Celtic have repeated their request for supporters to stop using pyrotechnics after being hit with another fine from UEFA.

The club said they had been fined 23,400 euros (about £20,260) after fans lit fireworks in the stands ahead of their Champions League group opener against Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

A spokesperson for Celtic said: “Clearly, we are concerned that, despite repeated requests and safety warnings, a small minority continue to use pyrotechnics at Celtic’s matches.

“The use of pyrotechnics represents a serious risk to the safety of our supporters.

“Celtic has been hit with another significant sanction by UEFA due to this behaviour. Again, the club requests that this conduct stops.”

News of the fine came hours before their first home game of the competition against Lazio.

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw has emerged as an injury doubt ahead of Saturday’s crucial Rugby World Cup showdown with Scotland in Paris.

The 30-year-old is struggling with a “niggle” and will be assessed ahead of head coach Andy Farrell naming his matchday 23 on Thursday afternoon.

Henshaw suffered a fitness setback at the start of the tournament when he was a late withdrawal from Ireland’s bench for the 82-8 win over Romania.

He subsequently came on as a replacement in the 59-16 success over Tonga and the 13-8 victory against reigning champions South Africa.

Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell said: “Everyone came through training, but Robbie has a bit of a niggle and we’re finding out about that today.

“I’m sure there will be some information on that tomorrow.”

Henshaw has been providing back-up for in-form midfield duo Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.

Leinster team-mate Jimmy O’Brien, Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey and Munster veteran Keith Earls are among the options to take his place in Farrell’s squad to face the Scots, if he is ruled out.

George Turner admitted Scotland must produce a much better performance against Ireland on Saturday than they managed in their opening World Cup game against South Africa.

The Scots lost 18-3 against the Boks – ranked second in the world at the time – in Marseille last month.

That defeat played a big part in Gregor Townsend’s side finding themselves in a position whereby they must defeat the Irish with a bonus point in Paris this weekend or by denying the world’s top-ranked team a losing bonus point if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.

Hooker Turner knows Scotland must prove this Saturday that they have learned lessons from their last meeting with one of the tournament’s elite teams as they bid to produce what he feels will have to be one of their best-ever displays.

“We talk about performances and we gave ourselves maybe a six (out of 10) against South Africa,” said Turner. “We really want to push our performance.

“We had opportunities against South Africa, we changed a few things up and it didn’t quite click. The intensity, will and want was there and we’ve been practising since then to make the performance better.

“We obviously need our best performance. We need to be nine or 10 out of 10 to beat the best teams in the world, especially Ireland in a World Cup where it’s a must-win game for them as well.”

Turner admitted there is an extra buzz about the Scotland squad this week as the definitive game of their World Cup draws closer.

“Obviously it’s a final for us, it’s knock-out rugby against the best team in the world,” he said.

“We know them well. It’s just a massive challenge that we are all heavily focused on.

“Excitement is building. We are getting the learning done, getting the game plan sorted and looking forward to it.

“There’s more energy, more on the line. Boys will feel it a bit more. It’s good for everyone – the guys who are playing, the guys who are not playing. Everyone in training is trying to give their best to support the team.”

Turner also reported that he had to overcome a nasty cut to his hand on the eve of the South Africa game while cutting bread with a knife.

“I cut my hand open and got four or five stitches,” said the Glasgow hooker. “It just tugged a bit and I was like, ‘that bread is a bit tough’. It was my hand.

“The doctor said I had to go to hospital, which was a bit of panic stations, but it was fine. He sewed me up straight away.

“I had to bandage it during the game and it kept coming off which was a bit annoying, but it’s fine now.”

Liam Cooper, Greg Taylor and Jacob Brown have been recalled to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier in Spain.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland drops out along with, as expected, Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson last week indicated he wanted more time to consider his international future, having left the last Scotland camp after two days following his first call-up to the full squad.

Leeds defender Cooper returns from injury while Celtic left-back Taylor replaces Kieran Tierney, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Luton striker Brown is yet to score in the Premier League since his move from Stoke, while Shankland has gone seven matches without scoring after hitting five goals in his first six games of the season for Hearts.

Scotland have won their opening five games and are six points ahead of second-placed Spain ahead of their trip to Seville on October 12.

Steve Clarke’s side then face France in a friendly in Lille five days later.

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.”

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.”

Cameron Carter-Vickers could be in line for a surprise recall when Celtic host Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The centre-back has not played since suffering a hamstring injury against Aberdeen on August 13.

