One week and 12 matches in the Rugby World Cup and we have our first rest day, which seems a natural time to take stock ahead of a jam-packed weekend. Here is our team of the week...

RORY KEANE IN SHIZUOKA: Carty starts only his second Test in place of conductor-in-chief Johnny Sexton, who is out with a groin injury. Schmidt reckons Carty has the right stuff.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt admitted Japan had raised their game to 'furious' levels after stunning them 19-12 in Shizuoka.

RORY KEANE IN SHIZUOKA: Johnny Sexton has challenged Ireland to channel the hurt of the loss to Japan into their final pool games with Russia and Samoa. 

Sexton captained Ireland for the first time on Thursday, but he was replaced by Jack Carty for the second-half of his side's five-try win over the Bears.

RORY KEANE AT THE MISAKI PARK STADIUM: Job done. Ireland got their World Cup campaign back on a track with a bonus-point win over Russia in Kobe, but this was another worrying performance.

RORY KEANE IN KOBE: There was a moment in the second half which pretty much summed up Ireland's performance under the closed roof here at Kobe Misaki Stadium.

RORY KEANE IN FUKUOKA: Fourteen-man Ireland sealed their place in the World Cup quarter finals with a seven-try victory over Samoa here in Fukuoka, but Bundee Aki's red card will be a worry.

Bundee Aki was sent off in the 29th minute after a high tackle at Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium and faces a multiple-game suspension, souring the win that put Ireland through to the quarters.

Johnny Sexton has questioned the 'strange' negativity around Ireland's World Cup campaign, insisting Joe Schmidt's men are ready to peak for the All Blacks.

WORLD CUP DIARY: Johnny Sexton was as combative off the field as he is on it on Monday, questioning the media coverage of Ireland's World Cup.

Johnny Sexton has predicted that New Zealand will be cleaner in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Ireland following a bruising encounter in Dublin three years ago.

RORY KEANE IN TOKYO: Ireland have a shot at history here on Saturday, with the All Blacks standing in the way of a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

RORY KEANE AT THE AVIVA STADIUM: Johnny Sexton says Ireland are trying to draw a line under the hellish events of last year and Saturday was a good start as Andy Farrell's side won.

Brian O'Driscoll has accused Eddie Jones of 'scaremongering' and admitted he relished the sight of the England head coach's comments backfiring so spectacularly against France.

During the Joe Schmidt era, Ireland were renowned for peppering the backfield with high balls from Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray but Eddie Jones insists that England can cope with it.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The good news is I sensed a sharpening of intensity with England at Murrayfield - but the bad news is some of Eddie Jones' selections are making me very nervous!

DYLAN HARTLEY: A lot of people have been chucking stones at Eddie Jones but my message for the RFU is clear: give him a new contract. Dave at the pub might disagree.

MIKE BROWN: You always know when it's an Ireland Test week because the coaches put a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Johnny Sexton in the team dining room.

CHRIS FOY AT TWICKENHAM: Eddie Jones had all his selection decisions vindicated at Twickenham as England delivered another statement victory over Ireland.

England dominated from start to finish as they took a 24-12 victory over Ireland. Influential fly-half Johnny Sexton struggled to get into the game as England's defence barely gave him room to breathe.

Reports suggesting that large public gatherings will soon be banned mean racing's position as the last major sport to still be operating normally looks close to ending.

Marquand dictated the pace aboard Addeybb, who was last seen finishing second to Magical in the Champion Stakes last October and is a seven times winner in Britain.

The BHA have postponed their consultation into the use of the whip while operation duties during the COVID-19 pandemic take priority.

It has been decided the 2019-20 titles should be awarded on the standings when the sport was shut down on March 17 with racing suspended due to the coronavirus.

New dates will now have to be sought for the four Classics, which are the 2,000 Guineas on May 4 and the 1,000 Guineas on May 5 at Newmarket, as well as the Oaks on June 5 and Derby on June 6.

Races will be restricted to 12 runners to comply with social distancing rules in plans to race behind closed doors next month. 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY MARCUS TOWNEND: A leopard does not change its spots. It is no surprise then that Sir Anthony McCoy is delighting in retelling a story which will make some feel queasy.

EXCLUSIVE BY MARCUS TOWNEND: A one-off new format to decide the 2020 champion Flat jockey is set to be drafted to take account of the pandemic disruption to the season.

Britain's best-known Flat jockey has thrown his weight behind the Frankie Dettori raffle with the winner getting to own a horse for a day ridden by the Italian wearing colours they have designed.

The tight guidelines of the strictest scenario for a possible return to racing have been underlined with the selected racecourses operating as almost sealed sites.

Racing aims to be one of the first sports to emerge from lockdown, with the British Horseracing Authority releasing a provisional list of big races it could run on the final two weekends of this month.

There is no racing at present but there is still plenty to discuss and Sportsmail columnist Peter Scudamore is on hand to answer some important questions.

The club'sformer captain announced he was leaving his role as technical director last week, which brought an end to his 30-year affiliation with the club. Totti has been spotted enjoying a break.

Italy benefited from a generous hand ball decision and converted a late penalty for a 2-1 win at Finland to extend its perfect start to European Championship qualifying on Sunday.

Sean Dyche has quashed talk of Jay Rodriguez making a shock move to Inter Milan, branding it one of the strangest he has heard. Rodriguez only joined Burnley for £10million in the summer.

Driver is nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Play. He stars alongside Keri Russell in Burn This, the sexy drama about two strangers who are brought together over a mysterious death.

Though her sweatshirt indicated she'd rather be in the house, Selena was instead enjoying the sunshine alongside a gal pal. Selena appeared relaxed as she pedaled her way around.

After completing nursing schooling in December, Wizards of Waverly Place's Jennifer Stone reflected on her new career with a sentimental Instagram post on Tuesday night.

Former deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott has been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke, his family has said in a statement.

The Tory frontrunner, who will become the UK's new Prime Minister next week if he defeats Jeremy Hunt in the leadership race, is said to have told aides to prepare for an election as early as next summer.

Philip Hammond is believed to be the first Chancellor to have ignored a three-line whip and not being sacked or forced to resign by the incumbent prime minister.

HENRY DEEDES: Almost as likely as Boris Johnson being announced as our new Prime Minister this morning will be the subsequent phoney display of unity between him and Jeremy Hunt.

Barry Gardiner said that the opposition had been discussing the 'nuclear option'  of supporting a no confidence vote in Mr Johnson's Brexiteer administration.

Boris Johnson goaded the Labour leader that he had abandoned his long-standing Euroscepticism as he claimed that the Tories were now the only ones 'on the side of the people'.

Jeremy Corbyn has refused to launch a vote of no confidence against Boris Johnson after Jo Swinson urged the Labour leader to join forces with her to bring down the government.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said today that the Government should be working on getting ready for an election but he does not expect one before October 31.

John McDonnell has refused to back down despite facing a wave of anger over the huge concession, seemingly designed to pave the way for a deal with Nicola Sturgeon.

The Shadow Chancellor said he would be 'sending Jeremy Corbyn in a cab to Buckingham Palace', at an event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Shadow Chancellor told an Edinburgh Festival Fringe event he would be 'sending Jeremy Corbyn in a cab to Buckingham Palace' if Mr Johnson did not vacate No 10 after losing a vote.