World Cup debutant Jack Crowley believes fellow Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton showed “the type of man he is” with his seamless return from almost six months on the sidelines.

Captain Sexton starred on his first competitive appearance since celebrating Six Nations Grand Slam success in March with a 24-point haul, including two tries, in Saturday’s 82-8 demolition of Romania.

The 38-year-old received a standing ovation from tens of thousands of Irish fans when replaced 15 minutes from time before understudy Crowley came on to land four successful conversions on his tournament bow.

Munster playmaker Crowley, who only made his Test debut in November, has been inspired by Sexton’s resilience and dedication to overcoming setbacks.

The 23-year-old is also ready when required to step in for his influential skipper looking ahead to Pool B fixtures against Tonga, South Africa and Scotland.

“It just shows the type of man he is, the preparation he puts into his training and the mindset he has,” Crowley said of Sexton’s comeback.

“That’s the type of leader he is: through actions. You could see that it doesn’t matter if he’s out for nine months, 10 months, he’s always going to perform because of the way he prepares. He’s a true leader.

“Of course, you’ve always got to be prepared (to fill in). You can’t be presuming or assuming anything.

“His level of preparation to get his performance is something that I learn from and I will try and do and put into action. You always have to be ready.”

Ireland’s thumping 12-try triumph in the blistering heat of Bordeaux was their biggest World Cup win.

Record-breaking Sexton shrugged off his lengthy absence through injury and suspension to surpass Ronan O’Gara as his country’s highest points scorer at the tournament (102) and John Hayes as Ireland’s oldest international.

Crowley feels he and fellow back-up number 10 Ross Byrne enjoy a “special, special relationship” with the 2018 world player of the year.

“Being in camp over the last 10, 12 months has been massive to be able to learn from him,” he continued.

“To see the way that he’s been out for the last couple of months, the way he’s applied himself to training and the way that he applies himself to preparation and everything like that is massive.

“You saw that it wasn’t just by fluke that he performs the way he does, the way that he can do certain things.

“To be able to come on for someone like him, for myself and Ross to learn from him, and the three of us to be able to bounce ideas off each other is a special, special relationship.”

Crowley has leapfrogged provincial team-mate Joey Carbery and, seemingly, Byrne to become Sexton’s first-choice replacement.

The Test rookie, who helped his province win the United Rugby Championship last season, admits the prospect of playing at the World Cup initially felt like a distant dream.

“As a young fella, you’re always looking at World Cups and Six Nations and wanting to be involved in it but you never really think that it’s possible because you’re so far back with where you are,” he said, following his seventh cap.

“But just staying in it and going through the levels and earning your rankings is massive.

“I’m very grateful where I am right now but I think it’s more that I’m in a special group of players and staff that are providing me with the opportunities to be the player that I can be.”

Steve Borthwick insists England are determined to deliver more triumphant nights at the World Cup after George Ford kicked them to a stunning 27-10 victory over Argentina in Marseille.

England defied the third minute red card shown to Tom Curry for a dangerous challenge to put one foot in the knockout phase at the expense of their closest rivals in Pool D.

Ford emerged as the architect of the Pumas’ death by a thousand cuts by kicking six penalties and three drop-goals, as well as providing the generalship needed to overcome Curry’s absence.

“I’m really pleased for the supporters around that stadium too – they were absolutely magnificent,” head coach Borthwick said.

“There are tens of thousands of England supporters in France and they are going to follow us around and spend a lot of money to do that.

“We want to make sure they have nights to remember and I think they’ll remember this one.

“All the people back home in their living rooms on their sofas and in the pubs, I hope they had a good night. We hope they’ll have another good night against Japan next Sunday.”

There were heroes across the field and none more so than Ford, who provided the leadership as England threatened to be engulfed by the crisis presented by a fourth red card in six Tests.

The fightback was given impetus through Ford’s early drop-goals and the Sale fly-half believes they can make a difference over the coming weeks.

“It’s a great weapon for us. We know how important and big drop-goals can be at World Cups,” Ford said.

“Just the way the game unfolded, we went a man down quite early but it was greasy, it was difficult to hold the ball for many phases.

“In our heads we wanted to be clinical in terms of coming away with points when we had good field position. But it’s incredibly hard to attack when they’ve got a lot of numbers in the line.”

Argentina boss Michael Cheika admitted it was a frustrating evening for his Pumas, who were shambolic for most of the match.

“Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong. We let the play get too stop-start. England played the circumstances very well and full credit to them,” Cheika said.

“There was almost no play. There were so many stoppages. The play we did get we didn’t master very well. That was by design by the other team. They did it very well.

“They put us in that corner. We’ll take what we need from it and get on with the next game.”

“The World Cup is not over. We still have work to do to qualify. Our players will take a lot from this experience.”

