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Northampton’s George Furbank and Tommy Freeman earn their place in the starting XV with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso potroling the wing. Henry Slade in midfield provides experience and Marcus Smith gets the nod at 10.
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It’s a beefy pack with Sam Underhill and Ben Earl uniting in a mobile backrow. Charlie Ewels returns to the squad and is one of four Bath players selected.
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England: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman; M Smith, Mitchell; Rodd, George (c), Cole, Itoje, Martin, Cunningham-Smith, Underhill, Earl.
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Replacements: Dan, Marler, Stuart, Ewels, Curry, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck.
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Your England team to face Japan 🌹
Watch live on RugbyPass TV 📺
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 21, 2024
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It’s “a little bit weird” that England and Eddie Jones are crossing paths so soon after their messy divorce in 2022.
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Oh, those aren’t my words, but the sentiment expressed by England’s captain Jamie George, who went as far as suggesting that some England players would need to double check that they weren’t receiving instructions from the wrong coach’s box.
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He was joking of course, but there’s a strange twist of fate at play here. Jones remains England’s most successful coach in terms of win percentage with 72.8%, substantially more than Steve Borthwick’s record of 57.1%.
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And like an ex that leaves an emotional imprint for life, Jones’ mark on this England team is apparent still. Five of today’s match-day 23 were part of arguably Jones’ most famous win – the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
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It’s a new dawn for both teams and their coaches. Borthwick will be eager to build on the unexpected success of last year’s World Cup by proving that he can add attacking nous to his pragmatic gameplan.
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As for Jones, he’ll want to put the disastrous Australian tenure behind him and Japan will want to raise their game after falling by the wayside over the past eight years.
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It’s a fascinating contest, one dripping with meaning and stacked with narrative. I’m looking forward to it!
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If you have a thought you’d like to share do drop me a mail.
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Kick off at 6:50am BST/2:50pm in Tokyo.
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Important Events
England team
Coach Borthwick will award the players who have performed well domestically and will field a team filled with promising attacking players.
Northampton’s George Furbank and Tommy Freeman are included in the starting 15 with Immanuel Faye-Wabosso manning the wing, while Henry Slade has the experience in midfield, with Marcus Smith occupying the no.10 role.
Sam Underhill and Ben Earl form a mobile back row to form a strong pack, while Charlie Ewels returns to the team and is one of four players selected from Bath.
England: Firbank, Faye Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman, M Smith, Mitchell, Rod, George (c), Cole, Itoje, Martin, Cunningham Smith, Underhill, Earl.
Substitutes: Dunn, Marler, Stewart, Ewels, Currie, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck.
The England team will play against Japan 🌹
Watch live on RugbyPass TV 📺
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 21, 2024
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The England team will play against Japan 🌹
Watch live on RugbyPass TV 📺
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 21, 2024
preamble
Daniel Gallant
It would be “a bit strange” for England and Eddie Jones to reunite so soon after their messy 2022 divorce.
Ah, these are not my words, but sentiments expressed by England captain Jamie George, who went so far as to suggest that some of England’s players needed to double check that they were not taking instructions from the wrong coach’s box.
He was kidding, of course, but there’s a strange twist of fate at work here: in terms of win percentage, Jones is England’s most successful coach with 72.8% of his matches, well ahead of Steve Borthwick’s record of 57.1%.
And like an ex-lover who leaves a lifelong emotional mark, Jones’s mark on the England team remains clear: five of today’s 23 matches came in perhaps Jones’ most famous victory, the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
It’s a new dawn for both teams and their coaching staffs, with Borthwick eager to prove he can add attacking flair to his no-nonsense game plan after their unexpected success at last year’s World Cup.
Jones will be looking to put his disastrous tenure in Australia behind him, while Japan will be looking to bounce back from eight years of decline and improve.
It’s a fascinating contest, full of meaning and packed with stories. I’m looking forward to it!
If you have any thoughts you’d like to share, please send me an email.
Kickoff is at 6:50am BST/2:50pm Tokyo time.
