Will Joseph Scores Five Tries as England Rout Japan 78-15

Will Joseph scored five tries as England defeated Japan 78-15 in Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture at Twickenham, marking his first international appearance since 2022.

Eddie Jones Faces Pressure After Heavy Defeat

• Eddie Jones faces mounting pressure regarding Japan’s depth chart and professional standards following another heavy defeat.

A Record-Breaking Return at Twickenham

Will Joseph claimed a record-equalling five tries in only his second Test appearance, joining Douglas Lambert in 1907, Rory Underwood in 1989, Josh Lewsey in 2003, and Henry Arundell in 2023 as the only England players to achieve the feat in a single international match, as reported by The Irish Times.

The player had to wait four years to play for England since his first appearance, making his debut under Eddie Jones in 2022. The victory also saw Joseph join his brother Jonathan in the record books as the only siblings to score hat-tricks for England.

The contest effectively ended as a competitive spectacle inside the opening two minutes when Japan lock Harry Hockings received a yellow card for a high tackle on Ellis Genge, which was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card by the foul play bunker. England capitalised immediately, running in seven tries before the interval to establish a commanding 49-7 half-time lead.

Ready for Japan 🇯🇵 🌹 Cadan Murley starts on the wing for England this Saturday at Allianz Stadium. Marcus Smith ready to make an impact from the bench. 🌍 International Team News Delivered By @DHLRugbyUK #COYQ pic.twitter.com/bXoPAhW1OC

— Post by @Harlequins on X

Match Metric	England	Japan
Final Score	78	15
Tries Scored	13	2
Conversions Made	5	1
Penalties Scored	1	1

England Dominates Territory and Possession to Secure Victory

Steve Borthwick’s side maintained a suffocating grip on territory and possession, adding further tries after the break through George Martin, Ben Curry, Marcus Smith, and replacement Greg Fisilau. Japan responded with scores from lock Warner Dearns and replacement prop Opeti Helu, but the visitors fell well short as the gulf between the established tier-one nations and the Brave Blossoms was laid bare, The Guardian reported.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, England left a significant number of points on the turf through the boot, missing eight conversions as George Ford converted three and missed six, while Henry Slade landed two from four attempts.

The victory surpassed England’s previous highest score against Japan, though The Irish Times said that questions lingered among the forward pack regarding tactical choices, notably when captain Maro Itoje’s side opted for an early penalty kick at goal rather than pressing for a scrum.

Catch up on all the highlights from a dominant 13-try performance against Japan. 🍿 Watch now! 👉 https://t.co/QLfOlBXZHo pic.twitter.com/GPOiEOsHKx

— Post by @EnglandRugby on X

Looking Ahead to the All Blacks

“Today was, personally, a very special day. I loved every minute of that,” Will Joseph told ITV, as cited by Sky Sports. “I loved the way the team moved the ball today. It was a joy to be part of. I’m speechless – it was a pretty perfect day.”

England captain Maro Itoje praised the depth of the squad following the ten changes made to the starting XV. “The performance was very good. Japan are a tricky team who gave Wales problems last week but we dealt with those problems,” Itoje told ITV.

“I’m super proud of our guys – the guys who came in, Archie McParland making his debut, Will making his second cap – I don’t even know how many tries he scored!”

Photo: The Irish Times

England turn their attention to their Nations Championship Test against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, November 21, while Japan travel to face Scotland at Murrayfield on the same afternoon.

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