Itoje warns England not to sleepwalk into Japan clash

Maro Itoje has warned England not to "sleepwalk" into their match against Japan at Twickenham on Saturday. To sleepwalk is to drift through a game without full focus, and Itoje wants his side switched on from the first whistle.

The warning comes after a big week for England. They arrive on the back of a record win over Australia the previous week, and The Guardian reports Itoje's concern that a result like that can dull the edge for the next game. England have never lost to Japan, so the head-to-head record is strongly in their favour. Itoje's point is that history does not win matches on the day.

Steve Borthwick has responded with plenty of changes. He has made 10 personnel changes, meaning 10 players are new to the starting side, along with two positional changes, where players move into different roles on the pitch. Rotation of this size is a sign of how much a coach trusts his squad depth, but it also means a new group has to learn quickly how to play together.

Eddie Jones looms large over the occasion. He was England's head coach from 2015 to 2022, and he is still their longest-serving boss. Under him, England won three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam, which means winning all five matches in the annual championship. His side also reached the final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, held in Japan.

Jones has also warned that England do not like "unorthodox" rugby, meaning play that does not follow the usual patterns of attack and defence. Teams that expect a familiar shape can be caught out when an opponent refuses to play that way, and Japan have a reputation for taking risks with the ball.

There is a personal thread too. Jones gave Itoje his England debut in 2016, and he also gave Borthwick his first coaching break with Japan before bringing him into the England set-up as an assistant. Itoje said he expects the Twickenham crowd to welcome Jones warmly, a reminder that the old connections between these men remain strong.

For newcomers, the core story is simple. England are strong favourites on paper, after a famous win and a long unbeaten run against Japan. Itoje's message is that the job is still to play the match in front of them, not the one that might have been.