South Africa mind games pile pressure on Ireland-Scotland

Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, October 3.

Rassie glad he’s not in Ireland’s position

South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus insists the Springboks are the most comfortable side when considering they, Ireland and Scotland could all be sent home at the pool stages this weekend.

Ireland, who have won their last 16 matches, will top their group if they avoid defeat, or lose by four points or fewer. Scotland would go through and knock Ireland out with a victory which also denies the Irish a bonus point. Defending champions South Africa – who have completed their pool stage – are in limbo, waiting for the result which will determine whether they progress to the quarter-finals or are sent home at the pool stages.

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Speaking at a press conference on Monday, following the Springboks’ 49-18 Pool B victory over Tonga on Sunday, director of rugby Erasmus was quizzed about the permutations. He said: “Basically, as I understand it, if Scotland beat Ireland by more than eight points and Ireland don’t get a bonus point then Ireland is out. We would be first, Scotland second and Ireland out. If Scotland beat Ireland 8-0, Ireland are out. That’s how I see it. I was thinking about that a lot last night.

“The other permutation, which is the interesting one, is when all three of us are on 15 points. Then the team with the best net-o points (points difference) first of all goes through. If Scotland’s net-o points is the best, then Scotland will go through and we will fall out as Ireland beat us. First it goes to net-o points, then for the second team it is who beat who.

“For that to happen Scotland must score four tries and beat Ireland by more than 20 points and Ireland must get one bonus point somehow. There are three or four very interesting permutations. But if I was Scotland I’d just want to beat them by eight points and not even score a try. If I was Ireland I’d definitely make sure they beat them. If Ireland finish first on net-o points then we go through as we beat Scotland.”

As for having one foot in the quarter-finals but also potentially going out, he said: “With full humbleness, and there is no arrogance saying this, but I’d rather sit here than be Ireland knowing that we’ve been number one in the world all the time and Scotland basically just have to beat them by eight points and they are out of the tournament.

“The score could be 22-12 or 22-13 and Ireland are out of the competition if they don’t get a bonus point. Of the three teams we are probably the most comfortable sitting here knowing we have got a two-week rest. Look, maybe we have got six months rest if the cards don’t fall our way.

“We have got two weeks off where we can analyse all three teams that we can possibly play. I always thought the Ireland-Scotland game was going to be nervy, just like the France-Italy game will be nervy. I know everybody writes off Italy and though Italy are not used to playing against southern hemisphere teams they are used to playing against northern hemisphere teams. There are going to be some interesting permutations still in the rest of this World Cup.”

Schoolboy sensation filmed training with England

England have flown a teenage schoolboy to France as Steve Borthwick’s side prepare to face Samoa on Saturday in Lille.

George Timmins was pictured in training despite the fact he only finished playing schoolboy rugby months ago. His powerful ball carrying at schoolboy level gained him widespread online attention and he has since starred for England U18 in the Six Nations Festival and signed a senior academy contract with Bath.

An image surfaced on Monday of the flanker holding a tackle pad alongside England No8 Billy Vunipola, although no details have been provided as to why he has linked up with the World Cup squad.

Jamie George in favour of historic England tour to Samoa

By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent, Le Touquet

Jamie George would welcome the opportunity for England to embark on an historical maiden tour of Samoa as part of a reshaped global calendar. England clash with Seilala Mapusua’s underdogs in their final World Cup group game in Lille on Saturday in what will be only the ninth meeting between the rivals and their first since 2017.

Of the previous encounters, none of them have been staged in Samoa, while England’s total visits to the Pacific Islands consist of two Tests played in Fiji in 1988 and 1991. The game’s powerbrokers are seeking to establish a two-division international competition operating in the July and November windows, with the summer offering scope to play in a region that is estimated to supply 20 per cent of all professional players across the world. Fiji – England’s likely quarter-final opponents – and Portugal have captured imaginations at France 2023 and George appreciates the value of touring emerging nations to accelerate their development.

“World Cups highlight the incredible work the tier two nations are doing and their standard,” Saracens hooker George said. “If you look at some of the performances from the lower-seeded sides at the World Cup, if you get the opportunity to go over there then why not? If you can pair it up with a tour to New Zealand or Australia or wherever it might be, it would be great to grow the game out there. We know how passionate they are about their rugby over there. If the calendar works then absolutely, why not?”

England’s Itoje wants ‘tier two’ term ditched

George’s England team-mate Maro Itoje believes tier two nations – led by swashbuckling Portugal – have blossomed during this tournament. “We’ve seen the general level of play of alleged tier two nations go through the roof in this World Cup and I think we’re starting to see the lines blur between tier one and tier two, which is brilliant,” Itoje said. “I would love for us to have a conversation where there’s no such thing as tier two, or where tier two starts from countries ranked 20 and under. That would be a brilliant evolution of the game.

“I was speaking to some of the Chileans after our last game and they were saying that when they came here it was one of the first times they had played on soft grass. They said it was nice to do contact in France because the grass was soft. And it was green. Back in Chile it’s all tough and all hard. If we can get on top of the structural issues, it would be brilliant to see more nations like Chile reach the level of Argentina or beyond, or Portugal reach the level of teams in the Six Nations.”

Finn Russell says second best will not be good enough against Ireland

By Anthony Brown, PA, Nice

Finn Russell has psyched himself for the likelihood that he will have to operate at the peak of his powers on Saturday night if Scotland are to get the result they need from their critical World Cup showdown with Ireland in Paris. The talismanic stand-off carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders going into this weekend’s qualification shootout against the world’s top-ranked side.

Gregor Townsend’s Scots require either a bonus-point victory or to deny their opponents a losing bonus if they are to emerge from Pool B and reach the quarter-finals. For that to happen, Russell – widely deemed to have entered his prime over the past year – knows he will have to make his mark in the French capital on Saturday as he bids to upstage his veteran Irish counterpart Johnny Sexton.

Asked if he feels he is currently in the best form of his career, the 31-year-old said: “I’m going to have to be this weekend! I don’t know. I think I had a good couple of years, then a year where I was a bit off after the Lions tour in 2021, but I think I’ve come back from that now.

“Gregor thinks I’m coming into my peak as a 10. I think this is a good age to be at where I’m still young enough but I’ve got a lot of experience behind me, so that bodes well for a 10. I think I’m playing some decent rugby just now and I just need to make sure I’m ready for what comes at the weekend. I’m against Johnny Sexton, one of the best 10s in the world as well, so it’s going to be tough.”

Less than a year ago, Russell’s place at the World Cup appeared in jeopardy when he was left out of the initial squad for the autumn internationals amid tension with Townsend, before being recalled midway through the series in November to hugely impressive effect. The coach and talisman also had a well-documented fall-out in early 2020 but they appear to have finally found a genuine sense of harmony since Russell’s recall almost 11 months ago.

The player reported that their relationship remains in good order amid the intensity of a World Cup campaign. “Yes, it’s been good,” he said. “I think that’s all behind us now, thankfully. That’s been 11 years I’ve worked with Gregor now so to have a couple of bumps in the road is not that bad. We’re both on the same page, as we have been all summer, and throughout the Six Nations. It’s just about making sure we continue on this journey we’re on and try to get the win at the weekend.” Get the latest World Cup news by signing up to our newsletter here.