Centre Henry Slade says his bond with midfield partner Manu Tuilagi can fire England to World Cup success.

Slade is fit to start if selected against Tonga in the Sapporo Dome on Sunday, with coach Eddie Jones due to announce his team on Friday.

"Manu is so good to play with - the way we can use him to get us over the gain-line or to run decoy lines is a massive weapon," Slade said.

"It gives me a lot of time to play out of the back of that and elsewhere."

He added: "We have very different strengths and really different weaknesses, and I think we complement each other and cover up each other's weaknesses."

Jones used Slade and Tuilagi together throughout the Six Nations outside Owen Farrell at fly-half, having earlier in his regime preferred to use George Ford at 10 and Farrell at inside-centre.

And Slade says his on-field understanding with the 28-year-old Tuilagi has been boosted by how much the two enjoy each other's company off the pitch.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We've always got on really well ever since we've known each other.

"We were in camps together for a few years but never really regularly - he was always fit when I was injured or I was fit and he was injured.

"But we've always got on. I went on holiday to Dubai after the Six Nations - I was out there with Jack Nowell and Ellis Genge, and Manu was out there with his wife and kid, so we had a few days with him.

"I feel like I get on really well with him, and that bond off the pitch does play a big role in it.

"It can take time learning to play with each other, but he and I have managed to pick it up pretty quick.

"Manu's in very good shape. He's got through the whole of this pre-season, which has been tough, a real grind, but very good.

"He looks like he's hungry to do well. I'm excited to see what he does."

England travel north

England travelled north from sub-tropical Miyazaki to Sapporo in the far north on Wednesday, conditions in the far north 12 degrees cooler than they had been on the southern island of Kyushu, the wet, fresh weather on arrival much more reminiscent of autumn back home.

While Mako Vunipola and Jack Nowell continue to be on track for a return from injury later in the group stage, short-term injury doubts back-row forward Mark Wilson and winger Joe Cokanasiga have returned to fuller training.

Coach Eddie Jones has so far kept the players in the dark about his selection plans for Sunday, the short turnaround before England's second match against the USA suggesting he will look at all his options before the stiffer tests of Argentina and France.

Slade said: "You can never really tell with Eddie. We like to try different combinations in training, and we have so many talented players, especially in midfield.

"What's good about our midfield options is that everyone's got different strengths, so whatever the coaches want to go with, they've got an option to pick.

"All we can keep doing to spurring each other on as players, driving each other to keep improving."

Slade was a regular alongside Tuilagi during England's Six Nations campaign earlier this year, scoring his third international try in the 32-20 win over Ireland in Dublin.

He touched down again against France a week later, that burgeoning centre partnership one of the highlights for England in a campaign that then decelerated with defeat by Wales in Cardiff and that extraordinary draw against Scotland.

A knee injury kept the 26-year-old out of all four of England's warm-up matches for this World Cup, but after training solidly since arriving in Japan he is ready to reignite that explosive midfield combination.

He said: "The knee's good - I've had a few weeks now to rehab it and get it better.

"I'm feeling more and more confident every day, and hopefully I get the chance to test it out at the weekend.

"Initially I was worried. You don't know what it could be until you get your scan results back. It could have been a lot worse, so it was a massive relief."

Four years ago Slade was a last-minute bolter for Stuart Lancaster's squad, impressing in the final pre-tournament warm-up against France but then left out of match-day action until the final group game against Uruguay, when England had already gone out.

"Last World Cup I was just over the moon to be selected," he said.

"I had no expectations going into that camp, whereas this time I've had quite a lot of quality game-time, and feel a real part of the squad.

"I've had a massive drive from the last World Cup to wanting to play a much bigger role in this one.

"I feel like the last Six Nations was a real step in the right direction for me. I was very frustrated before that, maybe not having played as well as I could have for England.

"Hopefully if I get the chance I can keep improving on that."

Wales are hungrier than ever for World Cup glory following the shock departure of backs coach Rob Howley, and they are "circling the wagons" before their opening game against Georgia.