George Ford masterminded a remarkable England victory forged in adversity after Argentina were toppled 27-10 in their World Cup opener despite Tom Curry being sent off in the third minute.

Ford led England out of a crisis created by Curry’s dangerous challenge on Juan Cruz Mallia that resulted in the Sale flanker’s yellow card being upgraded to red by the bunker review system.

Taking command, Ford landed three drop-goals and six penalties as Argentina were kicked into oblivion on a warm night at the Stade Velodrome in what was one of the nation’s greatest acts of defiance on a rugby field.

While the outstanding Sale fly-half was busy steering England around the pitch and keeping the scoreboard ticking over, his team-mates fought themselves to a standstill with Ben Earl and Courtney Lawes magnificent.

It was an ugly spectacle with neither side functioning in attack, but Steve Borthwick’s men showed the character needed to place one foot in the quarter-finals by taking control of Pool D at the expense of their greatest rivals.

A giant stride forward was taken in plugging their leaky defence, but discipline remains a major concern, with Curry set to join Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola in being banned for periods of the World Cup.

England will argue that Curry was unfortunate to become the country’s first red card at a World Cup – and the fastest in the tournament’s history – despite the clash of heads that came as a result of his tackle.

And when Santiago Carreras was punished with only a sin-binning for clattering late into Ford early on, they had additional cause for grievance.

Once the initial drama of Curry’s dismissal had subsided, England rolled up their sleeves to withstand a battering on their line by Argentina’s pack, winning a penalty that enabled them to clear their lines.

They have often delivered a spirited response when down on numbers and so it was proving in Marseille as a methodical drive downfield ended with Ford landing a drop-goal.

Ford repeated the trick but this time from the halfway line as a monster kick sailed between the uprights with distance to spare.

The glaring deficiencies in England’s attack were apparent as they butchered a four-on-two overlap, but with Ford landing drop-goals at will – he coolly added a third from short range – it did not seem to matter.

Even with Curry sat watching in the stand they built a 12-3 lead, helped by rattled opponents who were also struggling with the ball in hand.

The intensity was cranked up for the second half, forcing a breakdown penalty that Ford inevitably steered between the uprights, while in reply the Pumas squirted the ball forward to end a rare attack.

Manu Tuilagi cut Santiago Chocobares in half with a wince-inducing tackle and with Ford on target from the kicking tee twice in quick succession, it was starting to look bleak for Argentina.

Over went the fifth and then sixth penalties and although the shambolic Pumas finally crossed through Rodrigo Bruni in the closing moments, their fate was already sealed.

Andy Farrell was delighted to have Johnny Sexton back “firing on all cylinders” following the Ireland captain’s record-breaking return in a 12-try demolition of Romania.

Influential fly-half Sexton shrugged off an absence of almost six months by registering two tries and seven conversions as his side launched their Rugby World Cup campaign with a thumping 82-8 win.

The 38-year-old’s impressive 24-point haul in the blistering heat of Bordeaux moved him on to a total of 102 in the competition, surpassing the 93 registered by former team-mate Ronan O’Gara.

Sexton, who is playing at his fourth World Cup, is now only nine points shy of O’Gara’s national record tally of 1,083, while he also took the title of Ireland’s oldest international from retired prop John Hayes.

Head coach Farrell could not resist poking fun at his veteran skipper as he backed him to make more history in the coming weeks against Tonga, South Africa and Scotland.

“I heard he broke a few records today,” said Farrell. “What was the record, Johnny? The oldest player to play at the tournament, that’s the first one.

“And what was the other one, points scored? Twenty-four points, puts him nine points behind the record for the most points scored for any Irish player.

“So you would think if selected that he’d be able to get that record.

“But the most pleasing point for us was definitely 60-odd minutes under the belt and firing on all cylinders and fit and healthy and ready to go for the rest of the competition.”

An expectant sea of green flooded the stands of Stade de Bordeaux in sweltering conditions before the world’s top-ranked nation delivered in emphatic fashion.

Ireland’s 74-point victory was their biggest in a World Cup fixture and their second greatest in a Test match, behind a 83-3 success over the United States in 2000.

Peter O’Mahony, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne also claimed doubles in a clinical Pool B opener, with further scores coming from Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan, Rob Herring and Joe McCarthy.

Sexton was available for the first time since sustaining a groin issue in helping Ireland clinch the Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam against England on March 18.

He missed his country’s three warm-up matches through suspension following “confrontational and aggressive” behaviour towards referee Jaco Peyper.

“(I had) six months thinking about it, obviously part of that was self-inflicted with my mistake,” Sexton, who received a standing ovation when he was replaced 15 minutes from time, said of his long-awaited comeback.

“I’m obviously delighted to be back. I didn’t expect conditions to be like that, it was incredibly hot, in the warm-up in particular.

