England demolish Japan in Autumn Nations farewell to end losing streak | Autumn Nations Series

A disappointing calendar year for England at least ended with them scoring tries and looking healthier. But even scoring a ton of points on a blustery Sunday afternoon against a lackluster Japanese team didn't do much to boost overall revenue. Five wins in 12 Tests (four of which came against Japan twice, Italy and Wales) tells the story of a team that looks better against inferior opponents.

At least there was a glimmer of pre-Christmas promise from the burgundy-clad hosts. England hookers Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie each scored back-to-back tries, and Henry Slade had a quietly excellent display in midfield, but New Zealand, Australia and South Africa all struggled to accumulate nearly 80 points. I would have dreamed of

This was rugby's equivalent of shooting carp in a barrel, and nowhere near the level of England's last game in November. The inexperienced Japanese team, save for suspended lock Werner Daens, was completely outclassed and offered little resistance in the first 40 minutes before picking up slightly in the second half. If England could play them every week they would be over the moon.

So much for the fanciful theory that swirling winds just complicate things a bit. Could Storm Eddie hit Twickenham and cause unplanned havoc? The answer was a resounding 'no', so England didn't have to operate in higher than third gear for the first 40 minutes. Ta.

The home side had already scored three tries in the first 23 minutes and would have scored a well-taken try from Tommy Freeman had a small knock-on from Jacques van Poortvliet not been discovered during the build-up. He would have scored a fourth try. It's in the right corner. That didn't matter, as England led in many areas, raising questions about the hosts' safety-first selection policy.

The starting 15, with minimal experimentation, appears to have been chosen on the basis that England cannot afford to lose. As if. Did Tom Curry in particular need to play in this game? Although he was rushed back into action for this game after losing against Australia, there was little to suggest that England's management were on the cautious side when it came to player welfare.

At least it helped to widen George's try balance and the England captain left a hole-in-a-hole impression as he did his best to go for two drive maul scores. On the plus side, the fingertip pass between George Firbank and Slade in the build-up to Ollie Slightholm's clever try three minutes before half-time was excellent and a welcome antidote to the prodigal rugby England has produced this autumn. It has also been used as a medicine. .

Japan's highlights were less impressive, with the exception of a delicious long-range try from influential scrum-half and captain Naoto Saito after Dylan Riley surged forward. There were echoes of England's recent porous defensive effort, but it was a temporary slump as the Brave Blossoms had little quick ball to play with.

By the interval it was already 35-7 and thanks to some smart kicking and chasing from Slightholm, they had equaled the number of tries their father John had scored for England in a fortnight. There are tougher tests ahead, but Northampton's left winger seems to have the predatory instincts of a modern-day Rory Underwood, which is really appreciated.

It would have been nice to see what some of the other new players could achieve, but the crowd could at least keep an eye on Sale's 20-year-old prop Asher Opoku-Forjour. He had 25 minutes left to score. impression. Big and strong, he has all the raw materials to make a big impact over the next decade.

England's true skill was also on display from time to time, most notably in the build-up to the sixth try, when Slade's deft kick into the right corner was deflected brilliantly by Freeman onto his back and club colleague George Farr. Bank scored.

With Finn Smith replacing partner Harry Randall at half-back and Marcus Smith shifting to full-back, the hope is that England will step on the gas late in the game to a level they have previously struggled to achieve. It was done. A rampaging Cowan-Dickie scored England's seventh try just before the end, but it was Japan who scored next, with Kazuki Himeno cutting through the home midfield with too much ease.

However, Cowan Dickie was not finished yet and once again proved unstoppable from close range before a fine step from Tom Roebuck caused further damage. Finally, here was an example of England's bench making a difference, but like almost everything else, it felt strictly relative.