Friday
I am at Heathrow Terminal 5 and it could be David Beckham walking by, such is the acclaim that Sean Fitzpatrick receives from the New Zealand supporters who are also heading to Newcastle for the All Blacks’ last pool match with Tonga.
Fitzpatrick, the former All Blacks captain, isn’t the only rugby celebrity on the flight. A designer man-bag and a back-to-front baseball cap – it can only be Ugo Monye, the former England wing. Ugo and I had worked together at Australia v Uruguay for BBC Radio 5 Live earlier in the tournament.
Having only just retired, his insight into the players is delightfully fresh — matched only by his enthusiasm for hiring the Status Quo tour bus for the weekend to ferry his television colleagues between games.
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This is the last of my seven World Cup commentaries but my first with Gavin Hastings, the former Scotland captain. As Tonga put up a valiant effort they are eventually defeated by New Zealand. Gavin gives my commentary an approving nod.
Saturday
Up at 6am to read the sports bulletins on Radio 4’s Today programme. The bulletins include interviews with Blake Solly, Super League general manager, and Hastings.
By mid-morning we are all heading back to St James’ Park for Scotland v Samoa now better known as ‘TryFest 2015’. I’m not commentating on this one but after the game I interview Vern Cotter, the Scotland head coach, who has relief tattooed on his face. Scotland have survived a Samoan onslaught to seal a place in the quarter-finals. Before we fly back to Heathrow I get a chance to talk to Sir Ian McGeechan over a beer and a bowl of nachos in the departure lounge. Sir Ian has always been good to me. Everyone will tell you that he is the nicest man in rugby and I can confirm that is 100 per cent true. We take off before England’s game against Uruguay kicks off. Nobody is disappointed.
Sunday
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A rare chance to escape the World Cup bubble and spend a lovely morning at my nephew’s christening, before I rush home to watch Ireland v France. The intensity was off the scale but to see Paul O’Connell’s international career ended with an injury like that was cruel, very cruel.
Monday
Australia hold their press conferences at 8am to help their media back home. Throw in my fear of being late and I’m on my own at an ungodly dark hour in the team hotel. Chris Malone, the kicking coach, takes centre stage, joking that the Wallabies turned down a chance to stay in England’s hotel because it was too isolated.
I interview Nick Phipps, the Australia scrum half, who has spent most of the past 24 hours in his hotel room studying a Fredrickson strategy diamond as part of his masters degree in international business. I have no idea what he’s talking about.
Tuesday
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A quiet day at home with my cat, doing some preparation work for the quarter-finals when the disciplinary verdicts for Sean O’Brien, Ross Ford and Jonny Gray start to filter through. In the words of fellow BBC commentator, Andrew Cotter, on Twitter: “Roll up, roll up, where the ban-o-meter stops nobody knows.”
Friday
I watch the Wallabies train at Twickenham with AC/DC blasting through the sound system before reporting to Radio 5 Live that David Pocock and Israel Folau are out of their quarter-final against Scotland. The Premiership kicks off tonight and tomorrow I am off to report on the South Africa-Wales quarter-final for the BBC News Channel. It is non-stop but a great privilege.
● Sara Orchard is part of BBC Radio 5 live’s Rugby World Cup line-up. Hear South Africa v Wales on 5 Live at 4pm today.