“I’m delighted to get through some minutes, we got through some good stuff.

“But there’s lots to improve on, both individually and as a team, and we know the challenge next week (Tonga in Nantes) is going to be up a couple of levels.

“We’re very, very happy with five points and a good points difference as well, which could matter at the end of the pool.”

Wales centre George North will join an elite Rugby World Cup club when he runs out against opening opponents Fiji on Sunday.

It will be North’s fourth tournament, a feat achieved by only four other Welshmen in Gethin Jenkins, Alun Wyn Jones, Gareth Thomas and Stephen Jones.

And, at 31, he is showing no sign of slowing down, remaining a pivotal figure in head coach Warren Gatland’s plans.

With 114 caps, North is the most experienced Wales player on show at France 2023, underlining his consistency, durability and quality.

“I hoped that I would get to one (World Cup), for sure. To represent your country is huge, but to play at a World Cup is wicked,” he said.

“I am still fighting and competing, and find myself at number four.

“I guess it’s just a kudos to myself and shows all the work you put in is worth it to get to a fourth. I am still enjoying it.”

North is enthused by Wales’ current World Cup crop, with the squad featuring 16 tournament debutants, including co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake.

He also has three other cap centurions for company in Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau and Leigh Halfpenny as Wales look to make an impact in France.

It will be Gatland’s fourth World Cup at the Wales helm, having previously masterminded two semi-final appearances, and North has been there every step of the way.

He also believes Gatland has firmly put his stamp on the squad, nine months back into his second stint as Wales boss and following a difficult Six Nations campaign last season.

“The vibe has been really good,” North added. “For a lot of the boys it is their first World Cup, so they are going into the unknown and they are excited.

“I think everyone has just bought into it straight off, and I think that comes from ‘Gats’ when he set the tone with his last message from the Six Nations to the first day in World Cup camp – ‘this is how we are going to do it, this is how I want to do it. You either want to be in, or you don’t’.

“Some of the (training) sessions in Switzerland were brutal, probably some of the hardest I have ever done. The same in Turkey.

“We came off the paddock and we had knocked lumps out of each other for 40-odd minutes in 46 degrees. It’s all about his way of building that resilience, building that robustness into the squad.

“He pretty much said to us after we played France in the last round of the Six Nations that the World Cup was going to be the hardest thing you will ever do. He was not lying.”

Wales find themselves in a World Cup pool alongside three of their opponents from Japan four years ago – Fiji, Australia and Georgia – with North underlining the importance of a strong start.

“We need to start with a win on Sunday, pure and simple,” he said.

“The squad is in a really good place. Everyone understands where we are, everyone is well drilled on how we want to go about our work.

“The training camps we have been on have been brutal, absolutely brutal. The default setting is never give in, keep moving, keep going, keep going, keep going.”

Johnny Sexton marked his long-awaited comeback with two of 12 tries as Ireland launched their Rugby World Cup campaign by blitzing Romania in the baking heat of Bordeaux.

Captain Sexton, playing his first competitive match in almost six months following injury and suspension, added to first-half scores from Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan, Tahdg Beirne and Bundee Aki.

Peter O’Mahony’s double and further second-half finishes from Rob Herring, the returning skipper, Joe McCarthy, Aki and Beirne sealed a resounding 82-8 victory in a one-sided Pool B opener staged in temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius.

Andy Farrell’s men were given a jolt by Romania scrum-half Gabriel Rupanu crossing early on but emphatically avoided a major upset ahead of far stiffer tests against Tonga, South Africa and Scotland.

Fly-half Sexton also slotted seven of eight conversions before being withdrawn 16 minutes from time to a standing ovation and now sits just nine points shy of Ronan O’Gara’s national record tally of 1,083.

The 38-year-old was back from his lengthy absence to lead his country into his fourth World Cup, while Mack Hansen replaced Robbie Henshaw on the bench in a late change following his surprise initial omission from the matchday 23.

An expectant sea of green flooded the stands of Stade de Bordeaux in sweltering south-west France.

But it was Romania who made the blistering start.

Sexton’s poor grubber kick was pounced upon by Hinckley Vaovasa and he raced forward to give half-back partner Rupanu a simple third-minute finish.

Ireland swiftly recovered from the sloppy opening moments to assert their authority.

Gibson-Park benefited from slick interplay involving Sexton, Aki and Garry Ringrose to dive over before Keenan crossed under the posts and flanker Beirne touched down wide on the left.

Rupanu reduced the deficit with a penalty ahead of the first drinks break, but the fourth World Cup meeting between the nations rarely threatened to be truly competitive, epitomised by an early Mexican wave.

Ireland had won all of the past clashes – nine in total – and had the bonus point in the bag in the 34th minute when the rampaging Aki claimed a fine solo score shortly after Romania full-back Marius Simionescu was sin-binned for obstruction.

