Japan vs England 22nd June 2024

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England

15. George Furbank
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
13. Henry Slade - vice-captain
12. Ollie Lawrence
11. Tommy Freeman
10. Marcus Smith
9. Alex Mitchell

1. Bevan Rodd
2. Jamie George - captain
3. Dan Cole
4. Maro Itoje - vice-captain
5. George Martin
6. Chandler Cunningham-South
7. Sam Underhill
8. Ben Earl - vice-captain

Replacements
16. Theo Dan
17. Joe Marler - vice-captain
18. Will Stuart
19. Charlie Ewels
20. Tom Curry
21. Harry Randall
22. Fin Smith
23. Tom Roebuck

Japan

15. Yoshitaka Yazaki
14. Jone Naikabula
13. Dylan Riley
12. Tomoki Osada
11. Koga Nezuka
10. Lee Seung-sin
9. Naoto Saito

1. Takayoshi Mohara
2. Mamoru Harada
3. Shuhei Takeuchi
4. Sanaila Waqa
5. Warner Dearns
6. Michael Leitch
7. Tiennan Costley
8. Faulua Makisi

Replacements
Atsushi Sakate
Shogo Miura
Keijiro Tamefusa
Amanaki Saumaki
Kai Yamamoto
Shinobu Fujiwara
Rikiya Matsuda
Samisoni Tua

It's a young and inexperienced Japan team. Prop Mohara, hooker Harada, Costley the open-side, and Yazaki the full back are four uncapped players in the starting XV. There's been a lot of hype about Yazaki, who is only 20, and still playing university rugby rather than Top League. He has been in national training camps, and did feature for Japan XV in April's World Rugby Pacific Challenge. All the talk ahead of the match is about Japan looking to play fast.

The game is at the Japan National Stadium in the centre of Tokyo. That's where the Rugby World Cup final was due to be held but it wasn't ready in time, so the main matches were switched to Yokohama. That means none of the England players have been to this venue before. It has a capacity of 68,000, or up to 80,000 if they put seating on the running track but they probably won't do that. Tickets are still available, but there should be a big crowd. More than 60,000 turned out when Japan played the All Blacks in 2022 (which NZ only just won, with a score of 31-38).

The rainfront threatening Tokyo came back and dumped on us on Friday. It's officially start of the annual rainy season but it's expected stay dry tomorrow. For all the talk of terrible humidity, the rain has cleared the air a bit, so it might not be as muggy as feared.

Welshmushroom wrote:Do Japan still have Leitch playing?  He must be knocking on 50 at this point?

50?

Dr. Grey wrote:

mountain man wrote:Aside from a few players like Leitch can't say many of the Japan team are familiar. I'm sure Eddie got them good and ready with a few tricks up his sleeve though.

My goodness, I can't believe Leitch is still playing.  He must be about 100 years old.  Seems as if he has been playing forever....

Welshmushroom wrote:Do Japan still have Leitch playing?  He must be knocking on 50 at this point?

Leitch is 35, a few months older than Courtney Lawes.

mountain man wrote:Marcus has had a brilliant first half, really good. What a kick for Slade try.

Anonymous bar giving away the pen for the Japanese 3 points early doors. Came alive after scoring the try from the set piece (hopefully Wigglesworth has a few more of those up his sleeve). The 50/22 was spot on. There's been a couple of stupid goose steps that killed momentum but the pass to IFW was on the money. The kick to Slade was a nice option and just what we needed with the Japan defence narrow.

I'd like him to go through the shapes in attack a bit more in the second half and settle into the attack as it's a bit to all or nothing and more patience would be nice and well needed Vs the ABs. This game is all about Smith settling into running the attacking structure for me. That's how we'll beat NZ.

Anonymous? Rubbish.
He's done everything asked of him. Cannot see what more he could do!

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mountain man wrote:Marcus has had a brilliant first half, really good. What a kick for Slade try.

Anonymous bar giving away the pen for the Japanese 3 points early doors. Came alive after scoring the try from the set piece (hopefully Wigglesworth has a few more of those up his sleeve). The 50/22 was spot on. There's been a couple of stupid goose steps that killed momentum but the pass to IFW was on the money. The kick to Slade was a nice option and just what we needed with the Japan defence narrow.

I'd like him to go through the shapes in attack a bit more in the second half and settle into the attack as it's a bit to all or nothing and more patience would be nice and well needed Vs the ABs. This game is all about Smith settling into running the attacking structure for me. That's how we'll beat NZ.

Absolutely agree about what we want to see in the 2nd half.  Exactly what we need Smith to do.  Hopefully we can see a bit more in this half.

He can only do that if players around him are winning possession and supporting him.
My opinion is Smith has been excellent.
Other opinions may differ.

mountain man wrote:

Welshmushroom wrote:Do Japan still have Leitch playing?  He must be knocking on 50 at this point?

So you're not watching match then.

thought i was - is this the game on rugby pass with england 33-3 up?

Welshmushroom wrote:

mountain man wrote:

Welshmushroom wrote:Do Japan still have Leitch playing?  He must be knocking on 50 at this point?

So you're not watching match then.

thought i was - is this the game on rugby pass with england 33-3 up?

Yes so how come you didn't know Leitch was captain for Japan.
And yes I know you were being sarcastic.

