England’s results this autumn have been underwhelming, with three straight defeats against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The expectation going into November was to beat at least two of those sides. Instead, they are on their worst run of form since 2018 having lost their last five Tests.
While the visit of Japan on Sunday presents the opportunity to snap their losing streak, coach Steve Borthwick will also be looking for an excellent all-round performance from his side, particularly in defence, which has been exposed at times this month.
Eddie Jones’ return to Twickenham adds another layer to the week, with the ex-England boss no doubt keen to cause some headaches for his former team.
Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s clash.
Key details:
When: Sunday, Nov. 24 at 4.10 p.m. UK (3.10 a.m. Monday AEST).
Where: Allianz Stadium Twickenham, London.
How to watch: TNT Sports/ discovery+
Officials: Referee: Craig Evans
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi, Morne Ferreira
Television Match Official: Olly Hodges
Form guide:
England’s poor run of games has been well-documented, and anything other than a convincing win over Japan will add to the grim mood surrounding the team. While there is no shame in losing to South Africa, last week’s loss further exposed their issues on defence and their inability to close out games. Questions remain over whether the blitz defence system suits this England team. The defeat to the Springboks was also riddled with errors and sloppy mistakes.
Jones has had mixed results since returning to the Japan job in December. They have beaten teams they would be expected to such as Canada and the United States, while they’ve also lost heavily to Italy and Fiji, respectively. It’s hard to get a gauge on where this side is at, but no doubt Jones will be pushing them hard to improve, especially this week.
Team news:
England are boosted by the return of back-rower Tom Curry, but Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Elliot Daly are injured. Curry replaces Charlie Ewles, while Cadan Murley has been brought in to replace Daly.
Key questions:
What tricks will Eddie Jones have up his sleeve?
Jones’ tenure as England coach was a rollercoaster. He led them to 14 consecutive wins in 2016 and later to the 2019 World Cup final. He also claimed three Six Nations titles — including the Grand Slam in 2016 — and two series wins in Australia, amongst other successes.
However, the end of his time in England was rocky, with question marks about the culture he created in camp. Regardless, he would surely love nothing more than to throw a spanner in the works and make life difficult for his old side.
His Japan side look up for the challenge, too. You’d be forgiven for thinking they would be content with just making a game of it. Apparently not, if you believe hooker Mamoru Harada. “Only victory will be success this weekend,” he said on Tuesday.
Would a big England win help ease the pressure?
The narrative around this team won’t change with in single Test. An arguably second-string New Zealand side beat Japan 64-19 in October, while England also won 52-17 in Tokyo earlier in the year. It is a match England are expected to ease to victory. England head coach Steve Borthwick will want his side to tidy up the details and show that their combinations — particularly in the backline between Marcus Smith and the midfield of Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence — are starting to gel. While a big win is anticipated, a poor performance could be further damaging for an England side under external pressure.
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