Sexton got in on the act in the final moments of the half, crossing under the posts before overcoming a bang suffered in the process to slot the extras and make it 33-8 at the interval.

Ireland players had spoken all week of wanting to begin with a bang by producing a statement victory.

Undeterred by the stifling conditions, the Six Nations Grand Slam champions stretched their advantage courtesy of hooker Herring and flanker O’Mahony dotting down amid prolonged pressure.

Sexton’s 17th Test try added further gloss to the scoreline before a first for 22-year-old lock McCarthy and a second of the afternoon for O’Mahony enhanced Romania’s punishment.

Aki, who was sent off against Samoa in his last World Cup outing, and Beirne became the third and fourth men in green to claim a brace.

Replacement number 10 Crowley successfully added the extras from his four conversions as Ireland ruthlessly dispatched the team ranked 19th in the world to stretch their record winning run to 14 matches and satisfy the bulk of the 41,170 crowd.

Fully-fit Darcy Graham declared that he and Duhan van der Merwe are intent on filling their boots at the World Cup as they chase down Scotland’s all-time try record.

The free-scoring Edinburgh pair have developed into two of the most dangerous wings in world rugby and are aiming to showcase their finishing ability on the biggest stage of all in France, with the formidable South Africans first up in Marseille on Sunday evening.

The recently-retired Stuart Hogg currently holds the Scottish record with 27 but Van Der Merwe has got himself up to joint-fifth with Tommy Seymour after scoring three in his last two matches to take his tally to 20, while Graham is sixth with 19 after scoring seven tries in his last four international outings.

“Yes, definitely,” said Graham when asked if he sees the World Cup as a good chance to get closer to top spot. “Obviously Hoggy’s got it and me and Duhan are hunting him down.

“We’re both pretty confident we’re going to break it, it’s just about who’s going to do it first. We’re having a wee competition between ourselves.

“I’ve played with Duhan for a while now and when he scores I’m chuffed to bits for him but we’re hunting the record down.”

The Scots have one of the most rampant attacks in the world at present, and the talismanic Graham believes his impressive scoring record – and that of his fellow backs – is down to the way the team have been functioning.

“We’ve improved massively over the last two years as a Scotland team and everybody knows their jobs,” said the wing, speaking at a press conference in Aix-en-Provence, just north of Marseille, on the eve of the Springboks showdown.

“You look at me, Kyle (Steyn, who has three tries in his last two games) and Duhan, we’re all scoring. We’ve scored tries every game this season.

“But that’s our jobs, we’ve got to take our chances. We might only get a couple against South Africa and we’ve got to take them.

“That’s what we’re there to do, to finish off those tries out wide and I think there will be a huge opportunity tomorrow for us to do that.”

Graham missed the entire Six Nations earlier this year with a knee injury sustained in December and there was mild concern about his fitness for the South Africa game when he withdrew from the team to face Georgia in the last warm-up match two weeks ago.

However, any fears were eased when the 26-year-old – who has played for Scotland only twice since November – came through the first two training sessions in Nice this week and was named in the starting XV on Thursday.

“I’m ready just to get stuck in and get going,” said Graham. “I got over that niggle reasonably quick. I think I could probably have played that Georgia game but it was better saving myself.

“With the bigger picture, I was happy to sit that one out and get myself ready for this game.

“We’ve had a good training week this week and the boys are excited to get out on the pitch.

“You don’t get any bigger stage than the World Cup and especially playing against the world champions, it doesn’t get any more special.

“We’ve been ready for the last couple of days. All the work’s done. It’s all about turning up on the day and performing.”

Wales have been put on alert to expect “lightning bolts” in their Rugby World Cup opener against Fiji on Sunday.

It is the fifth-successive tournament for Wales and Fiji to meet, with Warren Gatland’s team on a run of three-consecutive wins.

Fiji, though, dumped Wales out of the 2007 World Cup following a thrilling clash in Nantes, while four years ago they led by 10 points before Wales recovered to prevail 29-17.

Fiji have improved their set-piece play considerably under head coach Simon Raiwalui, a dazzling running and off-loading game remains central to their outlook.

They are currently above Wales in the world rankings and fresh from beating England at Twickenham, with players like Semi Radradra, captain Waisea Nayacalevu and number eight Viliame Mata posing major threats.

“I think we have got to expect lightning bolts from this team – line-breaks, off-loads, how they pick through the breakdown,” Wales assistant coach and defence specialist Mike Forshaw said.

“We have got to be really alert and alive around our defence in every area.

“We are expecting that kind of arm-wrestle. We have just got to stay in the game physically and mentally.

“We are going to take lightning bolts at some point, but it is about really focusing on ourselves.

