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England run riot against Japan – but blitz defence needs work

kieran crichard
·40-min read
Tommy Freeman pass v Japan at Twickenham
Tommy Freeman’s sublime round-the-back pass set up one of England’s second-half scores - Getty Images/Dan Mullan

This was a victory with plenty of attacking verve and potency as England greedily ran in nine tries, including one created by a glorious behind-the-back pass by Tommy Freeman, to give Steve Borthwick some much-needed momentum to build on going into the Six Nations Championship.

There was an impressive second-half cameo from Fin Smith, who managed to make England’s attack shape more fluid and cohesive than it has been across the four games. Although it would be a bold attacking strategy, particularly with England facing Ireland in Dublin in their Six Nations opener, the question hangs in the air: should Marcus Smith be switched to full-back to give Borthwick’s side two playmakers? Elsewhere, Tom Roebuck also looked to the manor born while Asher Opoku-Fordjour made his debut, a formidable nod to England’s front-row future.

After opting for continuity in selection, Borthwick has finished the campaign with some fresh selection decisions to make. After a calendar year that finishes with just five wins from 12 Test matches, that is at least something positive.

Yet perhaps the biggest takeaway of all from this contest that provided a stark illustration of just how far Japan have fallen from their halcyon days in 2015 when Eddie Jones was previously in charge, is that England now have a big decision to make about their blitz defensive strategy.

Once again it malfunctioned on too many occasions. Japan might not have had the firepower or experience to fully exploit its weaknesses, but still managed to carve out tries by Naoto Saito and Kazuki Himeno. It took the total number of tries conceded by England this autumn to 14, and the total points conceded to 109, which is an average of 27.25 per game. Given that the foundation stone of this side’s evolution is to be hard to beat, it is a home record that is simply not good enough.

The uncertainty of its implementation has not been helped by the change of defence coaches in mid-year. When Felix Jones brought in the blitz defence at the start of last season’s Six Nations, there were teething problems but also clear signs of reward, with the up-and-in aggressive defensive line bringing imposing menace and mayhem. The opposition were being caught behind the gain-line, with England forcing mistakes by putting the ball-carrier’s skills and decision-making under pressure.

It was during the two Test series in New Zealand during the summer that it felt like real strides had been taken in its evolution, with Henry Slade emerging as the poster boy for the blitz.

Yet Jones’ decision to resign from his position and the hurried appointment of Joe El-Abd as his successor has appeared to stall that progress. To be fair to El-Abd, he has had to hit the ground running, with little time for analysis. But the suggestion that the defence would be tapered for the autumn campaign against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, never really materialised.

Instead we have been left with questions about whether England’s players are fit enough to sustain 80 minutes of blitz defending, whether it has diminished their attacking prowess, and if the more inexperienced players have been able to fully commit to the system.

This was best illustrated by Japan’s first try. The first time they got to the edge of England’s blitz, a dummy by Japan’s centre Dylan Riley allowed him to easily evade George Furbank after Slade had shot up inside him. Without any adequate scramble, Saito raced over for a try that was easy on the eye, but a nightmare for El-Abd.

If the concession of the try was a system breakdown, it seemed from the fact that too many England forwards found themselves out of the game defending the narrow side of the ruck in the build-up to the try. It is impossible to imagine Owen Farrell allowing that to happen.

It was no coincidence that England’s most middling period of the game, just after the interval, also featured Japan twice getting around the edge of the blitz. A team with more firepower than Japan could have inflicted more damage. Austin Healey commentating for TNT Sports, was unequivocal, describing England’s blitz defence as a “disaster.”

What is clear is that while England’s aggressive approach can still be impactful, the players must be given more licence to read the play, and not always shoot up when the line is not aligned or there are not enough players in position to scramble if the attacking side is able to find the space on the outside. Right now, the risk is outweighing the reward.

The victory was founded on forward firepower in the first half, with two tries by Jamie George and one from Sam Underhill coming from line-outs, while Ben Earl also crossed from a line-out strike play, with Ollie Lawrence, another who impressed, cutting a brilliant line, while a sublime piece of skill by Ollie Sleightholme enabled the Northampton wing to score from his own chip ahead.

After a slightly frustrating third quarter, England cut loose again, with Furbank gathering Freeman’s pass while Luke Cowan-Dickie, twice, and Roebuck also crossed for tries to at least send the Twickenham faithful off into the night in good voice.

