Pierre Schoeman is hellbent on extending his “miracle” World Cup beyond this weekend as he gears up for Saturday’s critical Paris showdown with Pool B rivals Ireland.

Just under two years after winning the first of his 25 caps, the South Africa-born prop is enjoying the time of his life in France as Gregor Townsend’s first-choice loosehead.

But Schoeman knows he would likely have missed out on playing for Scotland at the tournament if not for the fact the Covid-19 pandemic led to a delay in World Rugby changing the three-year residency rule to five years.

That meant the 29-year-old – who left Bulls in his homeland to join Edinburgh in 2018 – was able to make his debut in October 2021 as opposed to having to wait until this summer to become eligible, by which time it would probably have been too late for him to force his way into the World Cup squad.

“I can only say with gratitude that it is a miracle, to be honest,” he said. “It would have actually been five years but because of Covid, it was three years, so two years less.

“I would have only made my debut for Scotland now (this summer) if it wasn’t for Covid so there is always a blessing in disguise somewhere.”

Schoeman is savouring every moment of a tournament he described as the highlight of his career.

“It has been massive,” he said. “Representing Scotland at the World Cup is the best thing I have experienced in my rugby journey.

“I have been honoured and privileged to do it. And with the team we have, the management and the players are a really good group.

“It has been amazing. I have to give credit to our partners and our families for the sacrifices they have made but in the south of France, the passion they have for their rugby and having all the Scottish fans here as well, that’s massive.

“The amount of fans that came over makes you realise that you have to play a bit harder for them as well.

“It’s not just about you and the team, it’s about playing for the fans and the country you represent.

“Putting on the jersey for Scotland in a World Cup in the south of France gives you that extra fuel to prep. You want to do it 100 times.”

Schoeman and his Scotland colleagues know their World Cup adventure will end if they are not able to get a bonus-point win over Ireland on Saturday or deny their opponents a losing bonus.

The prop is unable to countenance the prospect of leaving France this weekend.

“I haven’t even thought about making plans for a holiday or time off or going back to play with my club,” he said. “It’s all this now, this week, this test, to get another three weeks or however long it is.

“We are confident, we are going to go for the win and we believe we can get the win. As a group, we are ready to go.”

Schoeman is braced for the biggest game of his career in Paris.

“There have been some big Six Nations games but this is a World Cup and we’re against the world’s best in Ireland,” he said.

“These are the games you want to play in. They are the games you want to measure yourself against, especially the set-piece battles.

“Being a prop, you want to go against the best. As a pack and as a team, we can’t wait.”

Gareth Thomas knows from painful experience the misery that Georgia’s forwards can inflict on opponents.

Wales need one point from Saturday’s Pool C finale against Georgia in Nantes to guarantee topping their group.

With a quarter-final place having already been secured for the fourth successive World Cup under head coach Warren Gatland, they are building towards an expected last-eight appointment with Argentina or Japan.

But before that there is unfinished business for Wales, even though Georgia are already out of the tournament following losses to Australia and Fiji either side of a draw with Portugal.

Ospreys prop Thomas will line up at Stade de la Beaujoire as the solitary survivor from Wales’ starting pack against Georgia in Cardiff 326 days ago.

He played just over an hour of what became one of Welsh rugby’s darkest days – a 13-12 defeat that effectively signalled the end for Gatland’s predecessor Wayne Pivac.

Two Jac Morgan tries helped Wales build a nine-point lead, but they were overhauled when Luka Matkava kicked a penalty two minutes from time that put Georgia in dreamland.

Asked about Georgia’s scrum threat, Thomas said: “Yes, 100 per cent. That is what won them the game against us in the autumn last year.

“They are just such a physical side. Set-piece stuff we have to be on top of our game, as we know they are going to come strong.

“We have come a long way since the start of the summer, but we know this week will be a big test for us.”

Only an eternal optimist would have predicted Wales’ status as World Cup quarter-finalists just over a year after that Principality Stadium debacle.

A poor Six Nations followed, when victory over Italy in Rome staved off the wooden spoon, but Gatland has once again weaved his magic.

A 12-year first stint in the job produced Six Nations titles, Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-finals and a brief spell as world number one team.

And three games into their World Cup campaign, Wales have a 100 per cent record and are strongly fancied to make the last four.

