England have secured their second win at the Rugby World Cup, with a 34-12 bonus point victory over Japan in Pool D. England dropped down a gear from their impressive performance against Argentina, yet did enough to secure the win over the Brave Blossoms.
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A kicking match broke out for the opening 20 minutes, before England scored the first try of the match. Flanker Lewis Ludlam came up with the plaudits, after a fumbled Japan line-out on their own 5m line gifted Steve Borthwick’s men a try after 26 minutes. George Ford and Rikiya Matsuda kicked the difference for their sides, who departed at a 13-9 at the break.
Japan clawed their way to just one point behind, with Matsuda again adding three points from the tee. A tide-turning try soon followed with England captain Courtney Lawes scoring an important try before the hour mark. Freddie Steward’s try took the match out of sight for Japan, with the pats on the back again going to George Ford, after the fly-half’s pinpoint kick to the corner. Joe Marchant secured the bonus point try in the final play in the game, as England press on to round three against Chile.
Here are the five biggest talking points from England’s win over Japan
1. England Take 40 Minutes to Attack with Malice
England attempted to ‘turn the screw’ with a kick to the corner for a penalty to close out the first half, however, the efficiency was not there. A move from the training ground failed to click into place, and Jamie George knocked the ball forward. England lacked any punch in their first half offensive, with 41 carries seeing the Japan line broken just once.
England were later awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time, and after the failed line-out move, Ford took matters back into his own hands, and opted to take the points instead of working a set-piece into a try. An underwhelming first half lacked any fire in the midfield, with England’s ball carriers seemingly accepting the contact, and not hurtling into the collisions as they did against Argentina. After leaving bruises on the Argentines, Manu Tuilagi had a slower run-out against Japan.
England’s efforts drastically improved in the second half, with Courtney Lawes’ try presenting a seismic shift in energy for Steve Borthwick’s side. Ford and Freddie Steward all stepped up in the second half, with Ollie Lawrence adding the extra fire when Tuilagi run out of steam after just three carries. Marcus Smith electrified the tempo with his late introduction, as England saw out the match in style.
