JAPAN (vs England – September 17th, Nice, 20:00 KO)
England and Japan have only met in three international test matches, with England achieving victory in each encounter. The two sides have only clashed once at the Rugby World Cup, with the meeting taking place at the inaugural competition in 1987. Martin Green’s men ran out a resounding win over the Brave Blossoms, for a landslide 60-7 England win during the pool stages.
There was a 31-year wait for the second meeting between the two, when Japan made their Twickenham debut during the 2018 Autumn Internationals. Over 81,000 fans packed themselves in to witness the hosts of the upcoming 2019 Rugby World Cup in action, and Japan provided an early scare by taking an 18-10 lead into half-time.
However, England were able to battle back for a 35-15 win, with former Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones knowing his old side’s upset capabilities all too well. Jones took charge of the Brave Blossoms for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and orchestrated the now immortalised ‘Brighton Miracle’ victory over South Africa.
The third and most recent encounter between England and Japan came in last year’s Autumn Internationals. After an impressive outing against the All Blacks (38-31 defeat), Japan arrived at Twickenham full of fire and ready to make another statement. However, England extinguished the threat, as seven tries established an unobtainable lead, for a 52-13 win.
England and Japan both enter the Rugby World Cup with just one win throughout their Summer campaigns. Both sides suffered defeats to Fiji, with Samoa and Italy also recording wins over Japan. Based on current form, this fixture in match day two could honestly go either way, yet when the quality of players is taken into account, Borthwick’s men have the advantage and should secure a fourth consecutive win over the men from the Far East.
CHILE (vs England – September 23rd, Lille 16:45 KO)
An anomaly in the modern game, there are very few first-time meetings between international opponents. However, the 2023 Rugby World Cup will generate one such encounter, as England take on Chile for the very first time in their respective histories. Los Condores are embarking on their maiden voyage to the Rugby World Cup, after securing qualification with historic victories over Canada and the USA.
The Rugby World Cup debutants have nothing to lose, and such low expectations can often benefit a side’s performance. Chile can through caution to the wind, and bring the exciting and dynamic approach customary to South American nations, such as the aforementioned Argentina or Uruguay.
Any Rugby World Cup newcomer brings an added spark of the unknown to the competition. A fresh face in a crowded sea of international rugby’s biggest stars, Chile are the 22nd ranked side in the World Rugby rankings. They enter their first Rugby World Cup ranked lower than two sides who failed to qualify for the tournament (USA – #18, Spain – #20) .
Chile’s Head Coach is former Uruguay prop Pablo Lemoine, who has previously taken coaching roles with his country, as well as with the German national side. Lemoine’s on-field career saw him represent Bristol, before spending the majority of his career in France with Stade Francais, Montauban and Avenir Valencien.
Chile were last in the World Rugby spotlight, when fly half Rodrigo Fernandez received the award for Men’s Try of the Year. His phenomenal solo try against the United States was crucial in securing Chile their Rugby World Cup spot, and he did so in the most torrential conditions.