Thomas added: “We want to keep the momentum going that we’ve had over the last few weeks here, trying to hold onto that and push and grow as a team as we go forward to the quarter-finals.

“We are a completely different team to what we were last year.

“There has been a massive improvement in the squad, but we know that they are a very good side and we have to be on top of our game to be successful this weekend.

“It is the time we have spent together and the amount of work we have put in together. You cannot fault the amount of effort that has gone in this summer.

“The confidence within the team at the minute is something I haven’t felt before. We are in a good place.”

England must face down a Samoa side that has been reinforced by rugby’s updated eligibility rule but Kyle Sinckler still views the change as an improvement to the game.

Tighthead prop Sinckler is poised to start England’s final World Cup group match in Lille on Saturday when he could go toe to toe with fellow Bristol forwards Steven Luatua and Chris Vui.

Luatua won 15 caps for New Zealand from 2013 to 2016 but his Test career was revived when in 2022, World Rugby allowed players to transfer national allegiance upon completing a three-year stand down period.

Former All Blacks Lima Sopoaga and Charlie Faumuina are also in Samoa’s World Cup squad, while their fly-half Christian Leali’ifano represented Australia at Japan 2019.

Tonga have benefited as well from a rule that extends the international careers of talented Islanders through the availability of another of Sinckler’s Bristol team-mates in Charles Piutau, amongst others.

“Knowing Stevie personally, I know that playing for Samoa means a huge amount to him. Charles, because he made the decision to go back and play for Tonga,” Sinckler said.

“They’re massively appreciative to have played for the All Blacks but the sense that I got from them was that they wanted to give something back to their community and where they’re from.

“Look at the Tonga game against South Africa and how competitive they were and look at Samoa in the World Cup and how competitive they have been.

“It’s nothing but good for rugby in my opinion, those guys going back and strengthening those so-called tier two nations. It doesn’t feel like that when you play against these teams!

“The likes of Charles, Steven Luatua, Charlie Faumuina and Christian Leali’ifano are all world-class players. It’s good to see them playing and it’s good for rugby.”

Sinckler was welcomed with open arms by Luatua and Vui when he joined Bristol from Harlequins in 2020 but the all-action front row knows the friendship will be put on ice at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

“They are pretty chilled out to be honest, they don’t say too much,” Sinckler said.

“But don’t be fooled by their nice and chilled-out demeanour – they can definitely flick the switch. And when it’s time to go, those guys can definitely really go.

“Both have leadership roles at Bristol. They don’t tend to say too much, they lead by example. They are two massively physical players and great line-out options.

“They have great hands and good offloading skills, but they honestly couldn’t be any more different from how they are off the field because they are literally the most chilled out personalities you’ll ever meet.”

Hooker Dan Sheehan admits it would be “stupid” of Ireland’s players to be unfamiliar with complex permutations which could extinguish their Rugby World Cup dream.

Andy Farrell’s men will top Pool B and qualify for the quarter-finals by avoiding defeat in Saturday evening’s crucial Paris clash with Scotland.

Ireland could even progress to the last eight with a loss but that would be dependent on the Scots’ margin of victory and bonus points gained.

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Sheehan is eager to avoid “over-hyping” a pivotal Stade de France showdown which will also determine the fate of reigning champions South Africa.

While the 25-year-old hopes to emphatically banish any prospect of elimination by helping his country register a 17th consecutive success, he insists Ireland’s squad are au fait with all possible scenarios.

“We’re all aware of the different little permutations, but our job is to go out and win a game,” said Sheehan.

“I’m sure there’ll be scenarios throughout that, if we find ourselves in a situation, we’ll know what to do, and it would be stupid of us not to know it going into a match.

“Of course everyone is fully aware of what we need to do at what time and depending on what the scoreline is.”

South Africa top arguably the competition’s toughest pool with 15 points from their four games, with Ireland and Scotland on 14 and 10 respectively ahead of what could be a tense encounter in the French capital.

Tournament regulations state teams level on the same number of points at the end of the group stage will be separated by their head-to-head result in the first instance.

However, in the event of a three-way tie, the nation with the best overall points difference will top the pool, with head-to-head then used to rank the other two.

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“Obviously there is a lot on the line, especially this week,” said Sheehan.

“But I think we probably stick to the same procedures in regards to preparation.

“I think you can be in danger of over-hyping a game or getting too feared up about an occasion, so realistically it’s pretty similar to a Test match, but obviously everyone knows that there is a lot on the line.”