With Gustaf Lagerbielke missing through suspension following his red card in the Group E opener against Feyenoord, and Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh still out through injury, Rodgers has limited options in central defence.

Liam Scales is set to continue in the team following his impressive recent form, while on-loan Liverpool Nat Phillips is available after coming off the bench at Motherwell on Saturday to make his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury on his debut against Dundee on September 16.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “In terms of Nat, he came through fine so he will be available.

“Cam, we wouldn’t take a risk unless he was fit. He has come through really, really well. He is further down the road than we thought.

“He has had a real good week of training and he’s been doing lots of other work out on the field before that.

“I said before that it (his return) might have been after the international break but he’s made great progress, so we will just assess that to see if he can be in for the squad (on Wednesday) and if he is, then obviously it would be great news for us.”

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.”

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.”

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.

Luke Crosbie revealed his pride at bucking the trend to emerge from a public school background and represent Scotland at a Rugby World Cup – but the flanker’s friends will ensure he never lets his success go to his head.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh back-rower grew up in the West Lothian town of West Calder, which is far from a traditional rugby heartland.

Crosbie’s love for the game, which he first got into while at primary school, has taken him to a level whereby – after winning five caps for his country – he is preparing to make his first appearance at a World Cup after being selected to start Saturday’s must-win match against Romania in Lille on Saturday.

 

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“Looking at my journey to get here, it’s obviously special for me and my family that I’ve come right through,” he said.

 

“At school, I don’t think there was anyone who played rugby, we didn’t have a rugby team or anything like that.

“To reflect on that and be sitting here at a World Cup is special for me and obviously my family have seen me go through all the stages. I’m just really excited and proud to be here.”

Crosbie knows it is more difficult to make it in professional rugby in Scotland if not educated at a private school. His relatively humble beginnings in the sport, and those close to him, ensure he will always keep his feet on the ground.

“If you want something you have to go for it,” he said, reflecting on his rise. “At school this is what I wanted to do. But not everybody knew you could do this as a job.

“When I went back to school, they said, ‘what do you do for work, though, what’s your job?’ Which is fine, I quite like that.

“None of my friends know much about rugby at all so when I chat to them they don’t know what is going on.

 

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“It could be the biggest game for Edinburgh or Scotland and they’ll be asking for a night out! And I’m like ‘you’re not following it at all, are you?’ Which is great. But it’s special for me and I’m just proud to be here.”

Crosbie was unavailable for the opening match against South Africa after suffering a rib injury in the build-up. Nonetheless, he has enjoyed his World Cup experience so far and is looking forward to his first outing on Saturday.

“Picking up an injury wasn’t great, but I’m totally fine now and I’m looking forward to the opportunity this weekend,” he said.

“I’m feeling really confident, the performances I have put in at Edinburgh throughout the season have been great. To get in the World Cup squad was great for me and my family.

“The support I get from my family is the same wherever I play. I could be playing a game for Currie at Malleny Park and they would be there.

“I played an Under-20 game in France for Scotland and my dad and uncle drove all the way down to watch my play. It doesn’t matter who I’m playing for, they’re always there supporting me.”

Scott Cummings described Gregor Townsend as “a massive influence” on his career as he savours his second World Cup under the Scotland head coach.

The 26-year-old lock has enjoyed the most significant moments of his rugby journey under the man currently in charge of the national team.

Townsend was the Glasgow head coach when Cummings broke through and made his debut at club level as a teenager in 2015.

Two years later – and just months after landing the Scotland job – he gave the Warriors second-rower his first full international call-up for the Autumn Tests in 2017.

Townsend then handed Cummings his first cap in the summer of 2019 and took him to his first World Cup that year in Japan, where he made four appearances, aged 22.

The dependable Warriors forward has remained involved throughout the head coach’s reign and – although not always a starter – has accumulated 31 caps, two of which came in the opening matches of this World Cup against South Africa and Tonga.

“Gregor’s been massive for me,” he said. “World Cups have always been a good time for me. Eight years ago was when I made my debut for Glasgow, as we had about 22 guys away at the World Cup (in England in 2015).

“Gregor gave me my debut, and then I managed to get in the squad for the last World Cup, and then this one. He’s been a massive influence on my career and has helped shape me into the player I am.”

Asked if Townsend has evolved as a coach since he first played under him, Cummings said: “Yes, I think he probably has. The game has changed as much as anything.

