Wales and England may have sealed their places in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, but the other six spots are still up for grabs. The final pool stage matches of the tournament will be played between Thursday and Sunday with all to play for across the four groups.

Wales say Dan Biggar is still in his recovery stage as he battles to be fit for their World Cup quarter-final. Gareth Anscombe, who scored 23 points in the record 40-6 victory over Australia, will start the final pool match against Georgia on Saturday instead of Biggar, who went off early during the Wallabies clash after suffering a pectoral muscle strain.

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.

Wales will head to New Zealand for the inaugural WXV1 on the back of a morale boosting 38-18 win over the USA in horrendous conditions in Colwyn Bay. Head coach Ioan Cunningham was able to blood two new caps and take one final look at players before announcing his squad for the upcoming top tier tournament down under.

Warren Gatland has earned plenty of plaudits from within rugby for guiding Wales into the quarter-finals of the World Cup – but now they are coming from further afield. As Gatland’s squad put their feet up this weekend and watch other nations slug it out in France, he has received a long-range pat on the back from the darts world.

Jaz Joyce will play her first match for Wales in almost a year when she returns to the team to face the USA in Colwyn Bay on Saturday. Wales’ most high profile female player missed the 2023 Six Nations, having opted instead for the Sevens circuit, but she has returned home and will start at full-back against the Americans at Parc Eirias.

Jac Morgan has gone from part-time rugby player to full-time prospect as potential Lions captain in the course of four years. After his superb leadership of the Wales team so far at the Rugby World Cup in France, Morgan is the name on everyone’s lips.

Tributes have been paid from across Welsh rugby to Glanmor Griffiths, the founding father of the Principality Stadium, who has died at the age of 83. During his time as treasurer, chair and president of the Welsh Rugby Union he became a towering and sometimes controversial figure who became known throughout Wales simply as ‘Glanmor’.

Gareth Anscombe admits there is an element of relief after Wales avoided a fight to the finish in their quest for a Rugby World Cup quarter-final place. Wales’ record-breaking 40-6 victory over Australia meant they got the job done early in Pool C.

The Welsh fans ran out of songs to sing long before the celebrations ran out, after watching Australia routed in a way none had seen in their lifetimes. The helplessness of Wales against Australia on occasion down the years was replicated, but in mirror image.

Wales record victory over Australia has seen their odds on winning the World Cup almost halve overnight. Warren Gatland’s red wall shut out the Aussies with a record 40-6 triumph that has seen their price on lifting the trophy drop from 40/1 before the game to just 22/1 this morning (Mon).

In a tale of redemption and raw rugby spirit, Aberavon roared back to life after a recent defeat by Pontypool. The Wizards conquered the same team this time round with a triumphant 20-10 victory at the formidable Talbot Athletic Ground.

Gareth Anscombe picked up the Player of the Match award for his match-winning performance off the bench for Wales in Lyon, but he missed out on a Welsh World Cup record. Having struck the post with his first kick of the night after replacing the injured Dan Biggar early on in the first half, he then put together a series of eight successive kicks that condemned Australia to a record defeat against Wales.

Warren Gatland has promised to keep Wales players’ feet nailed to the ground in spite of soaring expectations after their hammering of Australia. The Wales coach insists Wales will not start looking further down the track than necessary after they cruised into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a record 40-6 win.

John Devereux is backing Warren Gatland to send Eddie Jones packing on Sunday night – and leave the Aussies as silent as they were back in 1987. That was at the first Rugby World Cup when Wales shocked Australia, 22-21, to clinch third place at the tournament in New Zealand. It will be less of a surprise if Wales boot the Wallabies out of the 2023 version, so bad have they been since Jones and his players landed in France.

Warren Gatland reckons he’s a happy man and to be fair, it doesn’t take much. Shoes that don’t pinch, a tie he’s able to loosen away from the cameras, maybe a beer or two. But what really makes him smile is winning and although there is still plenty of risk in Wales’ next Pool C match against Australia at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday, Gatland is sitting pretty on a pile of 10 points.

George North believes Wales are in a very good place going into round three of the World Cup in France. The Ospreys centre scored his 46th try for Wales, and his 48th in Test rugby, in the win over Fiji and is ready to try to add to the two tries he has scored for Wales against the Wallabies in Lyon on Sunday.

Gareth Thomas says it would be “amazing” if Wales beat Australia and book a Rugby World Cup quarter-final place one game inside the distance. Wales tackle the Wallabies in Lyon on Sunday knowing that victory would confirm one of the two qualifying spots from Pool C.

We’re still in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup but the big beasts are starting to stir. The Dragons of Wales, the Australian Wallabies, the leaping Springboks, the crowing French cockrell, and the . . err, prickly roses of England and spikey Scottish thistles are all on show.

Not many fans here in the South of France would give Wales 10 out of 10 for performance so far, but 10 is still the magic number for the squad. Their 10 points in Pool C is the perfect start in a tournament where only South Africa, and possibly Ireland, will feel on top of their game after the first two rounds.