The weight of expectation is firmly on in-form Ireland, with comments from Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and head coach Jacques Nienaber ramping up the pressure.

Sheehan is uninterested in the outside noise and pays no attention to press coverage.

“I don’t read or contribute to any sports media really,” he told reporters.

“I was just like that as a kid, I wasn’t really interested in… in your job, really.

“It’s just another Test week for me and I sort of focus very much on what’s going on in the camp and what people tell me within the camp.”

Leinster man Sheehan is pushing for a full World Cup debut this weekend.

He returned from a foot injury as a replacement in Ireland’s 13-8 win over South Africa on September 23 following a layoff which also allowed him to rehabilitate shoulder and hip niggles .

“I feel in a great place, probably the fittest and the best condition I have been in a long time,” said Sheehan.

“It was nice to have that rehab window, where you can focus on other things as well. The body is in great shape.”

Jonathan Humphreys says that Wales “cannot afford to go off-script” when they tackle Rugby World Cup opponents Georgia in Nantes on Saturday.

Wales need a point from their Pool C finale to win the group, having already secured a quarter-final place through beating Australia by a record 40-6 scoreline nine days ago.

They lost 13-12 at home to Georgia when the countries last met almost a year ago, and Wales assistant coach Humphreys has emphasised a fierce sense of determination in the camp.

“There has been a bit of an edge about training, which is what we want,” forwards specialist Humphreys said.

“We are just keen to continue the progress that we’ve shown. That is a big driving force for us, and we have talked constantly about that.

“I expect them (Georgia) to play a bit, and they are strong up-front – we are under no illusion about that.

“They are a dangerous outfit, and we cannot afford to go off-script.”

Few could have imagined Wales reaching the last eight just 11 months after Georgia triumphed 13-12 in Cardiff, and Humphreys added: “We’ve had five months together. We are more like a club team than an international team.

“We came in earlier than most teams, we know what we wanted to improve and we haven’t deviated from that.

“Probably the messages that went out in May, they haven’t changed at all.

“Every day, it has been working on those fundamentals that we felt were important and would make a difference.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made six changes for the Georgia clash, with Dewi Lake captaining a side that also sees starts for wing Rio Dyer, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Tommy Reffell.

Centre Nick Tompkins will continue his midfield partnership with George North, meanwhile, and look to maintain the form that has made him among Wales’ most impressive performers at the tournament.

“We want no dip in our performance,” Tompkins said.

“We want to get better, we don’t want to take our foot off the pedal – that’s the last thing we want. We want confidence and momentum and to keep on going.

“I want to just keep getting better and keep pushing myself. There are a lot of things I need to improve on.

“I am happy with some areas, but there are some things I really need to push myself on.

“You look at some of the other centres out there and how well they are doing, and you want to emulate that.

“Being together as a squad for five months means you can have those little conversations and make little tweaks.

“You are all looking for little things to tweak and improve. It has been really healthy, and it has been all of us pushing each other.”

Tompkins has also voiced his support for the World Cup bunker system, whereby incidents of foul play can be referred and a yellow card retained or upgraded to red.

“I like it,” Tompkins added.

“Decisions are tough at the moment anyway, referees are under a lot of a pressure to keep the game moving quickly and get the right decision.

“I think it is brilliant, I like that model. To cut down the pressure we put on referees, especially, is good.”

England became the first host nation to be knocked out of the Rugby World Cup at the group stage after losing 33-13 to Australia on this day in 2015.

Stuart Lancaster’s side had gone into the tournament on home soil with plenty of ambition to reclaim the World Cup they had famously won for the first time Down Under in 2003.

But those hopes were crushed on a damning night at Twickenham as the Wallabies cruised to a 20-point win to send England crashing out at the earliest stage possible.

England were in danger of exiting the tournament a week after they twice squandered a 10-point lead against Wales to lose 28-25 in Pool A, making this game a must-win encounter.

Victory over the Welsh would have seen England through to the knockout stages but they lost that match and were then ultimately outclassed by Australia’s brilliance, including an excellent performance from fly-half Bernard Foley.

The two teams exchanged early penalties but the Australians soon turned the screw, Israel Folau flying over the whitewash in the 20th minute and then again five minutes before half-time, with Foley’s conversions giving the Wallabies a 17-3 lead.