That is according to forwards coach Robin McBryde, who has praised the players' response to Howley's exit.

He was sent home on Tuesday because of an alleged betting breach, just six days before Monday's opener.

"They're more willing to take a lot more responsibility," McBryde said.

"They have input into training a little bit more than they would have in the past.

"Off the back of that, because of that ownership, the intensity of our training yesterday was the best it's ever been.

"There's a duty that we need to fulfil. The preparations have gone well up to date.

"There was a little bit of a feeling of circling the wagons and not allowing anything to influence the environment we've created.

"It's important we start with a bang."

News of Howley's departure emerged on Tuesday night, with the WRU confirming he had "returned to Wales to assist with an investigation" in relation to a potential breach of betting on rugby.

Head coach Warren Gatland spoke of his "shock" on Wednesday, and the incident had a similar effect on McBryde who, like Howley, has been a part of Gatland's coaching staff since the New Zealander's appointment in 2007.

"It's tough, we've been together for a quite a bit of time. It's unfortunate that he has to go through this," said McBryde.

"He has been a great servant, both as a player and a coach. This was our swansong as a coaching group so it's unfortunate we've got to go through this.

"He's a good man and a good friend. It's sad to see someone have to go through it."

Wales have appointed former Scarlets backs coach Stephen Jones as Howley's replacement.

Jones had already been named as Wales' future backs coach, as part of next head coach Wayne Pivac's staff who will succeed Gatland at the end of the World Cup.

McBryde, who played alongside former fly-half Jones for Wales and the Scarlets, believes Howley's successor will settle in quickly.

"It's a great opportunity to get his feet under the table a little bit earlier than was planned," he added.

"He'll benefit the coaching group, which starts following the World Cup."

'Wainwright like Warburton'

Wales name their team to face Georgia at 04:00 BST on Saturday, and it appears Dragons back-rower Aaron Wainwright could be in line to start.

The 21-year-old impressed in recent World Cup matches against England and Ireland, prompting McBryde to liken him to former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton.

"He's definitely a player with that growth still there. He's still learning the game," he said of Wainwright.

"He's in fantastic condition. He's put some good weight on and he's able to maintain that weight with all the running we've done.

"His skills work is still on the up and set-piece work as well. He's going to be around for a number of years. The potential he has got is to grow.

"I don't like to compare people to other players but he is very reminiscent of a young Sam Warburton with the way he carries the ball.

"Both in attack and defence, he's very physical. He enjoys that part of the game. He could even be better than Sam, though!"

Listen again: Sam Warburton's guide to RWC captaincy

Can't see this selector? Visit this page: Pick your Wales XV to play Georgia

All pictures in the selector from Huw Evans Images.

Who looks like a 'fat slug' in Speedos? And who does the best Gregor Townsend impression?

With the Scotland squad out in Japan for at least a month, spending every day together, a good team spirit is essential.

So who are the characters in Gregor Townsend's 31-man squad? Prop Gordon Reid takes BBC Scotland behind the scenes.

'The music man' - Finn Russell

Finn Russell walks about with all his free stuff from Bose. He gets supplied with endless amounts of speakers and music products. He's got into some French numbers which I'm just not liking - French rap. He's the go-to music man.

The impressionist - Ryan Wilson

Ryan likes to be 'everyone, look at me'. He likes to make fun out of everybody, he loves winding people up. And even to have him in your pack you know you're going to get a lot of chat to the other prop winding him up, it's good for me because I just get on with my job. He's really good at accents. He does a good Gregor accent, he does a good Tommy Seymour accent too.

The snorer - Zander Fagerson

He is the biggest snorer you'll ever hear, honestly I was like 'my goodness, I've never heard anything like it'. We need to get him a sponsor actually, a sleep angel sponsor or someone to give him one of those breathing masks to help him snore. There's been a couple of times he's been a bit raging at me because I've punched him. It used to be Jon Welsh but Zander's taken over the reins, he's phenomenal at snoring.

