96 points, 11 tries, 0 fans - Paolo Odogwu stars as Wasps beat Bath

The curtain may have come down on European club rugby temporarily, but this was a match that captured the excitement that northern hemisphere club rugby can deliver.

If English rugby can be known as a stodgy, boot-based affair in which defences dominate, this was the perfect rebuttal.

In fact, it was the stuff of a defence coach's nightmares.

Despite the sub-zero temperature at The Rec both Bath and Wasps displayed the slickest of handling - if not the most resolute of defences - as Paolo Odogwu and Tom Cruse scored two apiece for the visitors.

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Winger Odogwu caught the headlines and deservedly so with his low-slung, high-impact running.

Here's my piece for The Times, with reaction from fly-half Rhys Priestland who didn't pull any punches in his assessment of his team's shortcomings.

More than just a rugby match: Danny Cipriani, Gloucester and #BeKind

Rugby was eclipsed by a far bigger issue as Gloucester hosted Sale Sharks in a match that was focused on raising awareness and funds for mental health support.

Sale may have narrowly beaten their hosts, but Gloucester boss Johan Ackermann was as keen to use his post-match interview to spread the message of loving one's neighbour as he was to diagnose where it went wrong for his side.

The game raised money for the Samaritans and was inspired by Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani's emotional tribute to former girlfriend Caroline Flack a week earlier.

For the evening, Gloucester players' names on the back of their shirts were replaced by the hashtag "BeKind".

My piece for The Times reflects on a match with a difference as well as Sale's heady ascent up the Premiership table.

REPLACEMENTS

➡️ @toddgleave
⬅️ @Franco2Marais

➡️ Seville
⬅️ Hohneck

🍒 17 - 23 🦈 | #GLOvSAL #BeKind https://t.co/4A60C67ySF

— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) February 28, 2020

Ireland v Samoa: Talking points and reaction as the Irish qualify from Pool A at Rugby World Cup

A busy time down in Fukuoka last night, covering Ireland's emphatic win over Samoa. On-the-whistle pieces for The Independent and The Guardian, and more reflective pieces for The Observer and The Rugby Paper.

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Scotland captain John Barclay: "I need to prove I deserve to be involved against Japan”

John Barclay insists he is not looking beyond Thursday's encounter with Russia, despite Scotland's looming - and intriguing - Pool A denouement against Japan.

Barclay started in Scotland's dismal opening loss to Ireland and was dropped from the match-day squad for the much-improved win over Samoa.

But he will captain Scotland against Russia in Shizuoka tomorrow as head coach Gregor Townsend makes 14-changes. Townsend is seeking to rest key players ahead of the showdown with Japan just four days later.

The flanker (pictured) says he "needs to prove" he deserves to be involved against Japan in Yokohama, but is first and foremost focused on getting a job done against Russia.

Barclay said: "I have been frustrated since the Ireland game.

"The whole game was frustrating, but it’s part of being a rugby player.

“Samoa was the first time I have been left out of the squad since I returned to the fold. It’s been tough.

“The big game for me is Russia - all my focus is on Russia. I have no idea what the team will be for Japan.

Here are @Scotlandteam warming up before captain's run at superb #Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa where they play Russia tomorrow

Sean Maitland, who appears briefly, sat out the session with a tight groin but defence coach Matt Taylor is "confident he will be fine for Japan"#RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/wAM4g2kRlM

— Bryn Palmer (@ABCBrynPalmer) October 8, 2019

“I guess the reality is that the guys who are playing against Russia will be on the outskirts for the next game.

“It doesn’t take much to work out. But, equally, for the guys who are playing against Russia there is huge motivation to get involved for that Japan match.

“The reality is there will need to be a big performance and I need to prove I deserve to be involved against Japan.”

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Russia frustrated Ireland for long stretches of their clash in Kobe, making the Irish sweat over a bonus-point. Scotland need a bonus-point against the Bears too; get that under their belts and they will trail Japan by four points going into their match in Yokohama.

But Barclay impressed upon his team the importance of not chasing the four tries too hard during Wednesday's captain's run at the Stadium Ecopa in Shizuoka.

"I’ve played enough of these games where if you try to score four tries before you score one you can get in a bit of trouble," he said.

"We’re not thinking about that early on. If it gets to 70 minutes and we’ve scored one that might become the case but we have to back ourselves and not try to score the fourth before we’ve scored the third.

Scotland need a bonus point against Russia, but captain John Barclay tells me they won’t be “trying to score the 4th before we’ve scored the 3rd”.

“Russia make things niggly & awkward. We have to back our skills. We believe our fitness will be superior.”#SCOvRUS #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/Wt6i2LvzhQ

— Tom Bradshaw (@TomBradshaw1979) October 8, 2019

"We need to back our skills, grind them down; we believe our fitness will be superior to theirs. We’ll back ourselves and we’re confident, but we’ve seen the trouble Russia have given every team they’ve played.