Smith has been excellent. I cant work out on the game if England as a whole have been excellent or Japan a little bit poor. I suspect its a bit of both.

They know they will have to be better in New Zealand but this looks like a nice little training run to blow some cobwebs off before the big tests.

England have taken chances, Japan haven't that's difference so far.
England have settled down and getting into rhythm, Japan mega pace at start hasn't worked.
England been good id say, rather than excellent.

Fair play to Japan though - they have done pretty well defending mauls.

But another try - This could be a big score coming for England.

Yeah I think scoreline flattering England a bit although some well taken tries.
I hope Japan don't totally fall apart as that won't help either side.

Marcus hurt? Looking like he may have hurt his ankle.

Smith been penalised for tackle off ball although it looked like he'd missed a few as well.
I take it all back, he's rubbish

Randall on, see how he goes.

mountain man wrote:Yeah I think scoreline flattering England a bit although some well taken tries.
I hope Japan don't totally fall apart as that won't help either side.

Isn't this something we all moaned about previously...England NOT being efficient and ruthless in the try zone.

I'm not watching the game but sounds like that's what we are now doing. Not in control of the game but get a chance and strike...its what the top teams in the wold do .which bodes well for us

mountain man wrote:Smith been penalised for tackle off ball although it looked like he'd missed a few as well.
I take it all back, he's rubbish

He did start his tackle before the ball got there.

Randall's been a live wire since he came on, as expected. Looks impressive.

Geordie wrote:

mountain man wrote:Yeah I think scoreline flattering England a bit although some well taken tries.
I hope Japan don't totally fall apart as that won't help either side.

Isn't this something we all moaned about previously...England NOT being efficient and ruthless in the try zone.

I'm not watching the game but sounds like that's what we are now doing. Not in control of the game but get a chance and strike...its what the top teams in the wold do  .which bodes well for us  

England are taking all chances pretty much. Japan though really dropping off now though so it's hard to know if it's England efficient or Japan poor. Bit of both I think
However can only play team in front of you and England looking good now after shaky start.

Nice to see Tom Roebuck on the field for his first cap

The maul has been much better since the front row changes.

England giving away some silly penalties, but still defending well.

Fin Smith gets 15 minutes to show what he can do

What were Theo Dan and Fin Smith thinking?

Fin on for Marcus so he gets chance to show what he can do .
I'm happy with how Marcus went, thought he was really good.

Misses a tackle and then doesn’t get across fast enough to prevent a try.

Whoa! That is some skill!

Great one handed take by Chessum, I mean Dearns for Japan try.

England have lost their defensive shape.

Nice pass from F Smith to Roebuck

mountain man wrote:Great one handed take by Chessum, I mean Dearns for Japan try.

Itoje whiffed on this one right at the start of the move.

Yeah, raft of subs on and it's all gone a bit loose.

Dan trying to do too much by himself and Ewels doing Ewels things, for which he might get carded.

He really is a doughnut

Blimey thought he was getting a straight red then as ref had it in hand. Was stupid but yellow I think is right.

The discipline thing is still an England issue

formerly known as Sam wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:I will have to be awake at 1:30 am, my time to see Charlie Ewels?  Def not my idea of a good time...

Thanks for all the background, mate....

That's an odd take when Ewels is a bench option likely to get half an hour at most. Backline talent teaming with Saints talent for you as well.

10 minutes of Ewels is 10 mins too many.  Yellow card for diving into a breakdown.  Dangerous and unintelligent.

Underhill has been good today. Earned his try and I hope he can stay fit for a run in the team.

Who was Ewels selected over?

Seems a waste of a choice...

I said other day, Ewels good club player not Int.
He was stupid to do that and now upgraded to red.

Mr Bounce wrote:Who was Ewels selected over?

Seems a waste of a choice...

Well, it won’t be an issue for the rest of the tour now.

Commentary says there are around 44,000 at the game. That's a similar size crowd as one that watched the Wallabies play Japan a few years ago.

Let's never see him in an England shirt again

Mr Bounce wrote:Who was Ewels selected over?

Seems a waste of a choice...

Ted Hill is one.

Ewels’ last two caps have been an absolute disaster. He’s had red cards after minutes of being on the field!

doctor_grey wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:I will have to be awake at 1:30 am, my time to see Charlie Ewels?  Def not my idea of a good time...

Thanks for all the background, mate....

That's an odd take when Ewels is a bench option likely to get half an hour at most. Backline talent teaming with Saints talent for you as well.

10 minutes of Ewels is 10 mins too many.  Yellow card for diving into a breakdown.  Dangerous and unintelligent.

Yellow upgraded to red. Will England need to bring in extra cover since it is doubtful Ewels would be able to play in NZ?

Randall’s kicking has been poor. Good kick from F Smith and chase from Freeman, though.

Not the crossfield precision from F that M displayed.

Wonder whether Ewels will travel to NZ. Might just be better to go straight home.

Win as most expected, after a shaky first 15 mins England got into shape and played well, certainly 2nd quarter. Marcus I thought was really good. CCS very good.
It all inevitably went a bit disjointed in 2nd half with flood of subs and a couple cards. Ewels, deary me.

Overall, good enough. Don't think NZ be too concerned though to be honest.

doctor_grey wrote:Will England need to bring in extra cover since it is doubtful Ewels would be able to play in NZ?

The usual touring convention is that red carded players can't be replaced.