Fullback Hogg returns for Scotland to face Japan

They now turn their attentions to Wednesday’s meeting with the Scots at Kingsholm and Jones is confident they can take another high-profile scalp.

Dave is good friends with the nearby Crown’s Australian landlord, Bill Daley, and with England and Australia in the same pool and playing each other on October 3, the duo respectfully disagree about which team will go further in the tournament.

“They showed that on Saturday and in terms of the group, it’s blown it wide open”.

“I think it is going to be one of the Pacific nations”.

But it is arguably the weakest pool overall and they will be favourites for all the games bar South Africa, even if the handicap line in the Samoa fixture will be single-figures.

IF the organisers of the Rugby World Cup wanted the first weekend of competition to have a fiesta feel to it, they could hardly have chosen a better place than Brighton.

Kilted Kiwis John Hardie and Sean Maitland have been included in Scotland’s side to face Japan in Gloucester on Wednesday (Thursday NZ Time).

“What it does is when you hear the pipes going the crowd get behind the Scottish team and to take that away is a awful decision and disadvantageous to the Scots”. They got the result because they worked hard and with accuracy.

In the backs the Samoans have some real talent including utility back Tim-Nanai Williams, who is an excellent runner with the ball, as well as scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’I, who Welsh and English fans will know very well following a previous spell at the Ospreys and his current spell at Northampton.

“There is a lot of eagerness out there for us to start well, it’s our first game in the World Cup and we’re looking forward to it”.

On recent evidence France may struggle to repeat 2011’s heroics and reach the final for the fourth time – but Les Bleus are often most unsafe when you least expect it, just ask the ’99 All Blacks team that received a semifinal lesson at Twickenham.

Amanaki Lelei Mafi replaces Hendrik Tui at number eight, with Tui dropping to the bench.

New Zealand fly-half and record global points-scorer Dan Carter added: “That kind of stuff is not really in the spirit of the game, to be honest”.

“It’s fantastic for the sport, fantastic for rugby”.

For Leitch, it was a case of soaking up the plaudits as quickly as possible and then clearing minds for the Scotland game. It’s no issue with us but I’d certainly welcome it (being looked at). However, the value on him being the top tournament try-scorer has long gone – some burgled a bit of early 33s apparently – and this market pretty much depends on what players get a start in the games against the likes of Namibia, anyway. They’re excited, so I don’t have to worry in that regard.