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Momentum is huge in sport and, after a rare positive week for Steve Borthwick as England head coach, all that matters is the result this weekend. The coaching staff and players will tell us they have had lots of good weeks over the past nine months or so, but the feeling from outside the camp inevitably has an effect on the environment and it’s vital they keep that positivity going.
They are starting from a low base as England look to win back-to-back games for just the second time under Borthwick and continue to rebuild after things fell apart towards the end of the Eddie Jones era, so style can come later as long as they are winning.
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Of course, fans and pundits will be clamouring for England to show more in attack and score more tries after they have managed just eight in total across their last seven games but that is always the last piece of the puzzle and Borthwick won’t be bothered about it at this stage.
Defence and game management were impeccable against Argentina and the team has been tweaked for the specific challenge of Japan, but the bulk of the starting XV has been retained and there is no way anyone will be taking this one lightly.
Japan aren’t the side they once were and didn’t set the world alight against Chile but Borthwick knows quite a few of their players well from his time with them at the 2015 World Cup and will be wary of their ability to pull off a shock.
There may be some ageing legs in there but they are still more dangerous in the loose than they are in the tight, which explains why Kyle Sinckler comes in for Dan Cole in the front row despite the fact the Leicester man did a job on his clubmate Julian Montoya against the Pumas.
That is why Lewis Ludlam gets the nod over Billy Vunipola at number eight as well. Ludlam made an impressive 11 tackles in his quarter of an hour on the pitch last week and is rewarded for that but his selection is more about the fact that mobility over bulk is what is needed against Japan.
The way the game has gone now back rowers are multi-skilled and we will probably see Ben Earl packing down at number eight in attack at times, so the fact that Ludlam has never started there for his country before shouldn’t be an issue.
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Ludlam’s tackle count and England’s energy and work rate in general does suggest that Aled Walters is correct when he said the players were being worked very hard in training during the Summer Nations Series fixtures in order to be physically ready come World Cup time.
That shouldn’t completely excuse the poor performances and results we saw but the head of strength and conditioning has won a World Cup with a Springboks side that was in ridiculous shape, so he does know what he is doing.
There were never likely to be too many team changes for this one with England still needing to build cohesion, not just in attack, and the opposition being one of the two best sides they will face in the pool stages but we are guaranteed to see more ahead of next week.
That Chile game coincides with the return of Owen Farrell from his suspension and you can bet your bottom dollar we will have a week of chat about the possibility of him playing alongside George Ford once more.
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We are unlikely to see it against Chile but if Ford has as good a game against Japan as he did against Argentina, he surely can’t be dropped for the clash with Samoa and the knockout stages.
I suspect we will see Joe Marchant miss out and Manu Tuilagi alongside Ford and Farrell when that time comes but there is a bit of water to go under the bridge before then.
The incredible stat that has Steve Borthwick believing in his blunt England attack. #EnglandRugby #ENGvJPN #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/o79Ry7fiTK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2023
The tries will follow against Chile, and I suspect a few will come late on against Japan, but there is no doubt Borthwick would take a 6-3 win now and move on and I can’t see England’s game plan changing too much.
It might have been the perfect storm last week with a red card after a couple of minutes, but England kicked a massive 93 per cent of their possession away. I’m sure that percentage won’t be quite as high in this one against Japan but it is very much the way under Borthwick.
Ford is the perfect man to put his plan into action, his confidence will be as high as it’s been for a while after last week and, while England still won’t play much rugby in their own half, he has the passing game to exploit the gaps when they do start to appear.
There aren’t many more detailed and diligent coaches than Borthwick and he will have prepared his team for the power and offloading ability of Amato Fakatava, the ball-carrying threat of the returning Kazuki Himeno and the pace and footwork of Kotaro Matsushima, Jone Naikabula and Semisi Masirewa out wide but I don’t think they should be overly worried.
England put 50 points on Japan in the autumn, despite having less possession than their opponents, forcing a few scrum penalties and kicking the ball 37 times in open play. It might have been Jones rather than Borthwick in charge back then but the template is there.
I expect the tries to come and I’m going for an England win by 18 points but this is the World Cup and the victory is all that matters, English fans finally have something to shout about and the players just need to keep the ball rolling.
Blimey Andy you've done more U turns on your critiquing of this England team in the last month than a blind man in a maze.
Perhaps they aren't the only ones lacking consistency!!
Good 2 Bad. It does matter if you want to inspire the next generation, attracting younger people, inspiring them. Win at all costs is why we're in this mess, overspent, over rated and over indulged. Compare the playing and winning bonuses to see which players and teams are playing for more than win bonuses. Other professional sports manage to entertain, inspire and influence. Win at what cost?
I wonder who’ll get the red card today?
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