Another Foley penalty pushed England further towards the exit door and although an Anthony Watson converted try and an Owen Farrell kick pulled it back to 20-13, Farrell’s loss to the sin-bin alongside two Foley penalties put Australia further in charge before Matt Giteau dived over to rub salt into English wounds.

England’s failure to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time prompted Lancaster’s departure after a review just weeks later.

He said: “I ultimately accept and take responsibility for the team’s performance.”

After knocking England out, the Wallabies made it all the way to the final, but fell short of glory after they suffered a bruising 34-17 defeat to arch rivals New Zealand.

Ireland prop Finlay Bealham is determined to “make the minutes count” as he prepares for a crucial showdown with Scotland following a frustrating start to his maiden Rugby World Cup.

Australia-born Bealham made his first meaningful contribution of the competition by coming off the bench to help secure a statement 13-8 victory over defending champions South Africa in round three.

He had been left out of the matchday 23 for his country’s opener against Romania and was then forced off by a head knock just 10 minutes into a second-half cameo the following week against Tonga.

Bealham, who showed his quality with some fine performances in this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam triumph, has won most of his 34 Test caps as a replacement and is understudy to first-choice tighthead Tadhg Furlong.

But the 31-year-old is ready and raring to go when called upon as Andy Farrell’s men attempt to avoid a shock early exit at the hands of the Scots.

“From a mindset point of view, when I’m on the bench, I don’t care how many minutes I play,” said Bealham.

“It’s ‘make the minutes count’. I try my best to do that.

“Personally it was a frustrating start to the campaign but some of that stuff was out of my control.

“When I got my chance, I just tried to come on and make a positive impact. It was incredible to get that experience.

“I’m looking forward to the Scotland game.

“Obviously there’s no team been named yet and it’s just about focusing on what I can control, fixing up things from the South Africa game and then bringing my game on top of that.”

Three successive Pool B wins have put the world’s top-ranked nation on the cusp of the quarter-finals.

Yet Ireland’s progression is far from assured going into Saturday evening’s pivotal Paris appointment.

Bealham turns 32 next Monday and will celebrate his birthday either preparing for a last-eight clash with France, New Zealand or Italy, or reflecting on elimination.

The Connacht player is eager to extend the “surreal” experience of playing on the world’s biggest stage and continue representing his late Irish grandmother, whom he thinks about when singing Ireland’s Call.

“I moved over originally when I was 18, 19 years of age having a dream of playing professional rugby and I moved over because the dream seemed a bit harder where I was in Australia,” said Canberra-born Bealham.

“I had that Irish heritage through my mum’s side of the family.

“I was really tight with my nana at the time. She used to ring me every day when I was in Galway and I remember one time I forgot to bring my phone to training and she ended up calling me like 70 times, it was something crazy, you wouldn’t believe it.

“I suppose to represent my nana, who I was always close with growing up, representing all them, would I have thought I’d be here a good few years later at a World Cup? It’s pretty surreal.

“Every time I get to wear the jersey, every time I sing the anthem, I always think of my family and everyone who sacrificed for me to get to where I’m at.”

Courtney Lawes insists England have forged an identity based on self-sacrifice as the personalities of the World Cup heavyweights begin to emerge.

England have crushed Argentina, Japan and Chile to claim a quarter-final place as Pool D winners with a match to spare and their procession through the group phase will be completed against Samoa on Saturday.

Expectation is rising, even allowing for the fact they have been gifted the easiest route into the knockout phase, but the likes of Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand have been making greater waves.

After the All Blacks’ 14-try rout of Italy on Friday, head coach Ian Foster made a pointed reference to the grinding nature of Ireland’s seismic victory over the Springboks.

“If you look at the South Africa-Ireland game, it was a different game of rugby,” Foster said.

“The ball was in play for 27 minutes throughout the whole game. It was a very stop-start game, very physical, very combative.

“You saw a different spectacle from us and at some point the world has got to decide which game it would rather watch.”

Lawes sees room for all playing styles and is satisfied with the traits developed by Steve Borthwick’s side.

“Our way is the England way. Doing it our way is doing it for each other,” the Northampton back row said.

“I like that it’s now really obvious what is every team’s DNA and what they’re trying to do. All the top teams have got really different genetics as a team, if you will – a team strategy.