“We’ve got to be physical, we’ve got to take some bruises tomorrow and hopefully dish them out if we can.

“Everyone is talking about this Fiji team and rightly so because I was at Twickenham a couple of weeks ago and they were mightily impressive.

“I think tomorrow we have got to see the best of us against this team, I really believe that.

“Physicality is an easy word to say, but we have got to lead with our actions tomorrow, as I am sure Fiji will.”

Gatland has arrived at a fourth World Cup and his record of two fourth-placed finishes and a quarter-final exit in 2015 is impressive.

And victory on Sunday would give Wales a flying start in terms of their quest to reach the knockout phase from a group that also features Australia, Georgia and Portugal.

“I think from a coaching perspective, the ultimate pinnacle is the World Cup ,” Gatland said.

“It’s the one time in international windows that you get full preparation. It feels like you are working with a club side in having a pre-season.

“We’ve been able to work on a lot of things in the last few months in terms of the detail and putting together a strategy, but also making sure we have not done just the hard work but worked hard on other aspects of the game.

“For us, we’ve spoken about discipline and keeping them (Fiji) out of our 22. They tend to come alive in opposition 22s.

“We’ve prepared well, particularly the last few weeks. We are in a good place for the challenge, physically and mentally.”

Scotland kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against South Africa in Marseille on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency sets the scene with five talking points ahead of the mouth-watering Pool B showdown at Stade Velodrome.

Box-office starter to top-heavy group

Beyond the opening game between France and New Zealand on Friday, the Scots’ showdown with the Springboks is the most eye-catching of the first round of pool fixtures. Indeed, Sunday’s match in Marseille is for higher stakes than the opening game in Paris given the strength of Pool B and the reduced margin for error.

The fact the draw was made back in 2020, when several teams were in notably different shape to what they are now, has led to a situation whereby three of the current top five in the world are in the same group. One of South Africa, Ireland or Scotland is guaranteed to be eliminated at the group stage.

Each of the head-to-heads between those three teams are sure to be crucial in deciding who qualifies, assuming they all make light work of both Tonga and Romania. Victory for either team at Stade Velodrome will stand them in good stead to progress from this heavyweight section.

Both teams in buoyant mood

The two sides kick off the World Cup with every right to be optimistic about their chances.

South Africa have climbed from fourth to second in the world rankings in the weeks leading up to the tournament on the back of four consecutive wins. Their emphatic destructions of Wales and New Zealand last month were particularly impressive, ensuring they begin their defence of the Webb Ellis Cup as one of the favourites.

Scotland go into the tournament with words of lofty praise from John Jeffrey ringing in their ears after the 1990 Grand Slam hero branded them the best Scottish team ever at their World Cup welcome ceremony in Nice on Monday.

The Scots are ranked fifth in the world and have arrived in France with a genuine belief that they can beat any team in the world. One of these sides is set to have their bubble burst on weekend one.

Scots must defy history and break new ground

Scotland have never previously defeated a tier-one nation at a Rugby World Cup. In addition, they have lost each of their last seven meetings with South Africa.

It is 13 years since the Scots last beat the Springboks as Dan Parks kicked every point for Andy Robinson’s team in a 21-17 victory in an autumn Test at Murrayfield in November 2010. The last clash between these two nations was almost two years ago, when South Africa won 30-15 in Edinburgh.

The Scots have beaten the Springboks only five times in 28 attempts over more than a century, but Gregor Townsend’s side have ended long winless streaks in recent years, most notably away to France and England.

Style war – power v panache

Along with France and New Zealand, Scotland have become one of the most swashbuckling attacking teams on the planet, while South Africa are the most powerful.

The brutish Springboks will attempt to bulldoze their opponents out of their rhythm, while the Scots – with the on-form Finn Russell pulling the strings at stand-off – are intent on outrunning and outplaying the formidable world champions. It promises to be an intriguing clash of styles.

Can Scots handle the heat?

With France sizzling amid a late-summer heatwave, both sides have had to contend with scorching temperatures throughout their first week at their respective bases on the Cote d’Azur, with the Scots in Nice and the Springboks along the sunkissed coast at Toulon.

The two teams will now come together in the melting pot of Marseille, where it is expected to be in the mid-20s come kick-off at 5.45pm local time.

Scotland will hope the two previous stints they spent in Nice earlier this summer will stand them in good stead, although coach John Dalziel said earlier this week that it feels hotter now, in early September, than it did when they were here previously in June and August.

A French journalist in the media room in Marseille commented on Friday that “it is too hot to play rugby”, although the implementation of water breaks is sure to be welcomed by all involved.

The Scots’ fitness – something they have prided themselves on this summer – is sure to be tested to the limit.

Wales kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign on Sunday when they tackle Pool C opponents Fiji in Bordeaux.