'Darren joins us on nights out' - The Mystery Man

There is then the man who we won't name, because he is totally different to his usual persona. I've actually been pretty tame [on nights out]. I used to be given a bottle of Buckfast and I was on the game but not anymore, I'm a wee bit older. There's a Darren in the team, but I can't tell you who the Darren is. It's basically a guy who comes out on a night out and it's one of the guys who goes from being himself to somebody else. So Darren comes out a few times with us on a night out.

The swearer - Me

I'm the swearer of the group. I like to swear at everybody and curse, just in general. 'You are a such and such, you're a this'. I think it's just the years of not being allowed to swear when I was growing up. Now I'm a bit older I have to make it up. If my mum knew I swore she would go off her head at me.

The fashionistas - Adam Hasting and Blair Kinghorn

Best dressed? Hastles [Adam Hastings] loves to look sharp and Blair Kinghorn, too. They wear white trainers, which I'm just a no go. Whatever's there I just throw on, but these boys love their party gear. Fagerson loves a budgie smuggler. He looks like a fat slug in a budgie smuggler. There's quite a lot of boys that wear them, I just don't. I've got a dad bod - probably a fat-dad bod.

The gamer - WP Nel

I usually room with WP Nel. He's a quiet guy but he doesn't really let anyone know that he's actually quite a funny guy. He's really quiet with everybody else but when he gets in his room, you just can't shut him up. He likes his games so you go in and he's maybe up to one or two in the morning sometimes, playing games. He's got stupid wee games like stick golf or rugby and he plays it on his phone all the time.

The inseparables - Ali Price and Finn Russell/Stuart Hogg and Greig Laidlaw

You've got Ali Price and Finn who are just always at each other's hip.

You've got Hoggy and Greig Laidlaw who are always at each other's hip too, the Borders boys. I think wee Darcy is trying to get into that group. He's like the boy of the group, the baby. So they're trying to take him under their wing.

'You could go for a drink with anyone'

You could go for a coffee with everybody, you could go for a drink with everybody. I think that's also why Gregor's has gone with this team. He's went 'these guys can play' but we also want some characters.

I wouldn't say there are any cliques and that's just a cancer for a team. Everybody's looking forward to it, everybody's excited.

Shortly before 11:00 BST on Saturday, 2 November, we will have the answers.

The identity of the skipper beneath the William Webb Ellis trophy and cloud of tickertape in Yokohama.

The destinations of the flights that have headed home from Japan with indecent haste.

The men who will have become the sport's new faces for the sporting mainstream.

But, for now, with less than 48 hours before Japan and Russia meet in the tournament's first game, the Rugby World Cup is only posing questions.

Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson, Rugby World Cup winner in 2003, is answering them in the first of his BBC Sport columns during the tournament.

Which of the home nations will fare best?

The closer we get to the tournament, the more I fancy England. They are in a trio of top-tier contenders with New Zealand and South Africa.

They have a fantastic squad with terrific strength in depth across every position. What is especially striking is their raft of heavy-duty ball-carriers that will get them across the gainline and give them a foothold in any game.

Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Billy Vunipola, Manu Tuilagi and Joe Cokanasiga's power can set up wave after wave of attack.

The critical question will come when they come up against a team that can physically match them or force them to change strategy on the hoof.

Are their key leaders - the number eight and half-backs - able to huddle together and completely change direction tactically?

Too many times we have seen this England side struggle to put the opposition away or close out the game.

Scotland almost beat England from 31-0 down in March. Wales came back from seven points down at half-time to win in February. New Zealand did the same from 15 points back in November.

They will need to be clinical in big games if they are to go all the way.

Ireland come into the tournament as the best team in the world in the rankings, but with the likelihood of either New Zealand or South Africa in the last eight, I don't think they will make the semi-finals.

They were playing scintillating rugby between a year and 18 months ago, driven in a large part by hooker Rory Best, scrum-half Conor Murray and fly-half Jonny Sexton.

