TOKYO, 9 Oct - Samoa have shown plenty of fighting spirit at RWC 2019, and there was more of that on display when the squad visited a samurai exhibition at the Fukuoka City Museum.
The exhibition showcases 150 pieces of armour, swords, documents and other items from between the 11th and 17th centuries.
"It was interesting," said prop Logovii Mulipola, pictured above wearing a traditional samurai helmet. "I like watching documentaries about samurai and sumo and I'd always wanted to come and do this. These things are amazing."
Mulipola and winger Ed Fidow also got to try out samurai outfits, although there were some issues for the front-row forward.
"The suits and swords are interesting," he said. "But (I was surprised) how small they were compared to now. I couldn't fit anything."
That’s hardly surprising, though. After all, there can't have been many samurais who stood 192cm tall and weighed in at 120kg.
Getting shirty
We’ve all had that disappointment of your favourite top shrinking in the wash…
From powering through tackles and controlling the set-piece...to helping with outfit changes 😂⚡️
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 8, 2019
It's all in a day's work for Schalk Brits 👏💯@Springboks #RWC2019 #RSAvCAN pic.twitter.com/IApJ7yPnPc
Marler hands England mates a wee problem
Joe Marler is one man his England team-mates do not want to upset.
That’s because the prop forward is in charge of dishing out the punishments to any squad members who transgress in camp, with the forfeits ranging from laundry duty to the dreaded hydration test.
And that unpleasant task, which takes place early in the morning, is one Sam Underhill is desperate to avoid.
"Helping with the urine for the hydration test isn’t a great job," the flanker explained. "You check out how hydrated you are with the urine test to see if you have to drink more.
"One of our strength and conditioning coaches normally does it and you have to assist him by wearing plastic gloves to receive these nice warm pots from all the players. It’s not the way anyone wants to start the morning."
England’s social outcast
One job Underhill does want has so far been denied to him – much to the amusement of his team-mates.
He has been trying to get a place on the squad’s social committee which organises various activities for the players during their downtime.
But in a fresh blow to his hopes, scrum-half Willi Heinz has been invited to join full-back Elliot Daly and hooker Jamie George on the three-man panel.
Heinz said: "It was a real privilege to be invited into that group. Seeing my name added to the WhatsApp group was pretty special."
Underhill has even been trying to set up his own social committee where he adds players’ names into a new WhatsApp group, but they all immediately leave.
"He's really trying his best but isn't getting anywhere," added Heinz.
Sorry is not the hardest word
Canada second-row Josh Larsen showed a touch of class when he visited the South Africa dressing room after Tuesday’s night match to apologise for the red card he was shown for an illegal entry at a ruck.
Following his red card, @RugbyCanada forward Josh Larsen visited the @Springboks changing room to apologize to Thomas du Toit after the game.
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 9, 2019
This is what rugby is all about.pic.twitter.com/IodogVYNUS
Namibia lifting spirits
We’re not sure what the call for this was, but it certainly made one young fan’s day.
Mini lifts with Andre Rademeyer and Nelius Theron.#OpenTrainingSession#MiniLineOut#MiniLifts pic.twitter.com/WrqAAAl5DO
— Namibia Rugby (@namibia_rugby) October 9, 2019
A drive for business
Kyohei Miyama is pulling out all the stops to attract fans to his man-drawn rickshaw tour business in Oita.
Ahead of each match in the city he decks out his carts with the flags of the competing teams, as can been seen below with the Wales and Fiji flags.
He said the New Zealand fans had been his best customers so far. "They really know how to have a good time, especially when they drink," he said.
By midday on Wednesday Miyama was yet to have his first customer of the day, but judging by how many Welsh fans were tucking into liquid lunches in the adjacent fan zone, his luck was surely about to change.
Daily Bulletin
In the latest episode of Rugby World Cup Daily, some of the USA squad meet a few of their countrymen on the basketball court, Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn gets a grilling, and there is some serious rugby chat with Argentina scrum-half Tomas Cubelli.
Look at the States of that
This fan at the Argentina-USA match was certainly taking liberties with his outfit...
Next level support for @USARugby
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 9, 2019
🦅🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸#ARGvUSA #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/g1VVSgEUBe
Stat of the Day
Russia scored the first try at Rugby World Cup 2019, and then went 315 minutes without adding a second. Kirill Golosnitskiy crossed the whitewash after only five minutes of the tournament's opening match against Japan, but they failed to register another try in their three subsequent games against Samoa, Ireland and Scotland.
RNS icr/sw