Rugby World Cup 2019: All Blacks covered in volcanic sands and hosts Japan prepare for Ireland - in pictures

Friday was a day off at the Rugby World Cup 2019, but that didn't stop teams from fine-tuning their games in training - or having volcanic sands spread over their bodies, in the New Zealand squad's case. Several All Blacks tested it out the local a traditional sand bath in Beppu, where the person is covered from neck to foot in the hot volcanic sands found on the southern island of Kyushu. It wasn't to everyone's liking, though. "The other boys really enjoyed it. Me, personally, I don't deal with the heat too well, not very good at saunas and that sort of thing - I couldn't stand there for very long," said New Zealand hooker Codie Taylor. Across the country, team such as hosts Japan, Australia, France, Ireland and Namibia took part in training sessions ahead of their next matches. There are three games slated for Saturday: Argentina take on Tonga in Pool C, Japan and Ireland meet in Pool A and Australia clash with Six Nations champions Wales in Pool D. You can find a full guide to all the fixtures here . Check out the photo gallery above of all Friday's training pictures. To move on to the next image, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

Rugby World Cup 2019: All Blacks covered in volcanic sands and hosts Japan prepare for Ireland - in pictures

Friday was a day off for matches in Japan, but that didn't stop teams from training