“It’ll be interesting when they play each other how that is going to play off. I think that’s really good for us as players to see and be a part of.

“We’re a really strong defensive team. That’s our backbone. We’ve conceded one try in three games. We’re an aerial, kicking team and are very good at getting the ball back.

“We’re looking to build an attack off that, and hopefully by the time we get later on in the tournament that is where we want to be, and we will show a bit of a different side to us.

“Especially at the 2019 World Cup and this time, in terms of a team of players, we are so much more selfless.

“We want to play, we want to go out there and put our bodies on the line for each other and that is what really makes a difference when it hits the fan and you are under the cosh.

“You have got to want to get into it for each other or you get found out pretty quickly.

“We know what works, we want everybody to buy in, we do this for each other, not for ourselves.

“We hit a ruck and forego the glory so we can get the ball and someone else can score.

“Those are the things we pride ourselves on as a team and what we want to carry on into the future as well.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made six changes to his starting line-up for next Saturday’s Rugby World Cup clash against Georgia in Nantes.

Hooker Dewi Lake will captain the team, with his co-skipper Jac Morgan rested from the matchday 23.

There are also starts for wing Rio Dyer, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Tommy Reffell.

Conor Murray believes Ireland are now far better at “flipping the page” following a big win as they bid to back up beating South Africa by securing a quarter-final spot when they face Scotland.

Experienced scrum-half Murray is playing at the fourth Rugby World Cup of his career and has been involved in some major Test victories across 110 caps.

Ireland’s displays have often dipped in the aftermath of previous momentous results but the 34-year-old Munster man does not expect that to be an issue moving towards Saturday’s crunch Paris clash with the Scots.

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“A good few years ago we’d get a good one-off win and then the next week we’d drop off performance-wise,” said Murray.

“I think we’ve started properly addressing it about being consistent and nowadays this team is really good at flipping the page and focusing on what’s next.

“People are talking about what’s down the line and knockout rugby and all that but genuinely within our four walls we’re talking about Scotland and that’s the next biggest challenge for us.

“We have a plan of where we want to go but it’s about doing the right thing now.

“That’s been one of our strengths over the last few seasons. It used to be an issue but we’re a better side nowadays on top of that and mentally we’re better equipped to go back to back in games.”

Andy Farrell’s men have won 16 matches in a row stretching back to defeat in the first Test of last summer’s series success in New Zealand.

Ireland have also dominated fixtures against Scotland across the past decade, winning 12 of 13 meetings.

Murray, who worked with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend on the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour, insists his side will be not be underestimating their weekend opponents as they seek to avoid an early tournament exit.

“That record, I don’t think it counts for much, the same with our record, having been on a good run of form coming into the World Cup,” he said.

“All those games, especially in the last few years, they’ve been very tight fixtures.

“Some of the scoreboards might read a little bit differently but genuinely Scotland are a top side and pose a lot of threats across the board.

“Having worked with Gregor a couple of years ago, their attacking game will cause a lot of stress and it’ll make sure we prepare really well, as good if not better as we did for South Africa.

“It’s about turning the page now and realising we’re up against a top international side that have an awful lot to play for.”

Ireland will progress to the last eight with a win or draw, while a defeat could still be sufficient depending on bonus points gained and/or overall points difference.

“I expect them to really test us in every department,” continued Murray.

“That’s not just something we’re saying in the media. We’ve had huge battles with Scotland over the years, especially recently.

“We’re certainly not overlooking them. That might be the story outside but I can assure you it’s completely different here.”

Murray became a Test centurion against South Africa last November.

His Munster team-mate Peter O’Mahony is on course to become the 10th Irishman to join that club this weekend.

“We’ve shared the club journey and the international journey pretty much side by side,” said Murray.

“It’ll be great to get to that milestone and it’s a huge day for himself and his family. Hopefully it all goes to plan, because it’s a very special club.”

Ireland’s head of nutrition Emma Gardner believes “food is mood” as she attempts to fuel another World Cup triumph following her key role in England’s 2019 cricket success.

Gardner is tasked with managing the varied dietary requirements of Andy Farrell’s 33-man squad for their shot at glory in France.

The 37-year-old previously worked as a nutritionist for the England and Wales Cricket Board, a period which included Ben Stokes’ World Cup final heroics against New Zealand at Lord’s.

She clearly has a recipe for success, having also been involved with Great Britain Hockey when the women’s team clinched gold at the 2016 Olympics.

