity made the ball slippery but that failed to account for the failure to convert a five-on-two overlap in the second half.

For now, however, England will celebrate an important win secured despite an abysmal warm-up campaign and which builds momentum ahead of Sunday’s clash with Japan in Lille.

“This definitely makes working on things a bit better. When we go back to the drawing board on Monday, it’s better to learn on a win than from losing,” Tuilagi said.

Gregor Townsend lamented Scotland’s inability to lay a glove on South Africa after a deflating 18-3 defeat in their World Cup opener in Marseille.

The Scots went into the match with genuine belief that they could get the better of the world champions, but they struggled to get their much-vaunted attack going.

The Springboks led 6-3 at the break and then pulled away with tries from Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse in the the third quarter, and Townsend’s team were unable to summon a response.

It was the first time since losing to Ireland at the 2019 World Cup that the Scots – renowned for their potency – had scored as few as three points.

“I’m really disappointed,” said Townsend. “We were slow to get going in the first half. There was a bit of inaccuracy in our play, but then we built into the game and I felt physically we were more than up for the challenge that South Africa bring.

“We started to win penalties at scrum-time, which was a real bonus. There were opportunities but not many in our attacking game, but there were a couple in the first half. We spoke at half-time about the need to build on the way we finished that second quarter.

“But we started with a bit of inaccuracy and then South Africa dominated possession for a period and put on points, and it then became difficult in those conditions. The defence had to play from deep and it became risky, and we never had the accuracy to trouble them on the scoreboard.”

Townsend was frustrated that the TMO did not intervene after Boks centre Jesse Kriel appeared to clash head-on-head with Scotland back-rower Jack Dempsey in the first minute. Replays indicated it could have been a red card.

“I saw it from two screens away and it did look like it was a head-on-head collision and I was expecting the TMO to come in to make the referee aware of that,” said Townsend.

“Who knows (if it could have been a game-changer)? There was a red card (for England against Argentina) on Saturday and it didn’t help or change the game much in terms of Argentina’s favour so who knows?

“There are still inconsistencies in seeing these things so we are obviously frustrated by that, but we are more frustrated by our own performance.”

Scotland must now win all three of their remaining matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland to have a chance of getting through to the knock-out phase and Townsend admits they must tighten up their game if they are to do that.

“Accuracy in attack (needs to improve) and in defence we would be relatively satisfied with the effort which went in but I still think there is more in us with that,” he said.

“Our attack in general starts from our set-piece, winning possession and what we did when we had that possession has got to improve. We only scored three points and that is unusual for us.”

Stand-off Finn Russell received treatment after taking a bang to his midriff late in the first half, but he soldiered on for the remainder of the match.

“It looked like he was coming off initially,” said Townsend. “He had a rib injury which seemed like it was going to stop him from continuing, but he dug deep and fought really hard.

“I thought some of his defensive work in the second half was outstanding and it shows how much he cares for his team-mates and playing for Scotland.”

Scotland suffered a demoralising start to their World Cup campaign as world champions South Africa squeezed the life out of them in Marseille.

The Boks kicked off their defence of the Webb Ellis Cup with an 18-3 victory on Sunday evening after two tries from Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse in the third quarter took the game away from the Scots following a tightly-contested first half.

The defeat leaves Gregor Townsend’s side with no margin for error in their remaining three matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals.

The two sides went into the tournament in confident mood following encouraging summer campaigns which left the Boks ranked second and the Scots fifth in the world, but with Ireland – the top-ranked team – also in Pool B, the pressure was on both nations to start with a victory.

The Springboks started in more assured fashion and had a chance to get the scoreboard up and running in the 11th minute when the Scots were deemed to have collapsed the scrum, but Manie Libbok hooked his penalty wide from 40 metres.

The South African stand-off made no such mistake, however, when presented with another opportunity two minutes later after Finn Russell was penalised for a deliberate knock-on as he sent his kick soaring between the posts from a central position 35 metres out.

Tempers flared on the side of the pitch just after the midway point in the first half after Damian de Allende was slammed into touch but referee Angus Gardner – after reviewing the skirmish – spoke to four players, but decided no further action was required.

Libbok doubled the Boks’ lead to six points shortly afterwards with another penalty after Sione Tuipulotu failed to release.