Match details

Scoring sequence: 5-0 Earl try, 7-0 Smith con; 12-0, Underhill try, 14-0, Smith con; 19-0 George try, 21-0, Smith con; 26-0, George try, 28-0 Smith con; 28-5, Saito try, 28-7, Saito con; 33-7, Sleightholme try, 35-7, Smith con; 40-7 Furbank try; 45-7, Cowan-Dickie try, 45-7, 45-12, Himeno try 45-14, Matsunaga con; 50-14, Cowan-Dickie try, 52-14, Smith con; 57-14 Roebuck try, 59-14.

England: G Furbank (F Smith 54); T Freeman, O Lawrence, H Slade (T Roebuck 60), O Sleightholme; M Smith, J van Poortvliet (H Randall 47); E Genge (F Baxter 52), J George (L Cowan-Dickie 47), W Stuart (A Opoku-Fordjour 54), M Itoje, G Martin (N Isiekwe 66), T Curry, S Underhill (C Cunningham-South 14), B Earl.

Japan: T Matsunaga; T Osada (Y Ka­jimura 64), D Riley, S Fifita, J Naikabula; N McCurran, N Saito (S Fu­ji­wara 60); T Okabe (Y Morikawa 60), S Lee (K Mat­suo­ka 41), S Takeuchi (K Tame­fusa 41), S Waqa (D Akiyama 52), E Uluiviti, K Shimokawa (T Tatafu 60), K Himeno, F Makisi (B Gunter 47).

Referee: C Evans (WRU)

06:46 PM GMT

Jones on England’s struggles

“It is one of those difficult periods. The team is obviously going through transition. There are some good young players coming through. Chandler Cunningham-South is a good player, Tommy Freeman and Tom Roebuck are coming through. Ollie Lawrence is getting some consistency in his play.

“They are in a sticky period where you might play against a good team and lose by one or two points. Today, they gave a lesson in pressure rugby. Every time they got on the front foot, they put the ball in behind and chased. We got suffocated today. It will take some time.”

06:45 PM GMT

Eddie on Danny Care’s accusation in autobiography

“I will tell you mate, I have got a new book deal coming out. It is called ‘Caring About Care’. Come and get your pre-order forms. Get them while they are hot. I am trying to sort out a deal with the Daily Mail but I have not come to an agreement yet.”

06:41 PM GMT

Jones on Twickenham return

“It was not bad until some clown abused me going down to half-time. But if there is only one clown in 80,000, that is not too bad. It was not bad, apart from the result.

“He said something but I am not going to repeat it here because I will get into trouble.”

06:36 PM GMT

More from Eddie Jones

On Japan:

“We get one thing right and another thing breaks down. Today, our line-out was not right and our scrum was poor. We are a young team and we have got to accept that is part of the process. It has been really up and down.

“We wanted to kick between the two lines. We did not want to get into a box-kick contest with England because they would just squeeze us. We did not execute it as well as we would have liked but the idea was right.

“It is just time and lessons like this. When you have got 200 caps, it means most players have played 10 Tests or less. You do not have that collective adaption.

“I look at Marcus today, having brought him in when he was young. Now he is so confident in his decision-making. He is composed, and he still has that bit of electricity. That is what you get from playing 40 Tests.

“Because we want to play differently, and faster, it puts more pressure on your skills. We have got to stick to it, there is no magic solution.”

06:35 PM GMT

Let’s hear from Eddie

Eddie Jones, making his first media appearance of week, says:

“Congrats to Steve, I am sure he we will not have you blokes haunting him tonight... for seven days anyway.

“I am sure he will enjoy his orange juice tonight.”

06:28 PM GMT

The thoughts of England captain Jamie George

06:26 PM GMT

How Sleightholme is following in father Jon’s footsteps

Before Ollie Sleightholme made his England debut this summer in New Zealand, the team’s captain, Jamie George, asked Sleightholme’s father, Jon, to send him a message which could be read out in the team meeting. One part of that message explained that while Sleightholme snr was immensely proud, he felt something greater than that. “Proud as a word doesn’t do it justice. What I said in that message was that I felt really privileged, because we were joining a club of fathers and sons that had played for their country. That just feels very special to be a part of,” Sleightholme snr says.

Jon Sleightholme won 12 England caps and scored four tries in the mid-1990s, including the only try in England’s win over Ireland to wrap up the 1996 Five Nations title at Twickenham.

For more from Ben Coles, click here.

Ollie Sleightholme scores in the corner
Ollie Sleightholme scored England’s fifth try of the game today - Glyn Kirk/Getty Images

06:25 PM GMT

Steve Borthwick speaking post-match

“It is important to acknowledge how brilliant the supporters have been. The players wanted to deliver and they did so in a positive manner. Some of the tries were exceptional and you can see the identity growing.

