Ireland wait on Best as Sapolu ban upheld at W.Cup

Ireland became the latest of the remaining teams at the World Cup to name their side for this weekend's quarter-finals on Wednesday as several intriguing showdowns started to take shape. But even though Samoa were knocked out last week, their Twitter-ranting centre Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu remained in the spotlight as a ban from all rugby was upheld pending the outcome of a hearing that will reconvene later this month. Ireland clearly wanted to name an unchanged side for their quarter-final clash with Wales in Wellington this Saturday. But with hooker Rory Best still struggling to overcome the shoulder injury he suffered in last week's 36-6 win in Dunedin, coach Declan Kidney bracketed him with back-up Sean Cronin. "He made great progress and if he keeps going he'll be a chance," Kidney said of Best's chances. Wales veteran Stephen Jones, meanwhile, was encouraged by the youthful enthusiasm of a team captained by flanker Sam Warburton, 23 on Wednesday. "It's a young squad. With the younger players, they're more fearless, and they go out there and back themselves," said the 33-year-old Jones, Wales's most-capped player with 102 Tests for his country. Another young player backing himself, and his team, was 24-year-old Ireland wing Keith Earls, who dispensed with the 'one game at a time' mantra beloved of so many players when he said: "I just keep imagining ourselves in the final." Meanwhile, Australia playmaker Quade Cooper vowed to stick with his natural attacking game rather than go into his "shell" for the Wallabies quarter-final against world champions South Africa on Sunday. "If we part with any of our ability or confidence we have in what we do, I'm sure that will work as an advantage for the opposition. "We don't want to go into our shells." For his part, South Africa flanker Schalk Burger said judgment was not the same thing as experience. "You call on individuals to make the right decisions and not make mistakes," Burger said. "Sometimes it does occur, whether you have a 100 caps or five caps." Sapolu, banned on Tuesday after calling Welsh referee Nigel Owens "racist" in a Twitter message following Samoa's tournament-ending defeat by South Africa, had previously likened the way they had to play two games in a week to the Holocaust. He failed to turn up to Tuesday's hearing but did appear when it resumed Wednesday where his request for a fresh adjournment was accepted. The hearing is now set to resume on October 15, until when the Gloucester back's ban remains in place. Injury has deprived New Zealand of star fly-half Dan Carter for the rest of the World Cup and the All Blacks had a fresh scare ahead of their quarter-final against Argentina when wing Zac Guildford pulled a hamstring on Wednesday. But inspirational captain and flanker Richie McCaw was back training after being sidelined from the pool rout of Canada with a foot injury. "He went well, put in a full training -- brilliant," lock Ali Williams said. Injuries though can sometimes have unexpected benefits and the chances of rival England fly-halves Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood playing alongside each other against France on Saturday started to increase as centre Mike Tindall continued to struggle with a dead leg. "All I can do is what I have been doing, just putting my hand up when I get the opportunity," said Flood, who some observers believe should start in place of misfiring 2003 World Cup hero Wilkinson. Also in Auckland, France lock Lionel Nallet said it was down to the senior players in a squad that has already lost twice to help captain Thierry Dusautoir. Yet for all their problems, France could yet beat England -- a result that wouldn't be that great a shock. By contrast, Argentina defeating New Zealand would qualify as one of the all-time huge upsets but Pumas back Marcelo Bosch said if they survived the first 15 minutes at Eden Park on Sunday, "everything is possible".