It will be a fifth successive World Cup at which the teams meet, with Wales having reeled off three successive wins since suffering a tournament-ending defeat by Fiji 16 years ago.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points heading into the game.

Familiar World Cup foes

Wales and Fiji will look to launch their campaigns with a momentum-generating victory. Since beating Wales in 2007 – a 38-34 success that meant a pool-stage exit for their opponents – Fiji have suffered three successive World Cup defeats.

Wales triumphed 66-0 at the 2011 World Cup, and although the two latest meetings were much closer contests, Warren Gatland’s team found a way to cross the finishing line.

Fiji are fresh from humbling England at Twickenham, while Wales have won only two Tests this year, setting up an encounter that should be full of twists and turns.

Hundred-club key for Wales

The saying goes that you cannot buy experience, and such a commodity could prove priceless for Wales in the heat of Sunday’s battle.

It will be an occasion for cool heads and calm decision-making, so it should come as no surprise if the likes of George North, Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau make significant contributions. The cap centurions boast 323 Wales international appearances between them, with North among an elite band to feature in four World Cups.

It is Biggar’s swansong before he retires from international rugby, and number eight Faletau is back from an injury lay-off. They could hold the keys to victory.

Warren Gatland’s pledge

Wales boss Warren Gatland probably surprised many rugby followers when he claimed ahead of the World Cup warm-up Tests: “I am telling you this team will do something pretty special (in France). I promise you now, we will surprise some people.”

Gatland is eight Tests into his second spell as head coach – Wales have lost six of those games – while headlines earlier this year were dominated by financial issues in Welsh professional rugby and player contractual problems that almost led to a full-blown strike.

Gatland, though, thrives amid adversity, and he has arrived at his fourth World Cup as Wales boss with a rejuvenated squad fit and firing following an intense build-up. Watch this space.

Memories of 2011

There is an undoubted symmetry between the Wales World Cup squad that went to New Zealand in 2011 and the current crop of players. For 22-year-old skipper Sam Warburton, read current co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake – aged 23 and 24, respectively – while the new brigade this time around includes prospects like Sam Costelow, Rio Dyer and Mason Grady.

Twelve years ago, Ken Owens was at the start of his Test career, Faletau only had three caps and North just eight. Wales reached the semi-finals in that tournament – their best World Cup performance for 24 years – bowing out to France, and the same adventure of youth accompanies them this time, combined with vast experience offered by seven players with 70 caps or more.

The Fiji magic men

Fiji’s set-piece game has undoubtedly improved under head coach Simon Raiwalui, but it is still an ability to cut teams apart through razor-sharp running angles and raw physical power that makes them such a threat.

Players like Semi Radradra and Viliami Mata can cause havoc with ridiculous ease, and there is no doubt that Wales could have their hands full defensively.

If Gatland’s team get on the front foot early, then they can boss the game tactically, yet that is far easier said than done against opponents who will fancy their chances of progressing from a pool that also includes Australia, Georgia and Portugal.

France handed a nation the result it craved as they opened their Rugby World Cup campaign on home soil by beating New Zealand 27-13 in Paris.

It was the All Blacks’ first pool-phase defeat in World Cup history and they could have few complaints.

Although the game never took off as a true spectacle at Stade de France, it was all about the result as Les Bleus prevailed through second-half tries by wing Damian Penaud and replacement Melvyn Jaminet, plus 17 points from full-back Thomas Ramos.

Wing Mark Telea scored two tries for New Zealand, with fly-half Richie Mo’unga kicking a penalty. While New Zealand are still odds-on to secure a quarter-final place from Pool A, France’s success sent an immediate message of their world title intent.

New Zealand suffered a late injury blow when captain Sam Cane was ruled out.

The All Blacks announced just 45 minutes before kick-off at Stade de France that flanker Cane would miss the heavyweight clash, although they did not specify his injury.

Number eight Ardie Savea took over as skipper, with Dalton Papalii moving from blindside to openside flanker and Tupou Vaa’i being promoted to the starting XV.

Despite the loss of Cane, New Zealand showed no sign of it unsettling them as they went ahead after just 93 seconds when full-back Beauden Barrett’s precision kick was gathered by Telea for the opening try.

Although Ramos kicked a penalty shortly afterwards, Les Blues struggled to settle and hooker Julien Marchand was forced off injured after 13 minutes.

A second Ramos penalty nudged France ahead, but Mo’unga quickly cancelled that out ahead of a water-break as temperatures nudged 28 degrees at almost 10pm local time.

Ramos completed his penalty hat-trick 12 minutes before half-time as France claimed a 9-8 interval lead.

New Zealand began the second period with an immediate statement of intent as skipper Savea’s kick was gathered by wing Will Jordan before centre Rieko Ioane’s superb long pass found Telea, who sprinted over for his second try.