“We need to move forward really quickly, the overriding emotion is frustration after the autumn but we have to reflect on some of the attacking play as some of the tries today were outstanding.

“This coaching team and I feel very positive about going forward, we made some changes and I feel we have done well in a short space of time. We are disappointed with some of the results but we are moving in the right direction. The average age (of the team) is 25, we have come close on a number of occasions, and I sense the players are wanting to convert that.

“I thoroughly enjoy it (coaching the team), it is a privilege to coach the England team. Year two has been building a new team, with a new profile of player, and a new way of playing. We always want more and we will push on in the new year.”

06:20 PM GMT

More of your views

  • Sam Bates: “Finally Fin Smith has had some game time. Nice to see him getting the ball out wide quickly allowing good finishers like Roebuck to have a good run in. Just imagine if we had a fit Feyi Waboso starting and with that space.”

  • Geoff Anderson: “England A looking enterprising it would have been a much more productive game for those players to have played!”

  • David Taylor: “I know it was late in the game but it was a breath of fresh air when Fin Smith came on.”

  • Ace Williams: “Japan will take more away from that game than England will.”

06:15 PM GMT

Some of the best bits from the final half of England’s 2024

06:13 PM GMT

Autumn player ratings

Our deputy rugby union correspondent Daniel Schofield has had his say on how the England players have fared across the Autumn Nations Series.

06:10 PM GMT

Your reaction

  • Ben Francis: “A game we should have won…woohoo. There were still errors that a half decent side would have slaughtered us for. Still look bang average. What is slade still doing in the squad? He won’t be in the next WC? Pointless.”

  • It will end in tiers: “Perfect game to start Finn Smith at 10 and see some new faces which would have made it a tighter contest potentially. We learnt nothing.”

  • Paul Brooks: “That is literally the worst possible autumn series, the worst of all worlds: We didn’t win any of the big games. We didn’t learn about new players. They can hide behind the Japan victory, so we won’t get rid of Borthwick.”

  • Jerry Markham: “Not sure this lets Borthwick off the hook, tbh. Our Defence is pourous. As has been shown by everybody Eng have played this series. Even a very under powered Japan cut through twice. Some great play to be sure but Ireland next….”

  • Daniel Rone: “Borewick is still on borrowed time. This game simply papered over the cracks. I hope that the 6 nations results show that he isn’t the man to lead England going forward and the RFU grow a backbone and dismiss him.”

Keep your views coming in at the bottom of the blog.

06:07 PM GMT

Japanese pay their respects

Japan's players pay their respects after the match
A heavy defeat for Eddie Jones’ side at Twickenham - Toby Melville/Reuters

06:01 PM GMT

Marcus Smith speaking to TNT

05:57 PM GMT

The thoughts of the player of the match Ollie Sleightholme

05:55 PM GMT

This weekend’s Autumn Nations fixtures

Friday:

France 37-23 Argentina

Saturday:

Ireland 52-17 Fiji

Wales 12-45 South Africa

Italy 11-29 New Zealand

Today:

Scotland 27-13 Australia

England 59-14 Japan

05:53 PM GMT

Full-time

That is it at Twickenham and England comprehensively beat Japan 59-14. An expected result but a result nonetheless that they really needed after five straight defeats. Steve Borthwick defeats his predecessor, Eddie Jones. That rounds off 2024 for England. Next up for them is a trip to Dublin to take on Ireland in the first game of the 2025 Six Nations at the start of February.

05:51 PM GMT

79 mins: England 59 Japan 14

The lineout from Cowan-Dickie is not straight so a let-off for Japan.

05:50 PM GMT

78 mins: England 59 Japan 14

Japan change their bind in the maul and England have the penalty. To the corner they go with under two minutes left...

05:50 PM GMT

77 mins: England 59 Japan 14

England have a lineout inside the Japan 22. After a few phases, F Smith puts a little grubber through but Japan gather and clear, but only to the edge of their own 22.

05:44 PM GMT

73 mins: England 59 Japan 14

Japan make a mess of the lineout and knock on.

England win the penalty from the subsequent scrum.

05:43 PM GMT

72 mins: England 59 Japan 14

England concede a penalty and Japan kick to the corner. England do well to hold up and disrupt the maul but Japan get it out. They then win a penalty as England are caught offside.

05:41 PM GMT

TRY! Roebuck scores first England try

Another quality try and F Smith and Roebuck combine again. The Northampton fly-half picks out the Sale winger with a delicate crossfield kick. Roebuck hands off his defender and cuts back inside to beat the final defender to go over under the posts. Really quality assist from F Smith and Roebuck finishes with aplomb. An easy conversion follows for M Smith.

