Jones says Japan can rattle Twickenham as they chase first win over England
Japan have never beaten England at rugby union, and their coach Eddie Jones believes Saturday at Twickenham could be the day that changes. Japan have lost all six of their previous Test meetings with England, the most recent a 54-19 defeat on their autumn visit two years ago.
Jones knows the opposition well. He was England's head coach until he was sacked in December 2022, after an autumn that ended with a 27-13 home defeat by South Africa. Now he is calling Japan "massive underdogs", meaning the side expected to lose by most people. He says they must disrupt an England team that could be looking ahead to a bigger game.
That bigger game is New Zealand, the All Blacks, on 21 November, a week after the Japan match. England come into Saturday on a high after beating Australia 45-22, but that win followed a run of five successive defeats earlier in the year. Jones suggested England may be distracted by the fixture to come.
Jones also pointed to recent history. Italy beat England for the first time in 33 attempts earlier this year, and Fiji beat them 30-22 in 2023. Both results came under Steve Borthwick, England's current head coach, who previously worked as an assistant to Jones with Japan and then with England. Jones is using those results as a template.
His plan is simple to describe, though hard to carry out. Japan need to cause havoc and chaos, he said, and get the crowd booing. Once that starts, Jones said, "the sky starts to come in on Twickenham". In plain terms, he wants an early mistake or two, a few frustrated home fans, and an England side that starts to panic.
England's game is built on winning the ball at the breakdown, the contest for possession on the ground after a tackle, and on keeping their set-piece, the lineout and scrum, under control. Japan's job is to make that contest messy. If they do, the rest of the match could turn quickly.
For Japan, a win would be a landmark result. For England, it would be a chance to show that the Australia performance was not a one-off before the All Blacks arrive. Saturday will show which of those stories is the stronger one.