While diet plans are structured and relatively strict, Gardner, from Accrington, Lancashire, acknowledges there needs to be some leeway and feels “internet, food and sleep” are the main requirements for maintaining morale.

“I took a lot of learnings from both those environments, the Olympic Games and the Cricket World Cup,” she said.

“I’m used to the nature of the tournament, used to getting players ready for a match. Having to get them ready again is probably the main learning.

“It’s a long tournament. There’s a long time to concentrate and keep players focused. A big learning for me is ‘food is mood’, particularly in these campaigns.

“We obviously try to keep high quality all the time but there’ll be times where we go ‘let’s just calm it a bit’ and give them what they want and relax because that’s also important when you’re here for such a long time.

“Internet, food and sleep are the three things that tend to keep people happy.”

Ireland’s players have individual nutritional requirements based on position, body weight and expected playing time, with six eating windows per day.

Prop Andrew Porter, for example, can consume up to 600 grams of carbohydrates – a plate of pasta is around 80 grams – ahead of a game.

Gardner’s work involves devising bespoke plans and ensuring the squad are suitably replenished ready for the next fixture.

“In this squad, I actually haven’t had too many crazy requests,” she said.

“Other teams and other sports, I’ve had some very bizarre requests.

“You sometimes get people wanting steak for every single meal, as an example.

“But these guys are very straightforward, they love their food, they’re not fussy, my life is very simple in a way. They just like food and lots of it.”

Gardner, who started the job last October, began her career at Northampton Saints a decade ago when nutrition in rugby was “hugely” different.

A major challenge during the current tournament is that all but one of Ireland’s fixtures kick off at 9pm local time.

“There’s a psychology to a 9pm kick-off,” she said.

“Sometimes the challenge is overeating, feeling sluggish because the only thing you do is eat all day, so you have to tailor it.

“We’ve done a lot of work in that space with individuals, to make sure they feel good going into the game when it’s that late.

“It can feel like a very long day when you’re waiting around all day and eating is one of the only things to do.”

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Ireland’s squad often enjoy a post-match beer, while players were pictured drinking wine during their time off after beating reigning world champions South Africa.

Asked about alcohol consumption, Gardner said: “We don’t have rules, we have standards and the lads know those standards. They create those standards.

“They’re very professional, they also need to look after their own bodies.

“They know the time when they can slightly relax.

“They can do that with food, they can do that if they want to have a drink but they also understand what’s ahead of them.”

Tom Curry has been tearing into his team-mates on the training field in preparation for his comeback when England complete their World Cup group campaign against Samoa on Saturday.

Curry has played just 179 seconds of the tournament after being sent off for a dangerous tackle in the opener against Argentina, resulting in a two-match ban that ruled him out against Japan and Chile.

It was a frustrating first appearance under Steve Borthwick having missed the Six Nations and last month’s warm-up fixtures because of hamstring and ankle injuries.

Now the high-energy Sale flanker is poised to start England’s final Pool D assignment in Lille with a quarter-final against likely opponents Fiji looming on the horizon.

Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth revealed that Curry was straining at the leash to get his World Cup underway having made his presence felt in practise.

“Tom’s been a menace in training because he’s so good, which means he’s everywhere!” Wigglesworth said.

“He’s incredibly committed and diligent. As you’d expect from the really, really top player that he is, he shows all those traits.

“He’s chomping at the bit and we’re delighted for him that he’s back and raring to go. He won’t hold much back – he’s all action.

“He’s fit as a fiddle and that’s the way he plays – multiple actions in games where he affects the game on both sides of the ball.

“I think we will get the best of Tom Curry in terms of him getting straight into it from the start.

“We’re absolutely delighted to get him back. It was tough for him to come back from that (red card) but he has reacted really well and got stuck into his training.”

Owen Farrell insists the ultra-fit Curry, a world player of the year nominee in 2019, is ready to make his mark on the World Cup.

“Tom’s in a good place. I don’t think there is too much revving up that Tom can do – he is pretty much 100 per cent every time you are out there training,” England’s captain said.

“I’m sure he has got a bit of frustration at not being involved and I’m sure he can’t wait to show what he can do and get out there with the team.”

England secured their quarter-final spot when Japan toppled Argentina on Thursday and progress as pool winners with a match to spare, taking full advantage of being positioned in the easier half of the draw.