A distinct Northampton Saints feel to this final quarter. Following Furbank’s try, Fin Smith is making an impressive impact at fly-half with Marcus Smith having dropped to full-back. Tom Roebuck is enjoying a fine cameo too.

05:37 PM GMT

TRY! Cowan-Dickie doubles up

Straight from the set-piece, after a couple of passes around the back, F Smith throws a delightful pass out to Roebuck, who sprints towards the line. He cuts inside and is brought down just short of the line. Not many phases later though Cowan-Dickie powers over for his second try in quick succession, which brings up the England 50. The conversion is good.

05:34 PM GMT

TRY! Japan score neat second

That is a quality try from the visistors. Tatafu finds Osada with a cute offload and Japan are into the England 22. They recycle it quickly and another couple of quality offloads allows Himeno to go over untouched. The conversion is successful.

05:31 PM GMT

61 mins: England 45 Japan 7

Slade’s day is done as Roebuck comes on. That will probably see Freeman move inside from the wing into outside centre with Roebuck coming onto the wing.

05:30 PM GMT

TRY! Cowan-Dickie powers over

England win the lineout and set the maul but it breaks down as Japan sack it illegally. Cowan-Dickie breaks out and bursts through a few defenders to reach out to the line and score. He showed terrific strength to power through. M Smith’s conversion hits the post and is no good.

Luke Cowan-Dickie reaches out to score
Cowan-Dickie on the scoresheet - Adrian Dennis/Getty Images

05:29 PM GMT

58 mins: England 40 Japan 7

Japan are caught offside and England have a penalty not far outside the Japan 22. Loosehead prop Okabe is the guilty man. England go to the corner.

05:26 PM GMT

55 mins: England 40 Japan 7

A special moment for young Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who is on for his England debut. The 20-year-old is a special, special talent and replaces Stuart at tighthead prop. F Smith is also on, with Furbank the man to be replaced. M Smith has gone to fullback and F Smith has slotted in at fly-half.

05:24 PM GMT

TRY! Furbank scores after stunning Freeman offload

That is brilliant from Freeman. A Japanese lineout is overthrown and Cowan-Dickie gets his hands on it. He passes out to Slade, who puts the kick through. Freeman gets on the end of it and, before he goes into touch, he flicks an offload out of the back to find his Northampton teammate Furbank who goes over untouched. Fantastic from Freeman. Smith cannot get the conversion.

England have lost their way in this third quarter, even conceding a scrum penalty. It is their defence however that is letting Japan into the game, with the visitors twice making ground on the edge again. At least a moment of brilliance by Tommy Freeman by which his back flip pass to his Northampton team-mate George Furbank results in another try.

05:19 PM GMT

50 mins: England 35 Japan 7

England have been dominant in the scrum today but this time it is Japan who win the penalty at the scrum. Japan kick into the England 22.

They go through a number of phases inside the England 22 but a loose chip over the top is caught by Furbank, who calls for the mark and clears.

05:17 PM GMT

48 mins: England 35 Japan 7

Double change for England as van Poortvliet and George come off for Randall and Cowan-Dickie.

05:16 PM GMT

47 mins: England 35 Japan 7

Japan work it well out wide and Osada has space out wide on the right to sprint into the England half. However they knock on. Against an opponent like Japan they will not be punished as much as they should be but England’s defence is having issues; a feature of this Autumn. Do England need to change their ways defensively because it is not working?

05:12 PM GMT

44 mins: England 35 Japan 7

Japan make good ground into the England 22 and have another penalty, around 10 metres out from the England line. They go to the corner.

Itoje steals it at the lineout and England clear.

05:11 PM GMT

42 mins: England 35 Japan 7

A very sloppy start to the second half from England as they compound errors and now concede a penalty on the edge of their own 22. Japan take it quickly and kick through towards the England line, where they nearly gather it but Smith does enough to put them off. T Curry slides onto the ball and England do a really good job to clear their lines and exit their 22.

05:08 PM GMT

Second half

We are back under way at Twickenham. Japan have made two changes at the break and both are in the front-row; Matsuoka is on at hooker and Tamefusa is on at tighthead prop.

05:07 PM GMT

HT verdict

It has not been pretty, but England are in complete control and at least have shown their ruthless instinct by persisting with exploiting Japan’s set piece inferiority. Four tries by the forwards underscores this, with three (Sam Underhill and two by Jamie George) coming from line-out pmaul’s while Ben Earl’s score came from a line-out strike move that did not come off against Australia but worked beautifully today. It is the game plan that England have attempted to impose all autumn but are able to execute with much greater ease because of the quality of the opposition. The one frustration is the blitz defence, that continues to malfunction too often. Naoto Saito’s try was a system break down but also, alarmingly, there does not appear to be a voice directing the forwards to their positions, with too many out of the game on the narrow side of the ruck in the build-up to the try. It is impossible to imagine Owen Farrell allowing that to happen.

