Skip to content Will Joseph joined English rugby royalty during England vs Japan, grabbing five tries in a ruthless 78-15 demolition at Twickenham. Playing in only his second Test, the 24-year-old Gloucester back matched a national record that had stood untouched by all but four men in history.
The runaway result matters because it reshapes expectations ahead of next weekend’s showdown with New Zealand. After routing Eddie Jones’s side by 13 tries, Steve Borthwick and his squad now carry formidable momentum into the final round of Nations Championship pool fixtures.
Also read: England vs Japan: Will Joseph runs in five tries in rout
England supporters arrived expecting a routine victory, but they witnessed an absolute blitz from the opening whistle. Maro Itoje captained a side that attacked with ruthless speed, piling up 49 points before half-time.
Early red card tilts England vs Japan clash
Any hope of a competitive contest vanished inside the opening 60 seconds. Japan second-row forward Harry Hockings committed a reckless foul that officials upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
England capitalised instantly against the short-handed visitors. Joseph finished a slick move in the first minute, leaving three sprawling defenders grasping at thin air. While Japan tried to reset, the hosts simply turned up the tempo.
Ellis Genge brought the home crowd to its feet with a thunderous first-half charge. The loosehead prop battered through multiple tacklers to cross the whitewash, reinforcing the physical gulf between the sides. Japan coach Eddie Jones cut a grim figure in the coaching box as his game plan unraveled immediately.
How Will Joseph equalled England’s try record
Joseph completed a stunning hat-trick inside the opening 20 minutes of the match. Henry Slade created one with a sharp double-pump pass, while Freddie Steward supplied another with a pinpoint cross-field kick.
His fourth try arrived courtesy of an acrobatic dive into the right corner. Then, early in the second half, Joseph intercepted a loose pass on halfway and sprinted 50 metres untouched for his fifth score. That breakaway try put Joseph alongside Douglas Lambert, Rory Underwood, Josh Lewsey and Henry Arundell as the only men to score five tries in a single Test for England.
England kept scoring even after losing Luke Cowan-Dickie to a second-half sin-binning. Cadan Murley muscled over from close range, while Ben Earl and George Martin each added tries of their own. Japan answered with scores from Warner Dearns and Opeti Helu, but those replies barely registered against the relentless white tide.
Tactical friction behind the England vs Japan scoring spree
Despite the lopsided scoreline, England revealed a few tactical debates on the pitch. When George Ford pointed to the posts for an early penalty, several forwards showed visible frustration. They clearly wanted to kick for the corner and hunt more five-pointers instead.
Ford took the three points anyway, but England soon returned to full-throttle attack. Marcus Smith replaced Ford in the 57th minute and brought instant spark to the backline. Greg Fisilau also made an explosive impact off the bench, smashing through tackles on a direct line to score.
The only real blemish for the hosts was off the kicking tee. Ford and Slade combined to land just 5 conversions from 13 attempts. Had the kickers found their range, England would have sailed past 90 points on the scoreboard.
All Blacks test awaits after England vs Japan romp
Steve Borthwick will know that this one-sided England vs Japan encounter provides limited preparation for the southern hemisphere heavyweights. Japan lost narrowly to Wales just seven days earlier, yet they folded completely under sustained pressure here.
South Africa and New Zealand both suffered weekend setbacks, blowing the Nations Championship pool wide open. With confidence soaring, England can legitimately target a massive scalp next Saturday.
England host the All Blacks at Twickenham on Saturday, November 21, in the decisive clash of their autumn campaign.
Source: Guardian Sport