When they arrived in France, expectation outside the squad was at an all-time time low amid fears they would fail to emerge from the group, having lost five out of their previous six Tests.

But they have brushed aside Argentina, Japan and Chile and confidence is growing that they can advance deeper into the World Cup.

“So far the team has done well. It is not a massive pat on the back to ourselves because we have still hopefully got a long way to go in this competition. All we are trying to do is focus on what we are doing now,” Farrell said.

“With regards to people writing us off on the outside, that has not been the case in the camp.

“We believe in what we are doing and we have done even when things weren’t going quite as we would have wanted them to.”

Rio Dyer says that Wales will aim to keep a collective foot on the accelerator as they build towards their fourth successive Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance.

Wales’ place in the last eight was confirmed through a record 40-6 win against Australia.

They require only a point from next Saturday’s appointment with Georgia in Nantes to guarantee finishing top of Pool C.

Japan or Argentina, who meet in what is effectively a group eliminator 24 hours after Wales tackle Georgia, are then set to await Warren Gatland’s team as quarter-final opponents.

“We taken learnings from every game previously, and we are chasing that perfection,” Wales wing Dyer said.

“Every game won’t be perfect, but there are things we can get better at. It is about not letting the foot off the gas and see how far we can push ourselves.

“Let the result take care of itself, because I am more than sure if we put the effort in during the week and take the learnings, we will get even better and hopefully top the group.

“The training we have been putting in is amazing. The competitiveness of the sessions has been phenomenal.

“No-one is sulking or moping about. We are a 33-man squad trying to get the same result, and everyone is helping everyone.”

Twelve of Wales’ World Cup group were involved when Georgia claimed an historic 13-12 victory in Cardiff during last year’s autumn internationals.

It came just eight months after Wales had lost at home to Italy, and effectively signalled the end for Gatland’s head coach predecessor Wayne Pivac.

A home loss to Australia the following weekend – Wales conceded 26 unanswered points after leading 34-13 – sealed his fate, before Gatland returned for a second stint in the job.

“They’re a good team,” Dyer said of Georgia. “They bring qualities throughout their forwards and backs.

“They have got very good players all around the park. Hopefully, we can put in a performance that we have put in during these three (pool) games and get the result against them.”

Dyer and company returned to the training pitch on Friday following four days off after the Australia match, with the majority of players enjoying French sightseeing, while some briefly returned home.

“Mason (Grady) and myself had a nice day around Paris on the bikes, then we went to Disneyland Paris together on a two-man mission. We went on all the rides there – I felt like a kid again,” he said.

Flanker Taine Basham, meanwhile, had time at home, adding: “I went back home to see the little one. He is nearly walking now, so no days off.

“He was keeping me busy, so I was not just laying back on the sofa waiting to go back out to France.

“I am getting better sleep out here, there is no doubt, but I can’t wait to see him again in the next couple of weeks.”

Darcy Graham insisted Scotland are ready to “go to a dark place” as they bid to defy recent history in their mouth-watering qualification shootout with Ireland in Paris.

The Scots secured the bonus-point win they required against Romania with a 12-try, 84-0 destruction of the eastern European minnows.

To progress to the last eight Gregor Townsend’s side must defeat Ireland in next Saturday’s final Pool B fixture, either with a bonus point or by denying the world’s top-ranked side a losing bonus.

The Scots have won only one of the last 13 meetings between the sides and have lost the last eight, but Graham is adamant his team – ranked fifth in the world – are ready to dig deep for what would be one of the biggest wins in their history.

“It’s winner takes all, we want to get out of the group and they want to get out of the group so both teams will be going for it,” said the prolific Scotland wing. “It’s going to be a hell of a game.

“It’s do or die now, it’s pretty much a World Cup final for us. We’ll take huge confidence from Romania and now we need to get our preparation right.

“We’re going to have to go to a dark place but the boys are up for it. It’s an exciting week. There’s going to be massive support from Scotland and Ireland fans so there’s going to be a real buzz going into this game.”

In their last meeting in the Six Nations in March, Scotland led briefly in the first half and were within a point of the Irish until Andy Farrell’s men pulled away to win 22-7 at Murrayfield.

Scotland have shown for long periods of their three matches against France this year that they can live with the top teams in the world.