05:02 PM GMT

Underhill injured

Sam Underhill helped off the field after picking up an injury
The Bath back-row picked up the injury scoring England’s second try - David Davies/PA

04:58 PM GMT

This weekend’s Autumn Nations fixtures

Friday:

France 37-23 Argentina

Saturday:

Ireland 52-17 Fiji

Wales 12-45 South Africa

Italy 11-29 New Zealand

Today:

Scotland 27-13 Australia

England 35-7 Japan (HT)

04:53 PM GMT

Half-time

That is it for the first half and England have a commanding 35-7 lead at the break.

04:52 PM GMT

39 mins: England 35 Japan 7

The chance is gone for Japan as Makisi is penalised for a neck roll on Stuart.

04:51 PM GMT

38 mins: England 35 Japan 7

That is a real coach-killer for England. Just after they score a try, they concede a penalty. Japan have a lineout inside the England 22 with just under two minutes remaining.

04:50 PM GMT

TRY! Sleightholme finishes off neat England move

England hit back immediately. Lawrence beats a few defenders and offloads to Stuart. The Bath tighthead flings a long pass out wide to Cunningham-South, who then offloads to Sleightholme. He puts a cute little grubber through and gets on the end of it to score in the corner. Smith gets the conversion from out wide.

04:47 PM GMT

TRY! Saito hits back for visitors

Japan have barely had the ball in this first half but they have cut England apart there. From their own half, they send it through the backs to the right and a neat dummy from Riley sends the visitors racing through towards the England 22. It is a simple two-on-one to execute and they do so as Riley passes inside to Saito, who goes over. Saito converts his own try. England’s defence was a mess there but fair play to Japan.

England simply can’t keep persisting with this blitz defence at all costs. It is without nuance or ability to react to what is in front of them. The risk continues to vastly outweigh the reward. The first time Japan get to the edge, a dummy by Dylan Riley allowed him to easily evade George Furbank after Henry Slade had shot up inside him. Without any adequate scramble, Naoto Saito raced over for a try that was easy on the eye, but a nightmare for England’s defence coach Joe El-Abd.

04:44 PM GMT

TRY! George doubles up

England score yet again from the rolling maul! The lineout is won and the maul is set. England have to remain patient but eventually they get it going and George cannot be stopped. The England captain has his second try of the game. Smith’s conversion is good and England are not far off averaging a point a minute.

04:43 PM GMT

30 mins: England 21 Japan 0

Japan have the scrum after the knock-on but they are shunted back and England win the penalty just five metres from the Japan line. Smith goes to the corner...

04:42 PM GMT

29 mins: England 21 Japan 0

Freeman thinks he is over in the corner and the try is awarded but, after the conversion is taken, the TMO steps in which he is allowed to do before the game restarts. van Poortvliet is found to have knocked on at the base of the ruck before it was shipped out to Freeman on the wing so the try is chalked off.

04:38 PM GMT

27 mins: England 21 Japan 0

England’s scrum dominates and they win a penalty on halfway. England, to be expected, are in total control of this match. Smith finds touch inside the Japanese 22.

04:34 PM GMT

TRY! George rumbles over

England win the lineout, set the maul and there is no denying England and their captain there. George goes over for England’s third try inside the opening 25 minutes. Smith tucks his conversion over and England lead 21-0; a commanding lead already.

Brawn not brains has given England control. Two tries in succession from line-out mauls, by Sam Underhill and Jamie George, has taken the game away from Japan. The blustery conditions are challenging, but with this comfortable platform, the Twickenham faithful will expect to be entertained with some more expansive play.

04:34 PM GMT

22 mins: England 14 Japan 0

T Curry is taken out off the ball and England have the penalty near the Japan 10-metre line on the left-hand side. They go to the corner and it is a great kick from Smith. His kicks to touch last week against South Africa were not great but that was superb. Five-metre lineout to come....

04:28 PM GMT

17 mins: England 14 Japan 0

England have another penalty advantage and they keep the attack going. After a bruising, powerful carry from Lawrence, England ship it wide to the right to Freeman, who kicks ahead and it rolls into touch around 10 metres from the Japan line so it is advantage over.

