| SIMONE | - - - Ferrari, Italy tighthead injured in the first scrum of their RWC 2019 pool game against South Africa (6) |
| NIGHT | ... LesBleus had a sleepless one ahead of their RWC 2015 match with Italy due to a noisy wedding party (5) |
| RUCK | Word for a heap, pile or stack of fuel or hay; a multitude or throng; an undistinguished crowd; or, a loose scrum of players around a rugby ball (4) |
| BRACES | Supports prop for first scrum (6) |
| FORWARDS | Rugby players shameless at first scrum (8) |
| LOOSE | Misplace nothing inside a scrum of this sort (5) |
| PACKS | Bundles borne on the back; beautifying clay or mud treatments; scrums of rugby forwards; or, groups of hunting hounds or wolves (5) |
| SLIMANI | Rabah - - - , tighthead of Algerian descent who scored France's first try of RWC 2015 (7) |
| DUPONT | Name the French captain who went off injured in the recent Six Nations game against Ireland. (6) |
| LOOD | - - - de Jager, Bok lock who dislocated his shoulder in the RWC 2019 final (4) |
| HUNGARY | The 'Blood in the Water' water polo match was played between the Soviet Union and ___ at the 1956 Melbourne Games, against the backdrop of a Soviet invasion of this country |
| AFRICA | South - - - , Pool B side at RWC 2019 (6) |
| REECE | Sevu - - - scored two of New Zealand's 11 tries v Namibia at RWC 2019 (5) |
| MARMION | Kieran - - - , Ireland No 9 surprisingly omitted from the RWC 2019 squad (7) |
| ROUNDER | "He can play, run, kick - he's an all - - - ," Manu Tuilagi said of Henry Slade at RWC 2019 (7) |
| POGBA | French player who was Man of the Match in their opening game against Germany at the Euro 2020 |
| COLTMAN | Highlander Liam, expected to be New Zealand's third hooker at RWC 2019(7) |
| MCGRATH | Johnny Sexton's starting half-back partner v Russia at RWC 2019 (7) |
| LIENERT | All Black Anton - - - Brown had his shorts accidentally pulled down by Hallom Amos at RWC 2019 (7) |
| IOANE | London Irish and Samoa back-row TJ - - - made 67 tackles at RWC 2019 (5) |
