The Welsh rugby team have had Sir Tom Jones and Prince William presenting them their matchday kit during this tournament. For today's match they had comedian Rob Brydon dish out the red jerseys. 

Perhaps the Gavin and Stacey should stand on stilts next time he takes a picture with the Welsh squad, though... Not that there's anything wrong with being diminutive, of course. 

Alun Wyn Jones isn't the only player who will be raising a metaphorical bat to the crowd from the crease this weekend. 

The brilliant Matt Giteau will make his 100th appearance for the Wallabies against Scotland on Sunday and has been presented with boots as dazzling as his handling. 

"Very humbled by all your msgs of support," he has posted on Instagram. , external

Image source, Matt Giteau

It's time for us to raise a glass to Alun Wyn Jones, who will make his 94th appearance for Wales today and, if we include his six Lions appearances (which we are) he wins his 100th international cap. 

Bonymaen's favourite son has a short fuse, a gigantic appetite to win, and is already one of Wales' greats - but the man himself is not one to talk about milestones. 

"It’s 94 plus six for me and not 100 plus six which would mean more," says the 30-year-old Ospreys forward.

So it's left to Warren Gatland to sum up the lock's impact best: "He’s had an unbelievable World Cup campaign so far. He’s been immense for us."

Image source, BBC Sport

Rob Jones
Former Wales scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

The bigger the player, the bigger the hits. And in a world where the players are bigger than ever it is perhaps inevitable that the injury list has grown too. Or has it? 

Wales aren't the only team having to carry on regardless. The casualty count at this World Cup is 23, with Ireland captain Paul O'Connell the latest to bow out prematurely. 

But the number of injuries at the 2015 World Cup are "not out of step with the norm" according to World Rugby. 

Image source, BBC Sport

Yes, Wales' list of absentees at this World Cup is ever growing and reads like a who's who of the country's most savvy attackers, except for prop Rhodri Jones (sorry, Rhodri). 

Such is the pickle Warren Gatland finds himself in, the Kiwi this week recalled Eli Walker to the squad, even though the Ospreys winger is not fit enough to face the Springboks. 

Wales are short of game-breakers and the question is: have they already used up all their reserves of willpower and know-how to get them to this stage? 

Image source, BBC Sport

Let's turn our attention to the Welsh team. Warren Gatland has opted for 20-year-old Tyler Morgan to fill the unlucky number 13 shirt, instead of the experienced Lion James Hook. 

Four players have played at outside centre for Wales in four matches. Cory Allen started against Uruguay, but suffered a tournament-ending hamstring problem. Then it was Scott Williams' turn to suffer a serious injury. 

Tyler Morgan came in against Fiji but wasn't in contention to face Australia as he had a minor hamstring problem so George North filled in. 

Morgan is one of three changes to the Wales team which lost to Australia, with Dan Lydiate and Gethin Jenkins the others. 

Image source, BBC Sport

Richard Williams
BBC Sport at Twickenham

"Victor Matfield, the talismanic Springbok second row who was player of the tournament at the 2007 World Cup, is out of this match.

"He's on the pitch being interviewed for television before kick-off, wearing the distinctive green blazer with gold piping that is a uniform for the management and non-playing squad members.

"Will he be missed? Not according to Kobus Wiese, who believes today's pairing of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager - 23 and 22 years old respectively - will be the Boks' powerhouse for the next 10 years."

Image source, Getty Images

Eben Etzebeth has at least had reason to smile this week as the 23-year-old makes South Africa's starting line-up. 

Coach Heyneke Meyer has made just one change to the team which beat the United States, bringing in J. P Pietersen to replace Lwazi Mvovo. 

Veteran Victor Matfield has not recovered from a hand injury, which means young pair Etzebeth, who at just 23 has 41 caps, and Lodewyk De Jager pair up in the boiler room.

Image source, BBC Sport

To be fair to Eben Etzebeth, no-one would really want to be compared to Borat so it was perhaps no surprise that lock was less than impressed after being quizzed this week about his resemblance to Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy character. 

Kiwi comedian James McOnie asked: "Eben, has anybody ever told you that you look like Borat? I mean, is that your nickname, Borat?"

Etzebeth's response was a succinct "no" before one of his colleagues muttered "stupid question" as they left the stage. 

Personally, I don't see the resemblance but, then again, I've not seen Eben Etzebeth in a mankini. 

Image source, Getty Images

Following that never to be forgotten defeat by Japan, the Springboks returned to basics to win all their remaining Pool games, which is why we many expect this humdinger to be a physical test. 

South Africa will run hard, they will run straight and they will attempt to smash Warren Gatland's men. 

"Losing the first game has helped us," admitted Heyneke Meyer. "It was tough but we came through and it gets a bit easier once you get confidence and build momentum.” 

It isn't only South Africa and Wales facing the chop this afternoon...

South Africa have been preparing for this match at Pennyhill Park, England's state-of-the-art training facility. Where are England? Oh, you may not have heard but they're no longer in this competition. 

As England moved out, the Springboks moved in. And in describing the facility as "unbelievable", South Africa flanker Schalk Burger added: "The media centre is pretty much bigger than my local club back home."

But should South Africa be worried? They're using England's training facility, they are in the home dressing room... As Wales coach Warren Gatland wryly said: "I don’t think anyone’s won in the home dressing room at the moment."

Image source, Getty Images

For those of you who like giant rugby balls, and castles, there's good news. The 'The Ball in the Wall', external which has become quite the attraction in Cardiff during this World Cup is to stay until the end of the tournament. 

Initially, it was to come down after this weekend's quarter-finals in the Welsh capital, which would have been deflating, but now the Ball in the Wall can form the backdrop to many a picture until the end of the month. We're all pumped by that news. 

Image source, Getty Images

At 2am? That's commitment.

Richard Williams
BBC Sport at Twickenham

"Twickenham is still a sea of green seats as Wales and South Africa go through their kicking and line-out throwing routines on the pitch.

"On reflection, those seats are the same colour as the Springbok shirts.Time for the Welsh fans to cover them up."

Image source, Getty Images

Wales, of course, did beat South Africa 12-6 last November but have never recorded consecutive victories against the Springboks. 

Wales captain Sam Warburton, though, has been saying the right things in the build up to this match: "Players never talk about history or psychological battles. I think that's irrelevant. 

"It doesn't matter who you are playing or what record you've got, there's always a chance of winning, otherwise no one would watch."

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Enough about ladies in tabards...

Your mission today Sam, Dan, Taulupe, Jamie and the rest of you, should you wish to accept it, is to beat South Africa and reach the World Cup semi-finals. 

Your country has only beaten the Springboks twice in the last century. Never before have you triumphed over them on rugby's biggest stage 

This message will self destruct... Cue dum-dum music... and so on and so on. All I'm trying to say is that Wales have a tough task ahead of them today. 

It's a tub-thumping front page in Welsh newspaper the Western Mail today. "The whole nation is behind you ever step of the way," is the headline along with a picture of a woman in curlers, a tabard and slippers. It's a picture out of  the Last of the Summer Wine. Strange. 

Image source, Western Mail

Australia play Scotland on Sunday. That's tomorrow. SUNDAY! Oh, nevermind...