It will be his job to ensure the game does not break up and get too loose or the Fijian flair could become over-powering.

His opposite man Volavola can blow hot and cold but if he clicks, the Islanders are tough to stop. However, his goalkicking leaves much to be desired and Fiji will hope they do not have to rely on it.

Prediction – Australia have only lost two Pool matches in their entire history, to South Africa in 1995 and Ireland in 2011. Expect them to emerge victorious but Fiji will push them very close – much closer than four years ago.

France v Argentina, Saturday September 21, Tokyo, 8:15AM

England are rightly favourites to emerge from Pool C but the battle for the other qualifying spot could be decided as early as the first weekend.

France and Argentina lock horns in Tokyo and both sides are looking to find some consistency after a few years epitomised by fluctuating form.

At their best, both sides have the attacking flair to rival any other country in this tournament.

France always seem to click for the World Cup, and have never missed the knockouts before.

They showed signs of life in their warm-up games this summer and have a young and exciting core that led Toulouse to the Top 14 title and they hope will blossom on the world stage.

Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont could be the cornerstones of this side for over a decade while they still have veterans like Guilhem Guirado and Yoann Huget to call upon.

Skipper Pablo Matera and Augustin Creevy bring the experience and leadership in the Pumas pack while the likes of Ramiro Moyano and Emiliano Boffelli carry the threat out wide.

The Pumas have downed both South Africa and Australia this World Cup cycle and ran the All Blacks extremely close.

But despite the Jaguares’ electric Super Rugby form, Mario Ledesma’s side arrive in Japan on a downswing and will be hard-pushed to replicate their World Cup semi-final of four years ago.

Key battle – Nicolas Sanchez v Romain Ntamack

Ntamack has seen off Camille Lopez for the France No.10 jersey – as he did at the end of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations.

His Toulouse partnership with Dupont should bring some much needed-familiarity for the youngster.

Opposite him is the experienced head of Sanchez, one of the stars of the tournament four years ago and one of the few foreign-based players adding to the Jaguares core.

Prediction: It’s a fool’s game trying to guess how these two sides will perform. They traded victories in their two-Test summer series a couple of years ago and it should be close once again. This World Cup might just arrive a couple of years too early for France however, and I fancy the Pumas to edge it

New Zealand v South Africa, Saturday September 21, Yokohama, 10:45AM

Just when you thought Saturday couldn’t get any better, it rounds off with the tie of the tournament so far.

Between them, South Africa and New Zealand have won five of the eight World Cup crowns. This will be a clash of the titans, a chance to secure bragging rights and momentum to take into the weeks to come. But defeat would not be fatal for either.

They have played out three instant classics in their last three meetings stretching back to a year ago in the Rugby Championship.

A win each and a draw means there is little to split them on the eve of their Pool B opener.

But while South Africa have become a settled side under Rassie Erasmus, it is the defending champions New Zealand who appear to still be tinkering.

Brodie Retallick’s injury absence could be key, while the Beauden Barrett-Richie Mo’unga double pivot remains in place.

Sonny Bill Williams has to settle for a spot on the bench while Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock – the other two men looking to make it back-to-back-to-back World Cup crowns, both start.

The Boks name the same starting XV that downed Japan in their final warm-up, so skipper Siya Kolisi is in the back row after missing the 16-16 draw in Wellington with injury earlier this summer.

Key battle: Ardie Savea v Pieter Steph du Toit

Two of the in-form back row forwards in the world game go head to head again in Yokohama.

Indeed you don’t have to stretch the imagination too far too suggest that these two men might just be the best two players in the world right now, regardless of position.

Du Toit is one of the defensive lynchpins for the Boks who will fly off the line and look to unsettle the ABs two playmakers and shut down their supply to the wider channels.

Savea will do the same for the champions but his thunderous leg drive means the Boks can never afford to slip off the Hurricanes tornado when he has the ball in hand.

Prediction: I still think the All Blacks will win it all come November 2. But the Boks might just nick this one. If one thing is for sure, it will be close. Very close.

**SUNDAY

Italy v Namibia, Sunday September 22, Osaka, 06:15AM**

After the excitement of Saturday, comes the after-party that is Sunday.

Conor O’Shea’s Italy will have sterner tests to come in Pool B that includes the aforementioned big guns in the Boks and the All Blacks.

#ITAvNAM: 13 Leoni 🦁 nell'#Italrugby che affronterà la Namibia nel primo match azzurro nella #RWC2019 ➡ https://t.co/i28YFcTt7B

⌚️ Calcio di inizio domenica mattina ore 7:15 italiane con diretta televisiva su @RaiDue pic.twitter.com/rD93aQHfDO
— Benetton Rugby 🦁 (@BenettonRugby) 20 September 2019