Ollie Lawrence carries the ball forward
Powerful burst from Lawrence - Toby Melville/Reuters

04:26 PM GMT

TRY! Underhill powers over

England have a penalty advantage but they do not need it. Underhill powers through a few tackles from a few metres out and cannot be stopped. He is slow to get back to his feet and is now receiving medical attention. Smith lands the conversion and England are already in control.

Underhill cannot continue and he is replaced by Cunningham-South.

04:24 PM GMT

12 mins: England 7 Japan 0

England get into the Japan 22 and van Poortvliet makes a break. His offload tries to find Stuart but ends up in the hands of George, who is brought down just a few metres shy of the line. England send it down the blindside but Japan intercept. The visitors were offside though so England have the penalty, which they send into the corner.

04:20 PM GMT

TRY! Earl under the posts

England’s first entry into the Japan 22 with ball in hand results in a try. They already have a penalty advantage from the lineout and ship it into the backs. A neat offload from Smith sends Lawrence through a gap and he passes to his left to find Earl, who cannot be stopped and goes over under the posts. It is the easiest of conversions for Smith and England lead 7-0.

After a clunky opening by England, they draw first blood with a well-worked strike play from a line-out. Henry Slade stepped into first receiver, with Marcus Smith out the back and a great line by Ollie Lawrence puts Ben Earl over. This Japanese defence looks porous when England take the ball to the line. Time to be bold.

04:19 PM GMT

8 mins: England 0 Japan 0

Slade puts in a neat kick in behind from halfway into the Japan 22. The visitors are under pressure but do just enough to clear their lines but England will still have the lineout just outside the visitors’ 22.

04:17 PM GMT

6 mins: England 0 Japan 0

An early concern for England here as van Poortvliet is limping around inside the opening 10 minutes. He already has strapping on his leg going into the game. He has been receiving treatment but he is back up and will at least attempt to continue for the time being.

04:15 PM GMT

4 mins: England 0 Japan 0

Scrum-half Saito drags his kick wide of the left post and Japan spurn their first shot at points.

04:14 PM GMT

3 mins: England 0 Japan 0

First scrum of the match on halfway after England kicked it just dead. It results in a free-kick which Japan take quickly. They earn a penalty near the England 10-metre line as Earl is punished for not rolling away correctly and promptly enough. The visitors point to the posts for a chance to get the first points of the match...

04:10 PM GMT

Kick-off

We are under way at a wet and windy Twickenham.

04:04 PM GMT

Anthem time

Both sides emerge from the tunnel at Twickenham and it is time for the national anthems.

“Kimigayo” followed by “God Save The King”.

Still no sign of Eddie Jones doing any media this week, with Neal Hatley doing the pre-match interview on TNT Sports. But Jones, who missed his press conference on Friday with an ‘illness’, has been out in the middle of the Japan warm-up.

04:03 PM GMT

Steve Borthwick speaking to TNT

“Today we want to put in an 80-minute performance for our supporters. There have been big positives over the last few weeks and the identity is building but ultimately we have not finished games off and today we want the complete performance.

“You have to consider all the things you are doing well. The team are getting into good positions to win games but then it is about finishing them off. We are trying to play with ball speed but we want to couple that with a ruthless edge.

“You see today we have another new cap into the fold [Asher Opoku-Fordjour], a couple of changes in the team and a back-row with speed and athleticism.

“I am sure Japan will be a really well-coached team. Each time we have played Japan in the last few years, we have seen a lot of kicking and attacking down our short side.”

03:59 PM GMT

All you need to know about Japan

After a 64-19 thrashing at the hands of New Zealand, Japan began their autumn schedule with another heavy loss to France, going down 52-12. They arrested that slide last weekend, though, ousting Uruguay 36-20. Eddie Jones has made five changes to the team that delivered that result, and some are significant ones. Warner Dearns, an exceptionally athletic lock, is ruled out of the England encounter after a red card against Uruguay.

Because of that suspension, Jones has assembled a second-row partnership of Sanaila Waqa and Epineri Uluiviti, who boast a total of 14 caps between them. Nicholas McCurran, predominantly a centre over his short Test career to date, is trusted at fly-half as Takuro Matsunaga shifts to full-back for a second cap.

Among the more familiar names in the line-up are Kazuki Himeno, who is deployed at blindside flanker as Faulua Makisi anchors the base of Japan’s scrum. Dylan Riley at outside centre has proven himself to be a balanced and threatening runner. Tomoki Osada and Jone Naikabula, the starting wings, both featured against England at last year’s World Cup.

Noato Saito, now Antoine Dupont’s understudy at Toulouse, captains the team from scrum-half. He scored on his last visit to Twickenham in 2022, which turned out to be Jones’ last victory as head coach of England.

