When he gathered the Springboks before the Rugby Championship this year, Rassie Erasmus was so confident that he told them it was a 20-week journey.

An hour's drive north of Yokohama, where tomorrow's Rugby World Cup final will be played, lies the Ajinamoto Stadium.

Donal Lenihan outlines where the game will be won and lost.

Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus were both celebrating at full time when England and South Africa last contested a World Cup final, at the Stade de France 12 years ago.

If the Springboks go on to make the Rugby World Cup final, or… gasp… win the title for a third time next weekend, then they should probably ask for an extra medal or two to be sent to Munster.

This World Cup serves to remind us that previous form or results counts for little. The fact that Ireland had won two of their previous encounters against New Zealand only handed Steve Hansen and his coaching staff a template to beat us when it mattered most.

Featuring a battle of the airlines, X Factor, premature rumours of an international demise, and much more.

The prospect of an Ireland versus South Africa World cup quarter-final remains a possibility after the Springboks did their bit by beating Italy 49-3 in Shizuoka on Friday.

Well, well, well. There was a buzz around the Springbok camp with the news that Japan had beaten Ireland 19-12 just before South Africa were due to kick-off against Namibia.

Thomas Du Toit should have really just been fighting off the jetlag but he looked for all the world yesterday like a guy whose head was still in the clouds after being parachuted onto the South African bench for tomorrow’s Pool B encounter with Namibia.

Rassie Erasmus tried to play the game.

The answer to whether the Springboks are Rugby World Cup 2019 contenders remains a strong ‘yes’ after Saturday’s epic battle against the All Blacks in Yokohama.

The scenarios in Pools A and B may already became clearer ahead of Ireland’s kick-off against Scotland yesterday but asking South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus about quarter-final permutations following this defeat was a fool’s errand.

CAPE TOWN - After years of inane platitudes from All Black coach Steve Hansen about the rivalry with the Boks after his side racked up record scores against their old foes, things changed this week.

TOKYO — The funny thing about World Cups is that they help the All Blacks find their inner Zen.

Today’s meeting between New Zealand and South Africa will be their 99th.

Hard to believe four years have elapsed since Ireland’s painful World Cup quarter final exit at the hands of Argentina in Cardiff. As Joe Schmidt enters the twilight of his spectacularly successful reign at the helm of Irish rugby, the next six weeks will shape the epilogue of a brilliant period for Irish rugby.

Munster defence coach JP Ferreira admits he was surprised to see Jean Kleyn make the Ireland squad for the Rugby World Cup but says the South African-born lock is being rewarded for his hard work with the province.

Brendan O’Brien The news that a foreign coach had been co-opted onto the Springboks ticket before leaving for Japan stirred fond memories for Bryan Habana.

Fifteen minutes after hanging up, Allister Coetzee rings back, eager to share one last thought.

Former Ireland international and Munster coach Felix Jones has joined South Africa's Rugby World Cup coaching ticket.

Felix Jones could join the Springboks coaching set-up ahead of the World Cup, according to reports in South Africa.

The ex-Ireland international left the Munster coaching team earlier this year.

It was just one week before South Africa played Ireland in Aviva Stadium in November 2017 that Rassie Erasmus bid an emotional farewell to Munster.

Munster's strength and conditioning coach PJ Wilson seems set to follow Jerry Flannery and Felix Jones out the door this summer.

In times of turmoil, and there has been plenty of that at Munster in recent seasons, the onus falls on the playing squad’s leadership group to pull the province through troubled waters, and it will be no different this time as the unexpected search for new coaches begins.

Munster boss Johann van Graan insists he is committed to improving his existing squad as the province bids to win silverware for the first time in eight years but that will be without South Africa centre Jaco Taute, who was unveiled today by Leicester Tigers as a new signing for next season.

So, they meet again. Two years on from a semi-final encounter in Dublin that has proven significant for both sides, Munster and Saracens will be reunited at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena tomorrow for another Heineken Champions Cup knockout tussle.

Johann van Graan is hopeful his decision to stay on as Munster boss beyond his current contract can give the province the sort of stability that has propelled the likes of Saracens and the All Blacks to long-term and sustained success.

There are many examples that can be given to demonstrate just how talented a player Franco Mostert is.

Rassie Erasmus will step down from his role as coach of the Springboks after next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Your lunchtime headlines.

South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus has backed New Zealand to end the year as the world’s top-ranked Test team despite pressure from Ireland.

Keeping Johann van Graan at Munster is crucial to the province’s ambitions, according to Conor Murray.

Jean Kleyn is adamant Munster can hit the ground running in Europe when they open the new Heineken Champions Cup campaign at Exeter Chiefs on Saturday.

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus had exaggeratedly suggested he could be looking for a new job if his side had lost to the All Blacks on Saturday, instead a 36-34 win showed his team were moving the right way towards next year’s Rugby World Cup.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has included two uncapped players but made no selection surprises in his squad for this season’s Rugby Championship.

Eddie Jones has swatted aside doubt over his future by declaring he is ready to restore England to the summit of the game.

Rassie Erasmus is charged with reviving Springbok rugby, but he says part of him will always be in Munster, writes John Fallon

Johann van Graan has been involved in some pretty significant semi-finals in his coaching career and as he began preparations for Munster’s mission to succeed in Bordeaux this Sunday he urged his players to “embrace the expectation”.

After only spending 18 months immersed in the Irish game, newly appointed Springbok director of rugby and head coach Rassie Erasmus has already begun to implement many of the structures he encountered in a similar role with Munster to influence change in his country, writes Donal Lenihan

Seventy-four minutes in and nerves were frayed in the packed Thomond Park stands. Camped inside the Toulon 22, Munster were going through the phases, six points down and desperately trying to bridge the gap.

Ireland’s bid for Grand Slam glory is acting as a motivational tool for Billy Holland who leads Munster in Friday night’s rearranged Guinness PRO14 game against Edinburgh.