Rugby World Cup fixtures: who are England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland playing in round five

The Rugby World Cup will return for the final week of pool stage action - and a lot remains on the line.

England, Wales and Ireland will be back in action after having a rest week during round four. Qualification for the knock-out stages still remains up for grabs - and it will all come down to the final eight group stage games.

The most mouthwatering clash of the weekend looks set to be Scotland vs Ireland on Saturday (7 October) night. Wales and England are already through to the quarter-finals but will want to finish strong.

But what are the fixtures for the fifth round? Here's all you need to know:

What are the rugby world cup fixtures this week?

The final round of the pool stages will kick-off on Thursday, 5 October and will see a return of three matches taking place on both Saturday and Sunday. It will conclude with Fiji vs Portugal in Toulouse - as the Pacific Islander's aim to reach quarter-finals for the first time since 2007.

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland will all be in action on the final weekend of the pool stages at the Rugby World Cup. It follows a rest week for most of the home nations.

The quarter-final line-up will be confirmed following the conclusion of the last round of group games. Here's what to expect this week:

Thursday, 5 October

• New Zealand vs Uruguay - OL Stadium, Lyon - 8pm kick-off

Friday, 6 October

• France vs Italy - OL Stadium, Lyon - 8pm kick-off

Saturday, 7 October

• Wales vs Georgia - Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes - 2pm kick-off
• England vs Samoa - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille - 4.45pm kick-off
• Ireland vs Scotland - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris - 8pm kick-off

Sunday, 8 October

• Japan vs Argentina - Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes - 12pm kick-off
• Tonga vs Romania - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille - 4.45pm kick-off
• Fiji vs Portugal -Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse - 8pm kick-off

Why are team not playing this week?

The four pools each have five teams - and as a result it means that one team in each pool will sit out a round of fixtures during the group stage.

England's pool stage fixtures

• 9 September - England vs Argentina (27-10 W)
• 17 September - England vs Japan (34-12 W)
• 23 September - England vs Chile (71-0 W)
• 7 October - England vs Samoa

Scotland's pool stage fixtures

• 10 September - Scotland vs South Africa (18-3 L)
• 24 September - Scotland vs Tonga (45-17 W)
• 30 September - Scotland vs Romania (84-0 W)
• 7 October - Scotland vs Ireland

Wales' pool stage fixtures

• 10 September - Wales vs Fiji (32-26 W)
• 16 September - Wales vs Portugal (28-8 W)
• 24 September - Wales vs Australia (40-6 W)
• 7 October - Wales vs Georgia

Ireland's pool stage fixtures

• 9 September - Ireland vs Romania (82-8 W)
• 16 September - Ireland vs Tonga (59-16 W)
• 23 September - Ireland vs South Africa (13-8 W)
• 7 October - Ireland vs Scotland

When are the knock-out rounds?

For the sides who have already put four (or five) points up on the board with a win on the first weekend of the Rugby World Cup, fans' minds might be turning to the knock-out stages already. The fixtures will not be fully confirmed until the group stages have been completed at the start of October.

The quarter finals will take place on the weekend of Saturday, 14 October and Sunday, 15 October - with two games each day.