Damage limitation is the name of Russian game

There is no talk of winning or losing in the Irish or the Russian camps this week. Nobody doubts which way the result will fall when they meet in Kobe tomorrow. This game will be about so much more than the numbers beside each nation’s name at the final whistle.

For Ireland this is about redemption in the wake of that shock loss to Japan. For the Russians, who are the lowest-ranked side at this World Cup, it is about proving themselves worthy of their place at the same table as the best in the world.