“We play a different style to what we did back then. He has always been an attacking coach, something I like. I don’t want it to be slow. Gregor has always had a fast-paced game plan and I’ve really enjoyed playing under that.”

Cummings feels being at the previous World Cup has helped him deal with the demands of this one.

“Being in Japan was an amazing experience but now, being a bit older, I’ve understood what it means a bit more the second time round and the magnitude of it,” he said.

“We’ve loved being here. We had a fantastic camp (in the build-up) and a lot of fun, training hard and played in some tough games. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

Cummings explained how the camaraderie within the squad has helped the players deal with the intensity of living together in their hotel in the hills just outside Nice for the best part of a month.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You’re coming in every day, doing the same sort of things, building towards the same stuff, living in a hotel.

“We’ve been in our hotel for about three weeks now. It’s just about not letting people go into their shells, going out for a meal sometimes on a day off.

“There’s a lot of PlayStation being played, getting tournaments going, things like that, keeping morale up as much as we can.

“A lot of players’ partners and families have been out, so they have been around the hotel, and people seeing their kids.

“The squad is in a great place. It’s been a real family ethos, we are all great mates who are all getting on and enjoying spending time with each other.”

Scotland have spent their entire World Cup so far in the south of France, with their time in Nice interrupted only by a trip along the coast to Marseille for their first match against South Africa.

They will fly to the other end of the country for this Saturday’s must-win encounter with Pool B minnows Romania in Lille.

“It should be a bit colder up there so it will be nice to get away from the sun for a bit and get out of the hotel, have a couple of days somewhere else, see a different part of the country,” said Cummings.

“France is an amazing country and I really enjoyed Marseille and staying out in Aix en Provence.

“It’s a lovely part of the country but it will be good to see somewhere else and not always be in Nice.”

Cummings has seen a familiar face added to the squad over the past few days, with his uncapped Glasgow club-mate Johnny Matthews called up at the weekend after hooker Stuart McInally had to pull out with a neck injury.

“Johnny had an amazing season last year, as anybody who follows the URC will know,” he said. “He’s been playing unbelievably well for Glasgow and it’s very well deserved.

“We’re all absolutely gutted for Stuart not to get that 50th cap he really deserved. But Johnny came out on tour with us last year to Chile, so he’s been in and around the squad before, and he massively deserves the opportunity. I am excited to hopefully see him play.”

Uncapped Glasgow front-rower Johnny Matthews revealed he was stunned to get a call out of the blue on Saturday asking him to fly to France to join Scotland’s World Cup squad.

The 30-year-old was enjoying a day out in the Fife coastal town of Elie when assistant coach John Dalziel phoned to tell him his services were required after Stuart McInally suffered a neck injury and had to withdraw just over a week after the 33-year-old Edinburgh forward got his own late call-up to replace the concussed Dave Cherry.

Matthews – effectively the Scots’ sixth-choice hooker – rushed back to Glasgow to get himself organised and caught a flight to Nice on Sunday morning before being officially added to the squad.

“I’m buzzing to be here,” he said, speaking from the Scots’ training base in the south of France on Tuesday afternoon.

“I was very shocked to get the call but I’m obviously delighted and just looking to throw my hat into the ring to try to get some games while I’m here.

“I was in Elie with my wife and some good friends when I got the call from John. We were taking the dogs for a walk and when I saw John’s number pop up I knew he wasn’t phoning for a catch-up.

“He said ‘how quickly can you get to Nice?’ and now I’m here. It didn’t really feel real until I got here. It was a whirlwind 24 hours, trying to get packed, find my gumshield, get my boots and all the other stuff I needed.

“My boots were at (Glasgow’s home ground) Scotstoun, so I had to shoot there and get them to keep the place open. I then quickly packed and got on a 6am flight on Sunday morning.

“Once I finally got here and got the (Scotland World Cup) kit, that’s when it felt real. My wife flew out with me so she is loving it too.”

Liverpool-born Matthews – who qualifies for Scotland through his Blantyre-born mother – enjoyed an impressive season for Glasgow.

However, he knew it would be a tall order to make the initial squad, with George Turner, Ewan Ashman, Cherry, McInally and Fraser Brown all more established in the international fold.

Ultimately the misfortune of Cherry and McInally over the past few weeks, allied to an ACL injury sustained by Brown in May, paved the way for Matthews to land an unlikely crack at the biggest tournament in the game.

“My aim is to play for Glasgow, and if you do that, you’re always in contention for the Scotland squad I suppose,” he said when asked if the possibility of World Cup involvement had featured prominently in his thoughts.

