By Rory Morrow

As we speed into the thrilling, three-week spell of “this is what you trained 4 years for lads”, elite international knockout rugby, it's worth hitting pause, rewinding, and enjoying some of the Rugby World Cup’s most memorable moments from the pool stages.

Over 44 matches, here are some personal highlights:

Pool A: Wales 32-26 Fiji

Who could forget this rollercoaster of an eighty minutes? Both sides demonstrated, in abundance, why they would go on to progress from Pool A.

Fiji bagged a bonus point’s worth of tries but were left lamenting an opening loss, centre Sami Radrada, as we all have, handling the ball like a hot potato in the dying embers of Fiji’s final attack, his cruel knock-on cueing almighty Welsh celebrations, Warren Gatland once again showing his wily knowhow at tournament rugby.

Pool B: South Africa 8-13 Ireland

Okay, so the combined total of points from this game is five less than Fiji registered in defeat. But make no mistake, this was compelling, bruising rugby played at a high level between the reigning World Champions and the current number one ranked side in the world.

Connacht’s Mack Hansen finished Ireland’s flowing move to register the crucial five points between them; and with an immense shift from all involved, including those off the bench throughout the second half, Andy Farrell’s men could relish the retention of their fifteen-match unbeaten streak.

While both advanced to the last eight, both did so considerably battered after a tense, physically dominant, nail-biter worthy of the showing under the Saturday night Parisian lights.

Pool C: France 27-12 Uruguay

Despite the fifteen-point margin of victory, do not be fooled:

This was anything but a comfortable evening’s work for hosts France as underdogs Uruguay won hearts and minds aplenty in their first match.

Indeed, when full-back, Baltazar Amaya scored his side’s second try, there were more than a few worried faces amongst the Lille crowd as the incomprehensible result moved closer to credibility.

Les Blues though showed their quality, two second half tries from winger, Louis Bielle-Biarrey making history as the youngest try-scoring Frenchman at a Rugby World Cup.

The story of the night, though, was undoubtedly Uruguay who, in achieving their best ever result against a Tier One nation, made a thoroughly convincing case for the unexpected, lower-ranked, nations.

Pool D: England 18-17 Samoa

Ironically, a dead-rubber with England assured as Pool winners and Samoa all but out beforehand, this was the best match of the pool by a country mile. Look what can occur when the pressure is off.

For the sheer entertainment of its unpredictability! Mark these off on your bingo cards, everyone. Pens, inked and ready? Here we go:

36-year-old, replacement, Danny Care rescuing a last-gasp England win?

An English defence which had only conceded one try in three games beforehand, leaking two and having the TMO correctly, it should be remembered, disallowing two more Samoan scores?

Winger Nigel Ah-Wong enjoying the finishing game of his life? Owen Farrell, technically, ‘missing’ a penalty because he let the shot clock run down on him? Oh, and Farrell surpassing Jonny Wilkinson’s twenty-year standing all-time points record for England? Yeah, that might be worth mentioning.

In a game where the outcome was all but irrelevant in qualification stakes, this thrilling one-pointer was arguably the most tremendous fun I’ve yet enjoyed watching at the tournament.

Pool D: Japan 42-12 Chile

One final one because Chile, and their fans, created a terrific atmosphere for all four of their Pool D games. Here, in the opener against Japan, fly-half Rodrigo Fernandez’s try not only gave them a brief, gloriously unanticipated lead but made history as their first ever points at a Rugby World Cup.

Although the Brave Blossoms pulled clear to record a comfortable, bonus point victory, this was another encounter played in the right spirit of attacking rugby, sportsmanship, and some simply sublime skills.

Both eventually bowed out in the pool stages but not short on fanfare or optimism for the future.

Rory Morrow is a Sport Reporter for The Scoop and an Anthropology student at Queen’s University Belfast

Edited by: Ryan Brolly

Memorable Moments from the 2023 Rugby World Cup