Japan will field a six-two split on their bench, bolstered by a pair of back-rowers in Tevita Tatfu and Ben Gunter. Shinobu Fujiwara, the replacement scrum-half, produced a feisty and action-packed cameo on his debut when England visited Tokyo at the end of June.

03:57 PM GMT

Weather update

It’s so windy inside Twickenham that this writer’s accreditation pass has just been blown away. RFU, if you’re reading this, please don’t kick me out.

03:55 PM GMT

Reminder of the team news

England starting XV: Furbank; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Curry, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Isiekwe, Cunningham-South, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck.

Japan starting XV: Matsunaga; Osada, Riley, Fifita, Naikabula; McCurran, Saito; Okabe, Lee, Takeuchi, Waqa, Uluiviti, Shimokawa, Himeno, Makisi.

Replacements: Matsuoka, Morikawa, Tamefusa, Akiyama, Tatafu, Gunter, Fujiwara, Kajimura.

03:49 PM GMT

A man under pressure?

England head coach Steve Borthwick during the warm-ups
How Steve Borthwick could do with a win today - Glyn Kirk/Getty Images

03:44 PM GMT

Look who’s back!

Japan head coach Eddie Jones walks out at Twickenham
The reunion with Eddie Jones - Adrian Dennis/Getty Images

03:38 PM GMT

‘Without Borthwick, the Eddie Jones years would have fallen apart’

To determine the sliding-doors moment for both Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick, you have to go back to the weeks immediately following South Africa’s victory over England in the World Cup final in Paris in 2007.

Jones had been recognised as a key component of the Springboks triumph for his work as technical adviser alongside head coach Jake White. In the aftermath, the Australian found himself back in England, working as a coaching consultant with Saracens. One of his first tasks to assist the Premiership club’s head coach Alan Gaffney was to head up player recruitment.

Gavin Mairs has his say on the importance of Borthwick to Jones.

03:32 PM GMT

All over at Murrayfield

It has just finished and Scotland, in their final game of 2024, have beaten Australia 27-13. You can follow all the reaction to that match with our dedicated live blog.

03:30 PM GMT

In defence of Eddie Jones – he pushed England to a better place

Shortly after Eddie Jones had been appointed as England coach, in the wake of us being knocked out of the 2015 World Cup, I was playing at Twickenham for Gloucester against Harlequins when I blew my knee out badly, damaging my cruciate ligaments. I was going to be out for 10 months.

What I could not believe was how Eddie kept in touch with me throughout that period. That was hugely motivating, him giving me the time of day when I was not going to be available for the best part of the year. He obviously had a plan for me and was incredible during that time.

Former England winger Jonny May played plenty of times under Eddie Jones and he has been giving his views on the Jones England years.

03:21 PM GMT

Meanwhile at Murrayfield

Scotland are cruising to victory against Australia, leading 27-6 with just over five minutes left. You can follow the closing stages from Murrayfield with our dedicated live blog.

03:20 PM GMT

Get your fix

03:18 PM GMT

Reasons Marcus Smith has not locked down the England 10 shirt yet

It sums up the perplexing nature of England’s autumn that perhaps their biggest plus from the past month could well turn into a headache that will stew over the festive period until the Six Nations arrives.

Marcus Smith has conjured dazzling moments throughout November, appearing at times to be carrying the team from fly-half. Equally, there is a valid – yet horribly awkward – question mark over his ability to facilitate others.

Our senior rugby writer Charlie Morgan has more on why the Harlequins fly-half is yet to nail down the number 10 jersey.

Marcus Smith warming up before the match
Marcus Smith starts at 10 again for England today - David Davies/PA

03:12 PM GMT

Telegraph Rugby Podcast

Go beyond the back pages and join the Telegraph’s rugby experts and big name guests as they tackle the game’s most interesting trends, themes and talking points. Our unrivalled rugby coverage, now available on the move! New episodes out Mondays.

03:08 PM GMT

This weekend’s Autumn Nations fixtures

Friday:

France 37-23 Argentina

Saturday:

Ireland 52-17 Fiji

Wales 12-45 South Africa

Italy 11-29 New Zealand

Today:

Scotland 17-6 Australia (62’)

England vs Japan 4.10pm

03:06 PM GMT

‘England’s players want Steve Borthwick to stay? Prove it’

What sort of England team will turn up against Japan? Steve Borthwick could not have been more emphatic in his selection, at least. In making just two changes to the side to face Eddie Jones’s team, with the return of senior players George Furbank and Tom Curry to the starting XV, the England head coach has given a ringing endorsement of the squad who somehow find themselves searching for a first win in six Tests.

