A compilation of some the latest gossip and news from inside RWC2015.

England 25 Wales 28: As Welsh lock Bradley Davies moved through the Twickenham mixed zone he spotted Wasps team-mate James Haskell mid-interview. Without breaking stride he swiftly yanked the England flanker’s shorts to around his knees, to Haskell’s amusement. It summed up the evening.

England have named an unchanged starting XV for Friday’s World Cup opener against Fiji at Twickenham.

It could have been much worse for Joe Schmidt, and in so many ways.

England have selected Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph as their centre pairing for Saturday’s World Cup warm-up game against Ireland at Twickenham.

Stuart Lancaster has urged Twickenham to will England to victory tomorrow evening as he prepares to order his RBS 6 Nations title hopefuls to carry the game to France.

England have recalled lock Courtney Lawes and full-back Mike Brown for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland.

Courtney Lawes will make his England return in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland emboldened by a glowing reference from forwards coach Graham Rowntree.

England will use ‘template’ of Wales game to curb Aviva fervour.

Stuart Lancaster’s week started with some bad news.

Mike Brown is still suffering concussion symptoms and faces a race against time to prove his fitness for the pivotal RBS 6 Nations clash between Ireland and England in Dublin.

Wales star and qualified doctor Jamie Roberts believes the fallout from the George North concussion controversy will contribute towards making rugby union a safer sport. 

England appear to have stumbled on the missing ingredient of a cutting edge that has eluded them for years.

Wales boss Warren Gatland has sung the praises of England hooker Dylan Hartley — four years after questioning his temperament.

Dave Attwood insists England must not allow themselves to be "dazzled by the starlight" when they open their RBS 6 Nations against Wales on Friday night The injury-ravaged 2015 World Cup hosts face a side packed full of British and Irish Lions knowing that defeat would leave them with an uphill struggle to claim a first title under Stuart Lancaster.

England’s preparations for the RBS 6 Nations continued to unravel with the news Owen Farrell will miss the entire Championship because of a knee injury.

Forwards Tom Croft and Christian Day have been called up to England’s RBS 6 Nations training squad as injury cover, the Rugby Football Union has announced.

Leicester put indifferent domestic form behind them as they made a strong start to their European Rugby Champions Cup Group Three campaign by sinking Ulster at Welford Road.

It’s funny the things you remember.

In the ever-changing world of professional rugby, very little can be taken for granted. With just four months left in the European club season, no side can say with any degree of certainty who and in what tournament they will be playing in next season.

British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has sprung one of the great surprises in the tourists’ history by dropping Brian O’Driscoll for Saturday’s series decider against Australia.

Geoff Parling has no doubt the British and Irish Lions will pick themselves up off the canvas for next Saturday’s Test series decider against Australia.

Jonathan Sexton pulled no punches yesterday after the British and Irish Lions were agonisingly denied Test series glory against Australia.

Australia 16 British & Irish Lions 15

The British and Irish Lions have named Tommy Bowe, Dan Lydiate and Ben Youngs in their starting XV for Saturday's second Test against Australia at the Etihad Stadium.

Melbourne Rebels 0 British & Irish Lions 35

A fractured arm may have sidelined Paul O’Connell from the rest of the Test series with Australia, his place in the second row for Saturday’s second Test going to England’s Geoff Parling, but the British & Irish Lions are desperate to keep their former captain on tour, so important to them is his presence as a leader and mentor.

Former British and Irish Lion Austin Healey believes Australia will jump on the loss of Paul O’Connell as a means of overturning the first Test loss and take the series to an all-or-nothing third meeting in Sydney.

The British & Irish Lions complete their provincial schedule today against the Melbourne Rebels with the reminder that their performance and approach has a direct bearing on the outcome of the Test series.

British and Irish Lions assistant coach Graham Rowntree today refused to dwell on Paul O’Connell’s tour-ending fractured arm.

Lock Paul O’Connell has been ruled out of the remainder of the British and Irish Lions’ Test series against Australia with a fractured arm.

Ireland wing Simon Zebo will go into tomorrow’s tour match against the Melbourne Rebels still firmly believing he can find a way to earn a place in the British and Irish Lions’ Test side later in the series.

Brumbies 14 British & Irish Lions 12

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR:

Warren Gatland knows there will be tougher days than the one his British & Irish Lions faced in Western Australia yesterday, starting this Saturday in Brisbane, yet you could not blame the head coach for feeling a little pleased with the ruthless way his team dispatched their opponents.

Lions head coach Warren Gatland admitted that the strength of opponents in the build-up to the first Test against Australia is a cause for concern after crushing Western Force 69-17.

WESTERN FORCE 17 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS 69

I am finding it increasingly difficult to get my head around the player welfare programme and the current state of the provinces.

Wales 30 England 3

England 18 Italy 11

England 23 France 13

The three key issues that will decide Ireland’s fate

England 38 Scotland 18

SCRUM