For whatever reason, those three are not now firing on all cylinders and their set-piece is wobbling too. Secure ball from line-out or scrum is vital for setting the foundation of how you want to play.

They will get out of their group and perhaps the knock-out stage big-game pedigree that the Irish provinces have shown in European competition will lift them, but they are not in my top three or four sides to win the tournament.

Scotland, who share their group with Ireland, Japan, Samoa, Russia, will fancy their chances of beating Ireland on the opening weekend and topping Pool A.

They will feel they have an inventive, ambitious half-back pairing, a mobile pack and plenty of experience upsetting the odds.

Whether that is enough to get them any further than the last eight though...

Wales are intriguing.

Their main issue will be around their strength in depth.

For one-off games, where everyone is fit, they are going to challenge anyone.

They have a clutch of world-class players - Alun Wyn Jones, Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams - who are sensational and a back row that, on their day, can be as physical as anyone in the world.

On the touchlines they have one of the shrewdest coaching set-ups around with Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards.

I worked with them during my time with Wasps and there are none better at tailoring a specific gameplan to beat a specific opposition. They are adept at doing so very quickly as well, which is useful in tournament rugby.

One of their challenges will be protecting their first-choice starting line-up through a pool campaign. They have full-bore Tests against Fiji and Australia, which they will be desperate to win for a better quarter-final draw.

Are the All Blacks wobbling on their throne?

They certainly don't have a Dan Carter and Richie McCaw but they have experience of winning this tournament, a method of playing and a culture that is among the best in the world.

They have lost a few matches recently, but their response against Australia and Tonga in their last couple of matches suggested they are locked into World Cup mode.

If I had to pick one team to win it, they would still be my selection. They have a combination of firepower, strength in depth and experience that is a very potent mix.

What is behind the Springboks' resurgence?

When Allister Coetzee left his post as South Africa coach in February 2018, they had won only 11 of their previous 25 Tests and slipped to sixth in the world rankings.

But Rassie Erasmus has come in and shaken up the politics around the team, refocusing on winning and getting rid of the ban of overseas-based players.

He retired as a player in 2003 and has coached ever since, and I think he retains that empathy with the dressing room.

The style of game that Erasmus instilled during his year at Munster fits well with the South African psyche - expansive when it needs to be but with an attritional edge.

Faf de Klerk is a superbly busy, incisive scrum-half, but his distinctive style of play will lead to other teams targeting him during this tournament. He has certain tendencies that he repeats.

Their novelty has been part of what has made him effective so far, but there will be back rows studying the video tapes and laying some traps for him. It could be a tough tournament for him.

If Erasmus can help him through, keep a lid on the Springboks discipline and build momentum through the campaign, they are going to take some stopping.

Who are the next generation of superstars who will emerge from the tournament?

After England's disappointing campaign in 2015, this could be the World Cup where fly-half Owen Farrell grabs his chance to prove himself as a global star.

Cokanasiga could be a total superstar for England if he gets a chance to show what he can do on the wing.

Richie Mo'unga has only made five starts for the All Blacks, but seems set to start at fly-half for the defending champions. My former half-back partner and fellow 5 Live analyst Paul Grayson rates him really highly. He has superb individual skills, great vision, better kicking stats than team-mate Beauden Barrett and he is an unselfish team player as well.

New Zealand have a happy habit of uncovering a wing just before a major tournament or series.

Nehe Milner-Skudder lit up the 2015 World Cup, Sitiveni Sivivatu was superb in the series win over the Lions in 2005, Joe Rokocoko made his debut just four months before the 2003 World Cup.

Sevu Reece and George Bridge are both inexperienced wings who could be primed to do something similar.

Is hosting the tournament in Japan a gamble for World Rugby?

To be honest, I don't see a downside. I think it is a great decision.

The matches are not in prime kick-off times for some of the big television markets, but they are breakfast and brunch time here in Europe and people's schedules will fit around it fine.

You can see the enthusiasm on the ground. Fifteen thousand people turned out to see Wales train and a high proportion of the tickets have been sold. It has been embraced by the host nation and the prospect of going somewhere new like that excites fans from overseas.

