SCRUM’S THE WORD

WORLD DIARY CUP

AN UNFORTUNATE slip of the tongue led to England prop Dan Cole referring to tomorrow’s opponents the United States as Canada yesterday. Cole was speaking alongside his friend and team-mate Joe Marler, who was almost crying with laughter at the faux pas. A red-faced Cole quickly corrected himself and explained that Canada was on his mind because he had just got off the phone to their scrum coach Boris Stankovich, his ex-Tigers team-mate.

A HEARTWARMING tale from Samoa yesterday. Henry Taefu (below) played against Russia to complete a remarkable turnaround. Six years ago he had an adrenal gland tumour the size of an orange removed to save his life — now he has featured in his first World Cup. The 26-year-old made a winning start as Samoa beat Russia 34-9 in Kumagaya, with two tries apiece for Bristol centre Alapati Leiua and new Worcester wing Ed Fidow.

WALES’s labyrinthine hotel in Tokyo is quite a sight. Made up of three separate towers, it holds Rolls-Royce and Bentley car showrooms and a mini amphitheatre. The palatial — but confusing — hotel has a florist, beauty salon, barber shop, shopping arcade, dental clinic, chapel, ceremonial tea room and a traditional 10-acre Japanese garden with a waterfall!

JAPAN have revealed the Backstreet Boys’ biggest hit as the soundtrack to their World Cup campaign. The Brave Blossoms close every training session with the American boy band’s 1999 classic ‘I Want It That Way’, in a bid to relieve tension but also tighten squad bonds. Scrum-half Yutaka Nagare revealed the unusual custom as Japan gear up to take on Ireland in Shizuoka on Saturday. He said: ‘We sing the Backstreet Boys song as a group after training just to get unified — it brings us together.’