Skip to content England vs Japan became a demolition job when Will Joseph scored five tries in a ruthless return to Twickenham. He had not featured in an international match since 2022, but he dominated Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture right from kickoff. Steve Borthwick’s side blew their opponents away in a 78-15 romp that produced 13 tries.
That result sends England into the remainder of their autumn schedule with serious scoring momentum. Steve Borthwick wanted a clinical attacking display from his squad. England delivered, overwhelming Japan with relentless pace and physical power.
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For the visitors, glaring defensive gaps and early discipline trouble wrecked their game plan before the contest could even take shape. England showed no mercy against an opponent that could not match their speed. Every English break led to points, while the visitors spent the match defending desperately inside their own 22.
How England vs Japan became the Will Joseph show
Will Joseph enjoyed a dream return to international rugby, running in five tries to shatter the opposition backline. He opened the scoring in the first minute before striking again on 10 minutes. His direct running exposed spaces that Japan simply failed to cover.
The 2022 debutant was nowhere near finished. His third try arrived on 20 minutes, followed rapidly by his fourth on 25 minutes. That gave Joseph four tries inside the opening 25 minutes of play.
He completed his afternoon with a fifth score in the 56th minute. That individual masterclass headlined an afternoon where England carved through the defensive line at will. The gulf in quality during England vs Japan grew wider with every phase.
Joseph showed remarkable speed on the outside, finishing clinical team passages with total composure. His lethal finishing proved far too much for an outmatched Japanese defensive unit.
Harry Hockings red card triggers 13-try avalanche
Japan’s hopes suffered a fatal blow after just 60 seconds when lock Harry Hockings received a 20-minute red card. Playing a man down so early sapped their energy and opened huge running lanes across the pitch. England pounced immediately, turning territorial dominance into continuous points.
Freddie Steward crossed on 15 minutes, while Ellis Genge powered over the line in the 18th minute. Wing Cadan Murley scored on 29 minutes, before Ben Earl touched down on half-time in the 40th minute. Lock George Martin then kept the momentum going five minutes after the restart.
England’s relentless forward carries created try after try. Ben Curry scored on 64 minutes, Marcus Smith crossed on 68, and Greg Fisilau touched down on 73. Japan replied with tries from Warner Dearns and Opeti Helu, but the visitors were hopelessly outgunned.
Kicking woes linger inside England vs Japan romp
England scored 13 tries, but their accuracy from the kicking tee was shockingly low throughout the contest. George Ford and Henry Slade combined to miss eight conversion kicks across the match. Those eight misses cost England an extra 16 points on the scoreboard.
Ford missed six conversion attempts, though he landed kicks on 15, 19 and 41 minutes. He also slotted an 8th-minute penalty kick during the early exchanges. Slade took over the kicking duties later, converting tries on 57 and 69 minutes while missing two other attempts.
Those missed opportunities meant England finished on 78 points instead of 94. That kicking inaccuracy was the only flaw in England vs Japan for the hosts. Could missed kicks cost England against top southern hemisphere opposition?
What Eddie Jones faced before England meet New Zealand
Eddie Jones endured a miserable Twickenham return as his Japan side collapsed in comprehensive fashion. The former England head coach watched his team fall well short of professional standards in contact and alignment. You could see the frustration on Jones’ face during England vs Japan as his team folded under relentless pressure.
Eddie Jones now faces difficult questions about his squad’s preparation and discipline. Japan must regroup quickly before heading to Murrayfield to face Scotland on Saturday, November 21 at 2:10pm. Shinobu Saito kicked five points on Saturday and will aim for a much tighter effort in Edinburgh.
England host New Zealand next Saturday, November 21 at 2:10pm, in their third Nations Championship Test of the autumn.
Source: Sky Sports
