The World Cup is upon us and with it comes a host of young players looking to make a name for themselves on the global stage. Sportsmail take a look at the best emerging talent on display in Japan.

RORY KEANE: This Ireland squad were primed to reach a first-ever World Cup semi-final, and possibly more. But they have been seemingly in free-fall since the events of February 2 at the Aviva.

Rugby World Cup tournament is two weeks away with Japan currently being hit by typhoon Faxai. Find out the rules in place should games be disrupted by weather meaning they have to be cancelled.

Over a long and distinguished career, Brian O'Driscoll became adept at dealing with everything and anything thrown his way.

With the World Cup set to begin on Friday, nobody can predict which side will lift the Webb Ellis trophy on November 2. Sir Clive Woodwood has run the rule on every side in Japan.

Sportsmail provide a breakdown of how points are won and lost during the Rugby World Cup as 20 teams look reach the final in Japan and how teams can obtain the bonus points in Japan.

Our first home nation clash of the Rugby World Cup  and hopefully not last will see Ireland take on Scotland in their pool A clash. Follow live score, substitutions, sin bins and more right here.

Ireland delivered on their promise to hit form when it mattered most by stunning Scotland 27-3 with a bonus-point blitz to launch their Japanese World Cup quest in style.

Gregor Townsend confessed it 'doesn't look good' for Hamish Watson after admitting the Scotland flanker's World Cup might be over already. The Dark Blues suffered a 27-3 mauling from Ireland.

Scotland's World Cup hopes have suffered a third major blow in as many days after scrum-half Ali Price was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.

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.

Japan claimed one of the greatest upsets in rugby history, four years after their historic win over South Africa. 

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: Japan shocked the globe for the second time in four years by stunning Ireland 19-12 to light a bomb under Pool A and a fire under their home World Cup.

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. 

With prop Demba Bamba out with a thigh problem, France announced on social media that Uini Atonio (below) would replace him. But they deleted the tweet after discovering he was injured.

Ireland picked up the bonus point they needed but were made to work hard for it by a stubborn Russian side. Russia spent 20 minutes down to 14 men in the middle of the match.

Sportsmail provide you with everything you need to know for Rugby World Cup 2019 including pool fixtures, channel and results in Japan.

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 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.

Bundee Aki will miss the rest of the World Cup after receiving a three-match ban for his red card against Samoa. The Ireland centre was sent off in the 47-5 win for a high tackle on UJ Seuteni.

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.

All Blacks boss Steve Hansen lit the fuse on a potentially explosive week on Monday by vowing to lay false traps for Ireland's master tactician and head coach Joe Schmidt.

SCRUM'S THE WORD: South Africa star Cheslin Kolbe has warned that a new wave of pint-sized wingers are ready to explode into life at the World Cup.

'Sean aggravated a pre-existing neck muscle complaint and has been ruled out of the remainder of RWC19,' read an Irish Rugby Football Union statement.

NIK SIMON IN TOKYO: Hansen owns a share of Nature Strip, who will run in the $14million sprint race in Sydney. Coach is focused on the All Blacks' quest for a third straight World Cup title.

WORLD CUP DIARY: Uruguay's legacy at this World Cup has been tainted after a drunken bar fracas the weekend before they flew home.

The Rugby World Cup kicked off four weeks ago today and now, via 50 pool stage matches, we are down to eight teams. Sportsmail tells you all need to know about the quarter-finals.

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.

All Blacks take on Ireland in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash in Japan as they look to progress to the semi-final to take on either England or Australia. Follow LIVE ACTION RIGHT HERE.

RORY KEANE AT TOKYO STADIUM: Dear, oh dear. Ireland's abysmal record in World Cup quarter finals continued in Tokyo as a rampant All Blacks outfit romped to a seven-try victory.

Sportsmail provide you with everything you need to know for Rugby World Cup 2019 including knockout stage fixtures, channel and results in Japan.

Siya Kolisi succeeds Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton as holder of the Pat Marshall Memorial Award after being recognised at the RUWC's annual dinner in central London.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE AVIVA STADIUM: Johnny Sexton cannot wait to exact revenge on England after two recent thrashings when unbeaten Ireland travel to Twickenham next.

England earned a crucial Six Nations victory over a disappointing Ireland at Twickenham on Sunday.   

EXCLUSIVE BY OLIVER HOLT: There is a picture on the walls of the Lord Bagenal Inn that shows a group of men and women standing proudly in the main street beside a horse called Different Pace. 

More than two dozen people, including the trainer of champion Maximum Security, have been charged in a widespread international scheme to drug horses to make them race faster.

It worked with Politologue in Wednesday's Queen Mother Champion Chase and Paul Nicholls is hoping that saving Clan Des Obeaux for one big shot will pay off in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

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.

There had been plans to stage the meeting behind closed doors, but despite participants taking part in routine exercise on Sunday morning, the announcement was made by the afternoon.

Former jockey Mark Dwyer has paid tribute to Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer Peter Beaumont, who has died at the age of 85.

The fund, co-ordinated by the Racehorse Owners Association, is part of a £22m cash flow and hardship funding package for racing announced on Friday.

SPECIAL REPORT BY MARCUS TOWNEND: There is concern that ramifications of the coronavirus shutdown will be felt for years, rather than months, in the racing community.

A series of explosive emails from trainers calling for Nick Rust's resignation over the handling of the sport's response to the COVID-19 outbreak were published in a Sunday newspaper.

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.