Namibian captain - Jacques Burger

“I don’t think Wales are going to be telling us what they’re going to do so we won’t be telling them.”
– Mum’s the word for Samoa backs coach Brian McLean as he deflects a query about his side’s tactics for Sunday’s crunch match with the Welsh in Hamilton.

“Unfortunately Namibia played a good game, and it showed through contact.”
– Prop Anthony Perenise reflects on the injury cost of Samoa’s 49-12 victory after a bruising battle with Namibia in Rotorua.

“It is a part of us that we don’t lie down and we didn’t do that, so I’m pleased.”
– Coach Johan Diergaardt (NAM) hails his players for sticking to their task despite being outclassed.

“We have to hit around their legs – they’re big boys. I’d like to see what they ate growing up.”
– Namibia captain Jacques Burger ponders the secret to the Samoans’ physical stature.

“It’s probably all the taro (vegetable) and corned beef we eat in the islands. Probably some steroids or something in that.”
– Burger need wonder no more, according to scrum half Junior Poluleuligaga (SAM).

“In the first half the wind blew us away. In the second half we didn’t make use of it.”
– Renaud van Neel (NAM) acknowledges his team made some elementary errors.

“My three years’ residency came up in June and I sort of got called in.”
– New Zealand-born fly half Murray Williams on being fast-tracked into the Japan squad ahead of Rugby World Cup 2011.

“You can look at it two ways: a hard task or an exciting opportunity. And we’re taking the exciting opportunity approach.”
– Japan coach John Kirwan (NZL) is as positive as ever as he looks forward to his team’s Pool A match against the All Blacks on Friday.

“There is still a little there, not as intense as it used to be, but we’re under no illusions that they are targeting us.”
– USA forwards coach Dave Hodges on the sporting rivalry between the States and Russia ahead of their teams’ meeting on Thursday in a match dubbed the “cold war”.