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Bryn Palmer

England ratings v Tonga (154)

Paris - I was at the Parc des Princes on Friday night as England beat Tonga 36-20 to book a World Cup quarter-final date with Australia next Saturday, a repeat of the 2003 final.

Here鈥檚 how I rated each individual England player. See if you agree and let me know your own views.

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Alastair Eykyn

Ireland's shot at redemption (126)

Paris - It鈥檚 time to go now. The Irish squad did not shed too many tears as they headed north-east from to today. For them it marked a place of unhappiness, of isolation, of rumour and counter-rumour, and most of all, of lousy rugby. Yes, the train to the French capital will be seen as a release of sorts, even if what awaits them there on Sunday is fraught with pitfalls.

So after three weeks of under-achievement, of negativity, and navel-gazing, here鈥檚 some optimism. Misplaced optimism maybe, but optimism nevertheless. Feel free to add to the list. Here鈥檚 why Ireland can qualify for the quarter-finals:

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Nick Mullins

Expectation weighs heavily on Jenkins (26)

Nantes - Honestly, who鈥檇 be a coach this weekend?

The knock-out phase of the World Cup is effectively under way and all the men who鈥檝e picked the teams and formulated the game plans can do now is sit back and hope they鈥檙e smiling come Sunday evening.

Even though the chilly winds of autumn have arrived big time over here, Eddie O鈥橲ullivan, Frank Hadden and Brian Ashton will all be feeling the heat over the next couple of days.

I鈥檇 venture to suggest none of them will feel it more than .

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Tom Fordyce

Lyon and the leggy lioness (26)

Lyon, Friday morning - 鈥淵ou know what?鈥 said Ben this morning, as he stared forlornly out of Le Bloggernaut鈥檚 windows at the whacking down outside. 鈥淲e鈥檙e halfway through our trip. We鈥檙e officially on the back nine.鈥

I looked up anxiously. Since that desperate night spent parked on an industrial estate in St Etienne, Ben鈥檚 mood has been as up and down as a garryowen.

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Mark Orlovac

What now for the minnows? (44)

London - It鈥檚 all about the timing isn鈥檛 it?

Just as the World Cup starts to boil up nicely, we hear that the is apparently considering 鈥 leaving the 鈥渕innows鈥 to compete in a second-tier tournament.

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Bryn Palmer

England can expect some friendly fire (49)

Paris - might also be known as the Friendly Islands, the name Captain Cook gave them when he arrived on the archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean in 1773.

But England are expecting a rather more hostile reception in Paris on Friday as they confront the surprise package of the World Cup.

The stakes are high for both teams, with Australia awaiting the winners in Marseille a week on Saturday in the quarter-finals.

Reaching that stage would represent a historic first for , while England aim to avoid becoming the first not to advance to the knock-out stages.

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