After South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth limped off to be replaced by RG Snyman, Scotland, who had been struggling to get their attacking game going, carved out a brilliant chance to score, but Darcy Graham opted to go himself and ran into trouble when fellow wing Duhan van der Merwe, on his outside, was crying out for a pass and appeared to have a free run to the line.

Despite being unable to impose their game on the Boks, the Scots were generally standing up well to the physical challenge of their opponents and they cut their deficit to three points in the last action of the first half when Finn Russell – who had earlier needed treatment following a bang to the ribs – kicked a penalty from 45 metres right on half-time.

Two minutes after the restart Libbok attempted to kick a penalty from almost five metres inside his own half, but he failed to get enough distance on it and the Scots were able to gather.

South Africa got their first try of the match in the 47th minute when Du Toit pushed over on the left after a sustained spell of pressure. Libbok was off target with his conversion attempt.

Thing got worse for the Scots four minutes later when Arendse ran in to touch down in the right corner after a lovely cross-field kick from Libbok set him free. With the stand-off having missed three of his five attempts at goal, scrum-half Faf De Klerk took over kicking duties and duly pinged the conversion between the posts.

Scotland have made a habit in recent times of mounting impressive fightbacks, but this time they were unable to find a way of breaching the obdurate Boks.

England flanker Tom Curry will learn the length of his suspension for his red card in Saturday’s World Cup win over Argentina on Tuesday.

Curry was sent off in the third minute after a dangerous challenge on Juan Cruz Mallia that resulted in his yellow card being upgraded to red by the bunker review system.

England overcame their adversity to produce an impressive 27-10 victory, with George Ford kicking all 27 points, and next face Japan in Nice on Sunday, but will be without Curry, who will attend a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday evening.

A statement from World Rugby said: “England’s Tom Curry will appear before an independent Judicial Committee in Paris having received a red card, following a review by the Foul Play Review Officer, in England’s Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday, 9 September for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle).

“At the player’s request, the hearing will take place on Tuesday evening, 12 September.

“The independent Judicial Committee that will hear the matter will be chaired by Adam Casselden SC (Australia), joined by former players John Langford (Australia) and Jamie Corsi (Wales).”

World Cup organisers have apologised to fans caught up in the chaotic scenes outside the Stade Velodrome before England’s match against Argentina on Saturday night.

Thousands of ticket holders missed the start of the Pool D opener because of the limited number of entry points and turnstiles, insufficient staffing levels and extensive security checks.

The weight of numbers led to crushes outside the ground and while France 2023 announced there were no incidents and all 63,118 seats were eventually taken, many supporters were concerned for their safety amid the potential for the situation to escalate.

“Fans are the heartbeat of the tournament and we would like to apologise to fans impacted by yesterday’s access challenges,” a statement read.

“We are working hard to enhance the experience for all visiting Marseille for Rugby World Cup 2023.”

Organisers have stated there will now be more service volunteers in place to assist with entry as well as increased announcements on public transport, including in English.

Other measures are also being taken to sure there is not a repeat of the scenes that took place before England beat Argentina 27-10 in the opening match of Pool D, which was staged in a hot and humid Marseille.

Although the crowds were well behaved and the atmosphere respectful, many supporters feared the consequences if the crushes intensified.

“When we got out of the station at the stadium there was an overwhelming number of people as there are just two entry points,” said England supporter Tim Chamberlain, who was attending his fifth World Cup.

“It felt like there were just not enough turnstiles and not enough people working. We stood in the melee for 45 minutes and it was really hot.

“You could see when we got in that it was potentially dangerous and there were occasional crowd surges, which were worrying, but people were generally pretty respectful.”

The Stade Velodrome was due to host Scotland’s Pool B tournament opener against reigning world champions South Africa on Sunday with the match scheduled to kick off at 1645BST.

Ireland expect Robbie Henshaw to be available for next weekend’s Rugby World Cup clash with Tonga as part of a potentially fully-fit squad.

Andy Farrell’s side launched their Pool B campaign in commanding fashion on Saturday afternoon by dispatching Romania 82-8 in a 12-try rout.

Centre Henshaw was a late withdrawal from the bench due to a hamstring issue, resulting in a recall to the match day 23 for the initially overlooked Mack Hansen.