“The more I played for Glasgow, the more my hopes got a little bit higher, but it’s a very hotly-contested position. There are five or six brilliant hookers in Scotland so I’m just happy to be here.

“I was hoping I had an outside chance of making it into the original training squad, but it’s a pretty settled group and there have been the same three, four or five hookers in the last x-amount of squads so I knew I’d have to do pretty well to get in.

“I was disappointed but it wasn’t a shock that I didn’t get in.”

With Matthews’ only international appearance to date coming for Scotland A against Chile in June 2022, he now has the chance to win his first full cap at a World Cup, with must-win pool games against Romania and Ireland to come over the next two weekends.

Asked if he ever thought his opportunity of playing for Scotland had passed him by, Matthews – a prolific try-scorer at club level – said: “You never say never – you just keep playing well for Glasgow, keep scoring and you’ve always got a chance I suppose.

“It’s a hotly-contested position but I’ll do all I can over the next few days and hopefully I can get in the (match-day) squad. Rugby is a pretty brutal and physical contact sport and hookers are at the coalface.

“I’m gutted for the boys who have missed out on the opportunity (due to injury) but at the same time you’ve got to look out for yourself and take the opportunity when it presents itself.”

Although he has not had the same intensive pre-season build-up that the rest of the Scotland players were subjected to, Matthews – who has thrived under Glasgow head coach Franco Smith – feels he is in good condition.

“I tried to keep myself in a shape that wasn’t round over the summer,” he smiled.

“I didn’t want to come into Franco’s pre-season unfit anyway. Anyone who has done one of them will tell you you can’t be unfit going into that.”

Gregor Townsend admitted Scotland will have to “do it the hard way” if they are to reach the World Cup quarter-finals but the head coach is hoping the renewed clarity of their situation in Pool B can help his team in their quest to progress.

After Ireland’s narrow victory over South Africa on Saturday and the Scots’ bonus-point 45-17 win over Tonga on Sunday, the picture has become slightly clearer for everyone in a lop-sided section containing three of the top five teams in the world rankings.

From Scotland’s perspective, they now know they will have to get a bonus-point win over Romania in Lille on Saturday and then ensure they defeat Ireland in Paris the following weekend with a bonus point or win by more than seven points to deny the Irish a losing bonus.

Townsend is pleased that his team emerged from the past weekend with five points and still with a fighting chance of qualifying.

“It keeps us on track,” he said. “The South Africa-Ireland game could have gone either way, it was a close Test match.

“But the fact South Africa picked up a bonus point means now it’s a straight shoot-out between us and Ireland.

“If South Africa pick five points up against Tonga – which they might do, they might not – that would mean they will likely get to 15 points.

“So we are competing with Ireland to get to 14 points, unless either of us pick up bonus points in our game against them.

“Ireland are already on 14 points, so we have to get to 10 points (by beating Romania on Saturday) to make sure it becomes a straight shoot-out between us and them, and if we were to win that game by more than seven points we get through to the quarter-final. It’s as straightforward as that.

“We know it’s going to be a difficult challenge against the number one team in the world. We’re going to have to do it the hard way to get out of this group but we believe in our players.”

Finn Russell admitted Ireland’s win over the Boks has made things slightly more difficult for Scotland because they will have to beat the Irish by more than seven points – as opposed to simply beating them by any score – but the stand-off does not feel it has changed things significantly for his side.

“Ideally for us South Africa would have won but we know what we need to do now,” he said. “We knew what we had to do against Tonga, and going into the Romania game we know what we need to get to have that final game against Ireland in Paris.

“I don’t think it’s changed too much for us because after (losing to) South Africa, we were always going to have to go and beat Ireland. We knew at the start this was potentially a situation we could be in.”

The Scots scored seven tries against Tonga – all from different players – but Russell feels they will have to be far more clinical going forward, particularly against the Irish.

“Seven different try-scorers is great but I think we left five or six chances out there potentially,” he said.

“It’s great we’re getting balls out wide, the backs scored a few tries, we got a driving maul try which is really pleasing as well but there were times when we got to five metres from the line and we’ve got to do a lot better there.

“It’s good the boys are scoring but I think we need to be a lot better and a lot harder on ourselves in training and in games.

“It doesn’t matter if there’s one guy that scores seven tries or seven individuals, it’s a team effort. But we need to up it. If we want to progress in this tournament we need to be a lot better than that.”

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