Russia are led by wily Welshman Lyn Jones, a 55-year-old former back-row with a wealth of coaching nous.

He's been in charge since last August, having led two of the Welsh regions and worked across club rugby in his homeland for over two decades.

Speaking to WalesOnline, external earlier this year, Jones revealed what the Russian players get up to when their coach's back is turned:

"When players have a bit of spare time in the UK, the soccer ball or the cricket bat comes out and they have a little dabble of a game or two.

“In Russia, when there’s a spare five minutes, you look over your shoulder and there’s two players wrestling on the floor!

“You think there’s trouble afoot, but there’s not. It’s just part of the culture. They have a little wrestle with each other. It’s what they’ve grown up with."

Image source, Getty Images

Russia were roundly touted as complete no-hopers in Pool A, lambs to the slaughter who would be duly savaged by their four opponents.

Little wonder too. In the lead-up to the tournament, Russia were humiliated 85-15 by Italy, battered by Pro14 side Connacht, and even lost to Jersey Reds, a team from the second tier of English rugby.

The weekly pummeling hasn't quite played out as expected. Granted, Russia have only scored 19 points in three games, but Samoa have managed just eight more. The Bears have been episodically impressive in each of their matches, and will not be the meek pushovers many reckoned.

Still, in their second tournament appearance, Russia are on the hunt for their first World Cup victory. Only Namibia have played more World Cup games and not earned a win.

Darcy Graham has been an outstanding presence in the back-three of Edinburgh and Scotland these past 12 months or so.

In nine Tests, he has scored five tries, and his scorching pace, brilliant footwork and effervescent ballast in contact make his one of the most exhilarating talents in Gregor Townsend's squad.

Though he didn't get over the whitewash, Graham posted some typically fine stats against Samoa last week:

• 71m made from seven carries
• Three clean breaks
• Three defenders beaten
• No missed tackles

As expected, Gregor Townsend has heavily rotated his Scotland squad for this match. That's partly a nod to the four-day turnaround between today and Sunday's likely decisive game against Japan, but also because a fair few of his players haven't seen much - or any - action yet.

Blair Kinghorn, Pete Horne, Ben Toolis, and George Turner make their first outings of the tournament, as will injury call-up Henry Pyrgos, if he's introduced from the bench. Hooker Fraser Brown is deployed on the open-side flank, where he is also very adept.

Heavy hitters such as Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray and Greig Laidlaw are rested.

Only Darcy Graham, the electric little winger, keeps his place from the Samoa victory.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a wee reminder of how the teams line up this morning.

Scotland: Kinghorn; Seymour, Taylor, P Horne, Graham; Hastings, G Horne; Reid, Turner, Fagerson; Cummings, Toolis; Barclay, Brown, Wilson.

Replacements: McInally, Berghan, Nel, Gilchrist, Bradbury, Ritchie, Pyrgos, Harris.

Russia: Artemyev; Davydov, Ostroushko, Gerasimov, Sozonov; Gaisin, Perov; Morosov, Selskii, Gotovtsev, Ostrikov, Elgin, Zhivatov, Gazhiev, Vavilin.

Replacements: Chernyshev, Bitiev, Podrezov, Fedotko, Garbuzov, Ianiushkin, Sychev, Kushnarev.

Head coach Gregor Townsend on BBC Radio Scotland: "The players can’t wait to play. They know what they need to do in terms of the game plan and what Russia are bringing with their physicality and their kicking game, so we’ll have to be patient as well as physical.

"It’s also Russia's last game so they will bring everything to the fixture, so we’ve got to be in a very good place to win and win the bonus point. We have real belief in the players in terms of decision-making and how we can pressurize Russia’s kicking game and also how we can kick accurately against them.

"But there’s going to have to be times we’re going to have to outwork them, whether that’s us going through the phases, kick-chase, set-pieces or scrums and mauls to make sure the fitness does tell. We believe we are fitter than them and hopefully that tells in the second half. We have a really experienced team when you look through the line-up and there’s a lot of team men there that want to make sure we are still in the competition come Sunday."

Image source, Getty Images

French referee Mathieu Raynal has had to bow out due to illness. Taking charge of this match instead will be the vastly experienced Englishman, Wayne Barnes, who had the whistle for Scotland's opening thumping by Ireland.

Image source, Getty Images

The build-up to this vital round of matches hasn't focused on players or coaches or even refereeing controversy.

No, we've all been tuning in to Japanese weather forecasts to monitor the progress of Typhoon Hagibis - or Typhoon "Haggis" as it shall henceforth be known.

This rather gnarly looking brute was poised to strike Fukuoka, where Scotland's pool rivals Ireland and Samoa do battle. If the match is postponed, it could result in an automatic 0-0 draw being declared - wonderful news for Scotland.

Then "Haggis" changed course, and now it's threatening Scotland's potentially decisive clash with Japan on Sunday, and England's top-of-the-pool encounter with France.

Whether the games will need to be postponed or moved to a different venue, we don't yet know.

World Rugby are due to make a statement at 10:00 BST...

While you're waiting for kick-off, get yourself plugged in to the latest Rugby World Cup Sportsound podcast. Andy Burke and Tom English discuss today's game, how the locals are embracing the tournament, and of course, the typhoon hurtling towards Japanese shores.

Sportsound with Colin Gregor, Peter Wright and Geoff Webster begins at 07:30, with all the build-up followed by live coverage and reaction from Shizuoka.

Links to listen in are at the top of this page.

Right then. It really is win-or-bust for Scotland's second string this morning.

Nothing short of a victory - and realistically, a four-try bonus point too - against unfancied Russia will do.

That would earn Scotland five points and take them within one of Ireland, who play Samoa next, and four of Japan, who Gregor Townsend's men tackle in what will likely be a monumental do-or-die clash on Sunday.

So, bacon rolls at the ready, coffees in hand, and get this tab neatly concealed from your boss if you're in the office. Enjoy...

Image source, BBC Sport