London’s Indian summer came to an abrupt end yesterday, but the slate skies and soft rain did little to dampen the sense of conviviality that permeated the mood around the French camp ahead of their second outing in Ireland’s Pool D tomorrow night.

A couple of days into the Rugby World Cup schedule in England and the French are already moaning, according to stories hitting the newspapers, one of them in the Guardian and embellished elsewhere.

'X Factor' hopefuls have been left reeling after a shock cull saw almost three dozen of them axed.