The sound of song swept through the corridors of the Hakatana mori Stadium as the Samoan players trickled back into their dressing-room after the captain’s run yesterday morning here in Fukuoka.

Like Ronan O’Gara, Welsh rugby coach Alistair Rogers understood the maxim about travel broadening the mind, says Brendan O’Brien. 

Racing 92 owner and president Jacky Lorenzetti tried four times to persuade Ronan O’Gara to pass on a move to Super Rugby champions, the Crusaders, without success, the Munster and Ireland legend revealed last night.