Back came France, though, when fly-half Matthieu Jalibert’s half-break set up Penaud for an outstanding try, and Ramos’ wide-angled conversion made it 16-13.

Jordan was shown a yellow card by referee Jaco Peyper for an illegal aerial challenge on Ramos, which was also referred to to the ‘bunker’ before remaining as a sin-binning only.

Ramos’ fourth successful penalty opened up a six-point gap inside the final quarter, and another successful kick seven minutes from time sealed the deal as France triumphed 27-13 on the back of Jaminet’s late touchdown.

Gregor Townsend insisted the 15 players he has selected to face South Africa have “earned the right” to start together as he challenged his burgeoning Scotland team to deliver on the biggest stage of all.

The head coach named a starting line-up on Friday with no surprises as key duo Darcy Graham and Zander Fagerson returned from injury and suspension respectively for the World Cup Pool B opener against the world champions.

Townsend believes the sense of “cohesion” within the team he has picked will stand them in good stead for Sunday’s showdown in the late-summer heat of Marseille.

“It’s been the team that has played (together) in the main,” he said at a press conference at Stade Velodrome on Friday. “The majority of the players have played together all year. A couple of players missed the Six Nations, Rory Darge and Darcy Graham who are back fit and back with us.

“It’s a team that deserves to go out there. They have earned the right to start in such an important fixture because of the way they have played and the way they have trained.

“We have built a lot of cohesion over the last two or three months by training with certain combinations week after week. We’ve seen the benefits of doing that transfer into the warm-up games and now it’s about delivering the most complete game we have done this year.”

Scotland go into the World Cup as dark horses for the Webb Ellis Cup having emerged as best of the rest behind the heavyweight quartet of Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand.

Several players in Townsend’s team go into the global showpiece at the top of their game and the head coach is confident they can produce collectively when it matters most.

“It’s the biggest opportunity you’ll get: a World Cup game, playing the world champions,” he said ahead of Sunday’s showdown.

“We believe we’ve been building to our best performance – and I know that’s a continual journey and we’ll say it again as we go towards the Tonga game – but really this is where it’ll count for our players to deliver what they have been delivering in training and what they have been delivering in other games we’ve played this year, and we have every faith they will be able to do that.”

Townsend has no worries about his players’ temperament as they prepare for a huge occasion in front of 67,000 people in the Marseille heat.

“That’s the job for us as coaches, the senior players and the players who have been there before, to be calm and to calm others,” he said. “But there is an expectation that it’s going to be a very emotional and exciting build-up.

“I’m sure the players will feel the sense of adrenaline, nerves and excitement as we get closer to kick-off. But that can be turned into a real positive. It can narrow your focus, but also give you that extra energy boost that you need.”

Scotland trailed in all four of their summer warm-up matches and came back to win three of them, including a stirring 25-21 victory at home to France, while they also went close to pipping Les Bleus in the rematch in Saint-Etienne before eventually succumbing to a 30-27 defeat.

Townsend believes such experiences will give them reason for confidence if they find themselves trailing at any point on Sunday.

“We didn’t want to be 21-3 behind against France but this team have shown they are capable of coming back, whether it’s in Paris (in the Six Nations), or at Murrayfield when a man down, or Saint-Etienne with the crowd and momentum against us.

“It would be nice to be 15 points ahead, but we’ve got to deal with whatever situation is presented at any time in the game.

“We will be tested, no doubt. There will be times when South Africa have dominance, South Africa have points on the board.

“There will be times when we aren’t able to execute things as well as we like and that’s not because it’s the first game of the World Cup, it’s because of the opposition and what they bring with their pressure.

“But we’ve got to find a way to win and that’s what this World Cup is about, finding a way to win.”

The Scots were unable to include either scrum-half George Horne or hooker Ewan Ashman in the 23 after the pair suffered concussion in training.

Stuart McInally, who was cut from the squad last month, has flown out to France as cover until Ashman recovers.

England and Argentina collide in their pivotal World Cup opener at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday with Steve Borthwick’s side in the unusual position of being considered underdogs.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the fixture.

Moment of truth

England have been upbeat since their arrival in France, refreshed by the change of scenery that provided a locational reset in the wake of losing five of their last six Tests. The positive talk must now be backed up with action on the pitch but on the basis of recent evidence it is hard to see how the upset will be sprung given so many areas of their game are malfunctioning. The stakes are high – win and England suddenly have a cause to rally around, lose and each remaining game in Pool D brings do or die jeopardy.

Time to deliver

A curious feature of England’s dismal run of just three wins in nine Tests under head coach Borthwick has been the lack of form seen from stars such as Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, Jamie George and Freddie Steward. If Argentina are to be dispatched, they will need to exit their slump with a bang. On paper, England have a strong starting XV but when so many are underperforming the odds are stacked against them.