If anything I think that the policy of taking the tournament to new territory to try and break new ground for the sport will be repeated.

The United States has to be on World Rugby's hit list. Perhaps a South American-based tournament could be after that.

Matt Dawson was speaking to BBC Sport's Mike Henson.

The world's top rugby nations are poised for the start of the Rugby World Cup with the outcome as uncertain as any of the previous eight editions.

New Zealand have won the past two World Cups, but Ireland are currently ranked as the best team in the world.

A resurgent South Africa won the Rugby Championship earlier this year, while Wales took the Six Nations in March.

England have won 10 of their last 14, while Australia's minimum target is a repeat of their 2015 run to the final.

Argentina, semi-finalists in two of the last three tournaments, talented Scotland, Fiji and France teams and hosts Japan are among those hoping to derail the title ambitions of the leading contenders.

"I think this is the most open World Cup we've had for a long time. There are six or seven teams capable of winning the World Cup," said Wales coach Warren Gatland.

"You always need a little bit of luck. You get to the quarter-finals and then take it one game at a time."

North to be exposed once again?

If one of the home nations is to bring home the William Webb Ellis Cup for only the second time, and the first since England landed the prize in 2003, they will need to break a southern-hemisphere stranglehold.

Between them New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have won the other seven titles since the inaugural event in 1987.

Over that time England, Wales and Scotland have filled only seven of the 32 semi-final spots on offer, with Ireland never progressing beyond the last eight.

At the last Rugby World Cup in 2015, eventual winners New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina contested the semi-finals.

However, the last time the two hemispheres' best met - during 2018's autumn internationals - there were indications that this year's tournament might be more closely contested.

Admittedly with home advantage, England beat South Africa, Wales beat Australia,Ireland beat New Zealand and Scotland beat Argentina on successive weekends.

The home nations have been helped by knowledge from overseas with New Zealander Gatland leading Wales, compatriot Joe Schmidt in charge of Ireland and Australian Eddie Jones coaching England.

Scotland's Gregor Townsend is building on foundations laid by another Kiwi - Vern Cotter - who he took over from in 2017.

New Zealand aim for historic treble

After becoming the first team to successfully defend the World Cup in 2015, New Zealand are aiming to land a historic hat-trick in Japan.

They begin with a stern test of their credentials, facing second-favourites South Africa in their Pool B opener on Saturday.

"We're in a good space. It's an exciting time, it's going to be a massive occasion and a massive game. The South Africans are going to be well and truly up for it so we can't wait," said captain Kieran Read.

After losing just three of 34 Tests in the wake of their 2015 World Cup win, the All Blacks have lost three of the last 13 running into the World Cup.

However, head coach Steve Hansen believes the All Blacks' experience of the business end of the tournament could prove decisive.

"We live there all the time. For some of these teams it's going to be the first time they're going to turn up and feel that pressure. It can be overwhelming when you haven't had it before," he said.

A brave new world for World Rugby

Japan is the first country in Asia and the first outside of rugby union's traditional strongholds to stage the sport's premier event after seeing off competition from South Africa and Italy to host it.

Special considerations have been made to avoid potential culture clashes with extra beer supplies laid on for visiting fans and precautions taken by teams to avoid causing offence with tattoos, considered anti-social because of criminal connotations in Japanese society.

Bill Beaumont, former England captain turned World Rugby chairman, says he is convinced the tournament is going to change both Japan and rugby.

"Rugby mania is going to captivate this nation," he said.

"After 10 years of meticulous preparation the wait is over and the stage is set for what we believe will be a transformational tournament."

World Rugby claim that 1.8m more people, including more than one million in Japan itself, have started playing rugby in Asia over the past three years.

Japanese fans look set to embrace the tournament, with 15,000 fans turning out to watch Wales train in Kitakyushu on Monday and 97% of match tickets sold.

And a win for the Brave Blossoms in Friday's opening match against Russia would give the tournament the perfect start.