England host Japan at a sold-out Allianz Stadium

England host Japan this afternoon at Allianz Stadium, which is sold out. Kick-off is at 4.40pm GMT, and The Guardian is running live coverage of the Nations Championship fixture.

The referee is Damián Schneider. He is the official who keeps the game within the laws and decides when play stops for a penalty or a free kick.

England have made 10 changes from the side that scored 45 points against Australia the previous weekend. It is a heavily reshaped team, and plenty of players will be keen to make their case for a place.

Maro Itoje captains England and will be a key figure in the forwards, the big players who fight for possession. Freddie Steward is at full-back, the last player between the opposition and the try line. George Ford starts at fly-half, the playmaker who directs the attack and chooses when to kick for territory.

Japan arrive after a 28-21 defeat in Wales. Naoto Saito and Warner Dearns share the captaincy, and Harry Hockings is among the forwards in their starting line-up.

Much of the early contest will come from the set pieces. These are the organised restarts: the scrum, where the two packs lock together and push, and the lineout, where the ball is thrown back in from touch and players lift their teammates to catch it. Winning these gives a team a platform to attack.

When a tackle brings a player to the ground, the fight for the ball that follows is called a ruck. Teams that win it quickly can keep the ball moving, while those that lose it often find themselves defending.

For England, this is a chance to test a new combination against a Japan side that has just been in a tough match in Wales. For Japan, it is a chance to show what they can do on a big stage in front of a full house. The result will be known by the end of the afternoon.