I could talk about the highly impressive opening ceremony – the first I’ve seen live – or the shambolic performances of the nervous match officials in the England game, but let’s concentrate on the rugby and Japan.

I had lunch with Japan’s coach, Eddie Jones, last month. He told me that he had plans for South Africa. I thought that would mean keeping the Springboks to 25 points, but he showed he is one of the smartest coaches in the world.

It was a result to surpass any other in the history of international rugby and a potentially epoch-changing victory. I suspect I will not be alone in watching their next game against Scotland on Wednesday with great interest.

What Japan achieved was beyond belief, but what was as astonishing was the way the team ranked 13th in the world beat one of the game’s superpowers. Their desire, tenacity and commitment were off the Richter scale.

They overcame one of the most physically dominant sides in the tournament by not taking a backward step and through the quality of their rugby.

Japan played with high intensity, considerable skill and huge self-belief. What was most remarkable was that at the end they had chances to kick a penalty for a draw, which in itself would have been a notable result, but they wanted to win the game, perhaps thinking it was a chance that might not come again for a while. That spoke volumes for their mental strength and they showed that nothing is impossible. Eddie and his squad deserve every plaudit in what was a marvellous day for the development of the sport and a great platform for the 2019 tournament in Japan.

Then there was Georgia who also beat a team ranked above them, Tonga.

Sheer willpower and physical dominance, particularly at the scrum, won them the game. Georgia have been knocking on the door for a while and there have been calls for them to join the Six Nations: their captain, Mamuka Gorgodze, looked like he was playing Tonga by himself at times, amazingly physical and mentally tough.

The tournament really started on the second day. England will be happy they got the maximum points against a very competitive Fiji and emerged from the opening night injury-free.

There is plenty for them to work on before Saturday’s match against Wales but, in terms of goal-kicking and defence, they were at the level required on the opening night. They hit hard in the tackle and there was a clear collective desire in what was a step up from the Six Nations.

The lineout and rolling maul were as you would expect from England and their best attacking ploy, but unfortunately for them that’s where it ended. The scrum was inconsistent, a lost feed leading to Fiji’s try and, while it improved when replacements came on, it leaves a selection question for Stuart Lancaster and his coaches. When the Vunipola brothers, Kieran Brookes and Joe Launchbury provided aggression and got on the front foot, England were able to play with speed and fluency, helping Owen Farrell and Sam Burgess, who both made a difference. It was hard to judge Ben Youngs, George Ford and Brad Barritt given that they had to work with much slower ball.

Was England’s selection correct? For the first 60 minutes they played at half pace and were both lateral and predictable. Once there was a focus to go forward, getting on the front foot before going wide, they started to play with some speed and fluency. Mike Brown was their most potent threat, the man of the match in defence and attack, but it was a six out of 10 performance. The five points were invaluable, but they have a ton of work to do before the games against Wales and Australia. It appeared to me that they had a focus on defence to the detriment of other areas of their game: they now need to establish a platform.

Ireland and France got expected results. Ireland look serious contenders with a very efficient set piece and attack structure, perhaps armed with more adventure than in the past: I like the look of Iain Henderson in the second row and Jonathan Sexton is class, but to put that game in perspective, Fiji did have a big pre-tournament victory against Canada.

France did not show much skill on the ball against an Italy side that has embarrassed them in the past, but they seem to be developing confidence and they will be dangerous. Argentina also have the look of quarter-finalists, impressive in defeat against the All Blacks at a packed Wembley. What a venue, a terrific way to round off the opening weekend.

The All Blacks had to work hard: they struggled to come to terms with the contest allowed at the breakdown, but by the end found the answers, like England profiting from their bench. I thought Sonny Bill Williams was man of the match and they will be better for the tough workout, but Argentina showed they have improved in defence and attack during their time in the Rugby Championship. A team to watch.