Prop Dave Kilcoyne (hamstring), hooker Dan Sheehan, and back-rower Jack Conan (both foot) were also sidelined at Stade de Bordeaux.

Ireland appear to have come through their tournament curtain-raiser, which was played in sweltering heat, without any further fitness issues and are optimistic about their ranks being bolstered ahead of their next fixture.

Defence coach Simon Easterby said: “I’d say we haven’t ruled anyone out for next week. We’ll certainly assess more people today and tomorrow.

“It’s usually the case that things are maybe flagged 24, 48 hours sometimes after a game as opposed to straight after the night of the game.

“So as far as we are aware everyone came through pretty unscathed, so it was great in that respect in terms of getting players game time in the heat, the conditions.

“We’re hopeful that Robbie and others who haven’t taken part for whatever reason are available to us next week and that’s credit to the guys conditioning the boys and also the medics, the way that they’ve worked over the last few weeks in particular.

“At the moment we’re in pretty good shape.”

Farrell’s men were forced to come from behind against Romania following the shock of conceding an early score to scrum-half Gabriel Rupanu.

Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne claimed two tries apiece in Ireland’s biggest World Cup win, while tournament debutants Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan, Rob Herring and Joe McCarthy were also on the scoresheet.

“It was a good start I guess, in terms of the 80 minutes,” said Easterby. “First up, any World Cup match you want to get off to a good start.

“We obviously didn’t quite get that start we wanted considering the early try but certainly as the game went on we grew into the game and I think the second-half performance was right up there.

“We have to take into account what we were up against and the conditions but we’re really pleased with the way we finished the game. Not quite as much the way we started.”

Following temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius on a baking-hot Bordeaux afternoon, Ireland’s other three group-stage fixtures will kick-off at 9pm local time.

The Six Nations champions travel to Nantes to take on Tonga before Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland.

George Ford had Jannie de Beer and England team-mate Danny Care in his sights as he masterminded a stunning 27-10 victory over Argentina in their World Cup clash at the Stade Velodrome.

Steve Borthwick’s men entered the Pool D opener as underdogs for the first time in the history of the fixture yet emerged conclusive winners despite seeing Tom Curry sent off in the third minute for a dangerous tackle.

Confronted by crisis yet again – Curry was their fourth red card in six Tests – they responded defiantly by matching spirited defence with smart, on-the-hoof game management.

Ford took command of an ugly spectacle by kicking the shambolic Pumas into oblivion, landing six penalties and three drop goals while intelligently steering his team around the field.

It was the drop goals – all landed in the second quarter – that infused England with belief and in the process evoked memories of when South Africa’s De Beer slotted a record five to boot them out of the 1999 World Cup.

But Ford joked that an internal rivalry also drove him on in a win that offers clear sight of the knockout phase.

“Jannie de Beer is the guy who got five in a game? I thought I was on track at one point. Five is incredible!” the Sale fly-half said.

“I’ve not kicked three in a game before. We were actually laughing in the changing room afterwards because Danny Care out of the squad was the guy with the most drop-goals for England (three).

“So I thought that’s not right, I need to put an end to that! Maybe that was the meaning behind this win!

“The crucial one was the third one that took us more than seven points ahead. That’s the life of a kicker sometimes. Some days you can’t hit a barn door, some days you can’t miss.

“In a game like this where it was dead greasy, it wasn’t going to be easy to hold the ball, move the ball and score tries. To get more than seven ahead was critical for us.”

Along with his fellow fly-halves Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith, Ford has been drilling drop-goals in training in the knowledge they could prove decisive in tight games at the World Cup.

“Marcus, Owen and myself, after every session we are doing drop goals. It’s part of what we do, it is part of our plan,” Ford said.

“We get the nines to pass us the ball and we get some guys to come over and put pressure on us. So we try and make it as realistic as possible.

“The thing with drop goals is when the opposition least expect it. It is to try and disguise it a little bit then you give yourself a little more time and space and hopefully try and kick it.”

“It’s such a crucial and critical weapon at times, especially when you see how influential they have been at World Cups.

“It’s something we have spoken about a tiny bit more, but the whole plan wasn’t about drop goals, it was just about imposing pressure and trying to come away with points in any way we can.”