Taken on face value, seven tries and a 25pt victory to open your Rugby World Cup campaign is not exactly to be sniffed at. But Italy still managed to underwhelm as they overcame a spirited Namibian side 47-22 in Osaka yesterday.

The All Blacks have sent out a message to the rest of the competition with an impressive, if not entirely dominant, 23-13 defeat of South Africa in their opening Rugby World Cup match in Yokohama.

A classic Rugby World Cup encounter played out in Tokyo yesterday, with France edging Argentina 23-21 in what was the ultimate game of two halves.