“We’ve got the capabilities to beat any team in the world but we have to get things right not just for 40 minutes or 60 minutes, but for 80 minutes,” Graham said.

“We have to take our opportunities when they come. We might only get two or three opportunities and we have to nail them.”

Graham’s four-try haul against Romania elevated him from sixth to joint-second on Scotland’s all-time try-scoring list. He is now level with Ian Smith and Tony Stanger on 24 and just three shy of record-holder Stuart Hogg, who retired this year on 27.

“Yeah, I’m closing in on it but I’ll get there when I get there,” he said. “I’ve added four on to my tally so I’m happy.”

Grant Gilchrist – who captained the Scots against Romania – has no doubt his long-time Edinburgh club-mate will soon break the record.

“If I was a betting man, I’d say yes,” said the lock.

“He was outstanding against Romania. I’ve played a lot of games with him for Scotland and Edinburgh and you know exactly what you’re going to get with him week in, week out.

“Some of the tries he scored were world-class, and I’m sure he’ll keep doing that as long as he plays.”

Scotland scored six tries in each half against Romania in a match that saw them fall just five points short of their record World Cup victory, 89-0 against the Ivory Coast in 1995.

Gilchrist said: “We knew we needed five points but we needed more than that, we needed a performance that was a step forward for us as a group, and I think we got that.

“We know everybody will big up next weekend, it’s huge. Our preparation will reflect that and we’ll give absolutely everything.”

Scotland play their third match of the World Cup against Pool B minnows Romania in Lille on Saturday night.

Here, the PA news agency assesses some of the key talking points ahead of a must-win fixture for Gregor Townsend’s side.

Scots need big win ahead of Ireland

Nothing less than a comprehensive victory will do for Scotland as they bid to stay on course for qualification for the quarter-finals ahead of what is shaping up to be a critical showdown with Ireland in Paris next Saturday. The Scots need to win with four tries this weekend to get the bonus point they require, which is something they should do with little trouble given that they touched down seven times against Tonga last weekend, while Ireland and South Africa put 82 and 76 points respectively on the Romanians. In addition to getting the bonus point, a swashbuckling attacking performance and a heavy scoreline would be desirable to ensure a degree of buoyancy is maintained ahead of the Ireland match.

Big guns preserved

Head coach Gregor Townsend clearly has a big eye on next weekend given his team selection, with 13 changes to the XV that started last Sunday’s win over Tonga. Darcy Graham and Grant Gilchrist – who captains the side in the absence of the injured Jamie Ritchie – are the only two players in the line-up who started the opening game against South Africa, when arguably the first-choice XV was sent out. Big-hitters like Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Sione Tuipulotu, Zander Fagerson and Jack Dempsey have been left out of the 23, while regular starters Blair Kinghorn, Huw Jones and Rory Darge will provide a reassuring presence on the bench.

Opportunities for fringe men

The starting quartet of Hamish Watson, Luke Crosbie, Javan Sebastian and Ben Healy are getting their first action of this World Cup after being idle for the first two games, while six others – Ali Price, Cam Redpath, Ollie Smith, Jamie Bhatti, Ewan Ashman and Sam Skinner – have been handed their first start of the tournament. With Scotland boasting a relatively established starting XV these days, this is an opportunity for several players on the periphery of the squad to showcase their abilities and try to push themselves further up the pecking order, possibly even playing their way into contention for the Ireland game.

The Vern Cotter factor

A familiar face will be attempting to put a spanner in the works for Scotland this weekend. Vern Cotter, the head coach who led the Scots to within a whisker of the World Cup semi-finals in 2015, is working as a consultant for the Romanian team at the current tournament. The 61-year-old New Zealander is sure to have plenty of insight on the Scots, having had three years in charge before being succeeded by Townsend in 2017. “I have been overseeing their preparation since this year’s Rugby Europe Championship and I will be involved as an advisor for the RWC, hoping the Oaks will evolve, play some good games and exceed everyone’s expectations,” said Cotter last month.

Scotland get first taste of northern France

After spending the past month sizzling in the heat of the south of France at their base in Nice and in Marseille – where they played their opener against South Africa – the Scots have encountered grey skies and a much cooler temperature since flying to the other end of France for this weekend’s match in Lille. The players have relished the change of scenery and a reprieve from the heat that ensures they will kick off on Saturday night in conditions far more like what they are accustomed to at home in Scotland.