This was never going to be an autumn of experimentation for Borthwick. The England head coach had already made his transitional moves at the start of the year, post-World Cup. When Asher Opoku-Fordjour makes his eagerly awaited debut from the bench, the 20-year-old Sale Sharks prop will be the ninth debutant of the year under Borthwick. With a promising showing he is expected to be in strong contention for a place in the match-day squad for the Six Nations.

For more from our chief rugby union correspondent Gavin Mairs, click here.

England head coach Steve Borthwick looks on ahead of the match
England are in desperate need of a win today - David Davies/PA

03:01 PM GMT

‘Eddie Jones is a bully and too many people accepted it’

“Very few players dispute Jones’ coaching ability. The debate is whether the ends justified the means. Danny Care, by way of his autobiography, was the first senior English player to articulate what multiple sources had claimed for years: that Jones fostered a toxic environment in which individuals were routinely humiliated in public. “It was like living in a dictatorship,” Care writes. “Remember what it felt like when someone was being bullied at school and you were just glad it wasn’t you? That was the vibe.”

Our deputy rugby union correspondent Daniel Schofield has the full story ahead of Eddie’s return to Twickenham to face England.

02:57 PM GMT

Hosts at HQ

02:53 PM GMT

Team news

England make two changes to their starting XV from their defeat to South Africa last weekend. Tom Curry returns from concussion in the back-row and George Furbank replaces Freddie Steward at full-back. There is set to be a debut off the bench for 20-year-old Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour whilst Fin Smith replaces George Ford on the bench.

England starting XV: Furbank; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Curry, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Isiekwe, Cunningham-South, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck.

Japan starting XV: Matsunaga; Osada, Riley, Fifita, Naikabula; McCurran, Saito; Okabe, Harada, Takeuchi, Waqa, Uluiviti, Shimokawa, Himeno, Makisi.

Replacements: Lee, Morikawa, Tamefusa, Akiyama, Tatafu, Gunter, Fujiwara, Kajimura.

02:42 PM GMT

England desperate for a win

Eddie Jones is back at Twickenham! His Japan side take on an England team in desperate need of a victory. Steve Borthwick’s men are looking to end a fairly dismal Autumn Nations Series campaign on a high at Twickenham this afternoon. They have lost three straight games this month, which makes it five consecutive defeats dating back to the summer, and are hoping to end that losing streak today. Their Autumn campaign began with a narrow defeat to New Zealand before losing at the death to Australia. They then fell to back-to-back world champions South Africa last weekend and England are in desperate need of a good win today.

It is going to be a special day for Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour as the 20-year-old is set to make his debut off the bench today. England head coach Borthwick is very excited to see Opoku-Fordjour, who can operate on both sides of the scrum, make his England debut today.

“I think the value of having a prop, with the ability to switch sides… you look at some other nations, and you look at the likes of Thomas du Toit, his ability to play on both sides of the scrum,” Borthwick said.

Asher Opoku-Fordjour during training at Twickenham
An England debut today for Asher Opoku-Fordjour - Cat Goryn/Reuters

“That’s enormously valuable, especially when you start picking squads for the major tournament. You end up having different assets and different amounts of flexibility. I’m delighted that he [Opoku-Fordjour] played for the A team last week, having trained with us for several days – and he was able to play at loosehead there.

“He’s been playing at tight-head for Sale, and it’s clear most of the senior rugby has been played at tighthead, and he’s done really well. When I speak to Joe Marler and Dan Cole, and talk about some of the best props around, they give me a recommendation of Asher.

“They say, this guy’s a really good scrummager. You start going, ‘right, there’s something in this player’. He’s a guy who comes with great recommendations from experienced Test players.”

Today marks Jones’ first game against England at Twickenham since his sacking as the England head coach in late 2022. He did coach the Barbarians against Fiji on this ground earlier this year. Since being sacked by England, he was in charge of Australia as they were dumped out of the World Cup in the group stages and then left that job to take over as Japan’s head coach.

Japan head coach Eddie Jones during a training session at Twickenham
Guess who is back? - Yui Mok/PA

It has not been a particularly successful few months for Japan. After losing to Fiji in the Pacific Nations Cup final back in September, they were heavily beaten at home by New Zealand before falling to another big defeat at the hands of France. They did beat Uruguay 36-20 eight days ago.

The omens are on England’s side today; they have won all 10 previous meetings with Japan, including a 52-17 win in Tokyo back in June. They also met at the World Cup last year, with England running out 34-12 winners during the group stages.

Kick-off is at 4.10pm.