Mitchell’s World Cup rollercoaster

Few shards of light emerged out of the gloom of a first defeat by Fiji, but the urgency brought at scrum-half by Alex Mitchell’s full debut was one of them. The Northampton player added zip to the game with speedier service and quicker decision-making and his selection represents a change in thinking from Borthwick, who was expected to pick England’s most capped player Ben Youngs in the number-nine jersey. Mitchell now has a central role in Pool D’s box-office clash despite not being included in the original 41-man training squad, his opportunity arising when Jack van Poortvliet suffered a tournament-ending ankle injury against Wales at Twickenham.

Curry reinforces England

It is a reflection of Tom Curry’s influence on England that he has been propelled straight into the back row despite missing the entire build-up campaign because of damaged ankle ligaments. The squad’s fittest player, his conditioning is never in question and he has experience of making a successful immediate return from injury lay-offs. Regarded as the team’s defensive kingpin, he will provide physical intent and add to England’s breakdown potency in his first appearance since Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones in December. A lot of hopes are being pinned on his return.

Pumas on the prowl

Argentina’s scrum may not be the force of old, but the Pumas have evolved their overall game significantly. Their appetite for forward combat remains undiminished, but is now led by the back rather than front row and their breakdown work has improved as a result. The threequarters possess genuine X-factor with the likes of wings Mateo Carreras and Emiliano Boffelli and they are a cohesive team who will fight until the final minute, playing with a sense of purpose grounded in their fierce national pride. There is much to admire about a team that stormed Twickenham in November and is capable of progressing deeper into the tournament.

England must leave everything out on the pitch as they aim to set the tone for their Rugby World Cup campaign against Argentina on Saturday, though Mike Tindall does not see Steve Borthwick's side as being among the favourites.

The 2023 World Cup gets under way in Paris on Friday, with hosts France taking on New Zealand.

England's campaign starts on Saturday, when they face Argentina in Marseille.

The Red Rose – who were runners-up to South Africa in 2019 – head into the tournament ranked eighth in the world, below Fiji and two places below Argentina.

After a disappointing Six Nations, England will be looking to put things right, and Tindall wants to see a fast start on Saturday.

"The first game against Argentina, they can't leave anything out there," he told Stats Perform. "They're not in a place where they can build something, they have to play [well].

"Imagine that is the World Cup final and then deal with the outcome of it and then rebuild to go into quarter-finals and semi-finals.

"Argentina for England is the World Cup final. 

"They have to play the biggest game in their first outing that should get them into a quarter-final and hopefully in that time you build momentum and they can then go on."

Asked if he fancied England's chances of going all the way, Tindall said: "To be honest, at the moment, I don't see them be the favourites.

"I think I think they can muster a challenge, and we are on the right side of the draw. France, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, they're going to take chunks out of each other, and you don't know what's going to happen injury wise.

"So all you've got to do is try and stay in their strike, manage everything, and ultimately believe and if they can do that, I think they could create a shock. But I don't think that they're going in as anywhere near favourites."

For Tindall, New Zealand or France are the favourites.

He said: "Just from the grouping, I would say the winner coming out of the France, New Zealand group.

"Ireland are number one in the world but the schedule and the draw they're on is terrible. It's terrible for them.

"Even South Africa, who are built for big physical guys, I just think that France and New Zealand have that first big game and then they can sort of relax a little bit.

"Not relax, but they'll be able to manage their players and manage their time. And I feel that the winner could come out with those two."

Vice-captain James Ryan insists Ireland must begin the Rugby World Cup with “real intent” if they have genuine aspirations of being crowned champions.

Andy Farrell’s side are out to substantiate their status as the top-ranked Test team and one of the pre-tournament favourites.

The Six Nations winners launch their campaign on Saturday afternoon against Pool B minnows Romania at a sold-out Stade de Bordeaux expected to be packed with Irish fans.

Leinster lock Ryan, who concedes Ireland were below their best in warm-up victories over Italy, England and Samoa, says his side are striving for a complete 80-minute performance.

“It’s definitely not about easing ourselves in,” said the 27-year-old. “If we’re going to take this competition seriously I don’t think you can ease yourself into any game.

“We’ve got to go in with the right mentality.

“Tomorrow is about playing with real intent and putting in a performance that we know we’re capable of.

“We were a bit off in a couple of the pre-season games, and we didn’t hit that 80-minute performance we were looking for.

“Tomorrow for us is about winning every moment, or winning as many moments as we can.

“We don’t want to drift or lose 10 minutes or 15 minutes.

“We’re definitely striving for the full 80-minute performance tomorrow that we can be proud of, and hopefully give the Irish people there tomorrow something to cheer about.”