"They’re physical, hard at the breakdown, they make things niggly and awkward. When they have the ball they’re abrasive and direct, and they’re hard. We’re under no illusions about it."

Bundee Aki ignores "project players" controversy and is ready to do Ireland proud against Samoa

Bundee Aki says he will “do Ireland proud” if he get the chance to secure the nation’s place in the knock-out stages against the country of his ancestry.

Samoa are Ireland’s final Pool A opposition in Fukuoka on Saturday, and Aki, who is of Samoan descent, is ignoring the comments of those who question his right to play for the Emerald Isle.

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Born in New Zealand, Aki qualified to play for Ireland in 2017 through residency after leaving Auckland with his family three years earlier.

Since then, the centre has excelled for Connacht and become a hard-tackling and hard-running facet of Joe Schmidt’s midfield.

All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said of Aki in November: “They’ve turned him into an Irishman – he looks like an Irishman now, doesn’t he?” Aki subsequently excelled in Ireland’s first win over New Zealand in Dublin.

Ahead of the World Cup, Aki remarked that “some people won’t be happy with me pulling on an Irish jersey,” but now says he is focused on winning his place in the starting line-up against Samoa.

Aki said: “If I do get the nod then it will be just the same as when I played against New Zealand.

“Everybody has their view on the residency and they have their right to an opinion.”

The question of overseas-born players representing Ireland - or "project players" - has also arisen in connection with South African forwards Jean Kleyn and CJ Stander. World Rugby will increase the residency qualifying period from three to five years after the World Cup.

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“For me, I’m just going to try and do the best I can for this jersey, make sure I play well whenever I get the chance on the field and do Ireland proud, as I always try and do,” said Aki.

“That’s all I can do as a player, regardless of what people think.

“I’m going to focus on what I can do: get in the team first, and put in a good performance.”

Andy Farrell: Ireland must benefit from Japan set-back like England handled turmoil in 2007 World Cup

Ireland coach Andy Farrell believes his experience of England’s World Cup “turmoil” in 2007 can be used to Ireland’s advantage as they seek to bounce back from their shock defeat to Japan.

Defence coach Farrell, who will take over the head coach role from Joe Schmidt after the World Cup, says Ireland’s performance in their 19-12 defeat to Japan in Shizuoka “wasn’t good enough”, but says the tournament has a history of sides who have profitably adapted to early disappointments.

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“You can use a set-back in the right manner,” said Farrell, who in 2007 was part of Brian Ashton’s squad during England’s bumpy campaign in France. The team suffered a 36-0 thrashing in the group stage by eventual winners South Africa.

“In 2007 I was part of the England squad that got a thrashing off South Africa and there was a bit of turmoil in that camp, and we managed to get to the final. And there was a debatable (Mark Cueto) try in the final that was disallowed.

“In 2011, France seemed to be in disarray throughout that competition and there’s a debate over whether they should have won that final.

“So, you can use these set-backs to your advantage. They’re not ideal but you can use them to your advantage.”

Farrell said the inquest since the loss to Japan on Saturday had been extensive. Ireland play Russia in Pool A on Thursday.

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Ireland captain’s run ahead of their Pool A match with Russia in Kobe #rwc2019 #japan

A post shared by Tom Bradshaw (@tombradshaw1979) on Oct 1, 2019 at 7:51pm PDT

“The performance against Japan wasn’t good enough,” he said. “There was a lot of disappointment within the camp. We’ve had a good few meetings since then.

“After a couple of days of understanding why we lost, we’re in good spirits, back on track and ready to make a point.

“The feeling in the camp is one of excitement and wanting to put things right on Thursday night. It can’t come quick enough.

“It wouldn’t matter who we were playing this week – Russia or New Zealand. We need to get back on the horse.”

Manu Tuilagi is England's key asset for Japan World Cup, says Jason Robinson

Jason Robinson believes Manu Tuilagi will channel years of injury frustration to become England’s game-changing star during the World Cup.

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Tuilagi scored twice in the 35-3 win over Tonga, making 93m for England in 11 ball carries.

Robinson, who scored England’s try in their victory over Australia in the 2003 final, worked with the England squad before they flew out to Japan and says Tuilagi was the stand-out performer.

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“I’m so excited about Manu,” says Robinson, who is now an ambassador for Rugby World Cup sponsor Mastercard. “He’s had his injuries, he’s been off for a long, long time, but having watched him in training, he’s just so strong."

Leicester centre Tuilagi has had a string of lower-body injury issues stretching back to 2014, A groin problem sidelined him in 2017, and it wasn't until February that he made his first England start since 2014.

Following Sunday’s four-try win over Tonga, England head coach Eddie Jones declared that Tuilagi was “increasingly getting close to his best”, and Robinson believes the 28-year-old is using the misery of years of on-off injury as a source of motivation.

“Physically, pound for pound, Manu’s one of the strongest out there at the World Cup. And he’s got a spring in his step.”