England finally ended their five-game losing streak with a 59-14 win over Eddie Jones’ Japan at the Allianz Stadium, providing a positive conclusion to Steve Borthwick’s disappointing second year.
A 35-7 lead at half-time set the tone for the game thanks to five tries, including two from captain Jamie George, and they did not let up in the second half as Luke Cowan-Dickie crossed the line twice and Japan scored a goal. . The defense collapsed four more times.
Despite the win against the 13th-ranked team in the world, concerns remain about England’s performance this fall.
Previous losses to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have added to the pressure on Borthwick ahead of the Six Nations, with his 2024 record sitting at just five wins from 12 games.
The next challenge is Ireland in Dublin, but the win at least eases the weight of a five-game losing streak, their worst result since 2018.
For Eddie Jones, who was England head coach at the time, returning to Twickenham two years after his dismissal was another difficult experience as the Japanese side were easily overwhelmed.
The scoring came in the ninth minute when Marcus Smith and Henry Slade combined for Ollie Lawrence to blast into space and Ben Earl to collect the scoring pass.
England, wearing their red change kit, made significant strides with each attack. Japan’s concerns grew as Sam Underhill pushed down the line following his side’s strong play.
Unfortunately, Underhill suffered an injury in the process and was unable to play in the match. England continued to gain the upper hand and continued to push back the Japanese defence.
A driving maul saw George score and only a minor knock from scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet prevented Tommy Freeman from increasing the lead. But another score wasn’t far away as George once again delivered through a maul to extend the lead to 28-0.
Despite the bleak outlook, Japan demonstrated their attacking prowess as Naoto Saito exploited a gaping hole in the home midfield to score.
Lawrence produced a superb performance and his dynamic runs combined with Will Stuart’s long pass to allow Ollie Sleightholme to score, signaling a difficult second half for the visitors.
After the break, Japan increased their resolve and forced England to strongly defend their attacks. But when the opportunity came, England took it. A lineout turnover was kicked out to the wing and Freeman executed a brilliant back pass for George Furbank to finish.
Cowan-Dickie, spinning and carrying from short range, scored next. However, Japan proved their mettle as Kazuki Himeno finished off the creative move.
England retaliated with further tries from Cowan-Dickie and Tom Roebuck to secure victory.
