Revitalised England have their smile again – however Japan might pose complicated issues

On Friday night time, quickly after naming his England facet to tackle Japan, it was put to Steve Borthwick that it appeared the smile had been again on his face since a reinvigorating win towards Argentina. Borthwick could be a phelgmatic determine, wise and sober, however even he has worn a smile at occasions this week. “I think I smile a lot,” Borthwick chuckled, however quickly sufficient it was again to the job at hand. “Every day, we try to get better. Our focus is playing Japan on Sunday night and we can’t wait for that game.”

What a distinction a win makes. Nice has been a favorite vacation spot for the English because the late 18^th century and this newest band of travellers settling in on this beautiful patch of shoreline are having fun with their French journey up to now. England, clearly, are nonetheless behind the highest sides on the planet, however it’s with a spring of their step that they appear to try to take one other stride ahead towards Japan this weekend.

If there was a way that among the gamers’ religion of their technique might have been waning after the warm-up woes, all are actually again on board and prepared for extra. “They can’t wait to get out there on the big occasion again,” Borthwick mentioned of his gamers forward of their second Pool D fixture. “The occasion began on Friday night time in Paris final week, and we’ve bought a pair extra gamers who wish to be part of the occasion this week. This group wish to be within the thick of it and we’re wanting ahead to this sport on Sunday night time.”

The win over Argentina left Borthwick with few headscratchers when inking in his starting side this week. For the first time in his tenure, the England head coach names an unchanged backline, while Lewis Ludlam’s enterprising 15 minutes against Argentina have earned him a start after Tom Curry’s ban ahead of Billy Vunipola, back available after suspension. There is a swap of props, with Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler determined the right starting pairing for the challenge of Japan.

“Lewis is a great energy giver,” Borthwick explained of Ludlam’s selection. “He is a great driver of this squad and very generous in helping other team mates improve and you always need those type of players in your team.

“He carries, he runs hard and covers a lot of ground in defence, which I don’t think people often see. What he does often goes under the radar. He is that type of player and we value that here.”

However revitalising that opening win felt for the squad, there are still issues to solve, notably in attack. Data from Opta shows that England played wider than their first receiver less than 15% of the time against Argentina, the fourth lowest rate in this World Cup so far. England’s attack made “dominant” carries a fifth of the time, the least often of any side on the opening weekend.

To what extent was England’s narrow approach a product of the situation after Curry’s sending off? The kick pressure game that worked so well in Marseille will remain a primary prong of England’s strategy, but this feels like a time where they may be able to open things up, as they did against Japan last November in a rare bright spot in final weeks of Eddie Jones’s time in charge.

“We know how good our attack can be, so hopefully in the next few games we’ll be able to show that,” said Elliot Daly this week. “We’re not saying we’re going to chuck the ball around [all the time] but we’re going to put ourselves in positions in attack to take the opportunities we create.”

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Not that this will simply be a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais. This may be a Japan side on the brink of a major rebuild but many of the same players who won all four pool games at their home tournament remain.

While Covid had an impact on all rugby nations, Japan were acutely affected, denied the chance to use the catapult that their home tournament should have provided. Domestic attendances haven’t quite boomed in the way that might have been hoped, while a lack of international rugby has stalled the progress of Jamie Joseph’s team – Michael Leitch, for example, had won only two of his 14 international appearances since the last World Cup.

A slightly complex player pathway system is not yet providing the talent to regenerate a side reaching the end of an era. This will surely be the last tournament for the talismanic Leitch, and likely for the loosehead Keita Inagaki too. Head coach Joseph will return to New Zealand at the end of this World Cup. Defence coach John Mitchell, once one of Eddie Jones’s key lieutenants, is returning to English rugby with the Red Roses.

There is power within the again 5 of their pack, with Kazuki Himeno a big returnee having been a late scratch on account of harm towards Chile – the time period “jackal” has change into well-liked in Japan as a result of flanker’s prowess over the ball. Amato Fakatava’s return health was a boon forward of this event, whereas the long-striding lock Warner Dearns is a compelling bodily prospect off the bench. Attack coach Tony Brown stays one of many sport’s most modern thinkers – Kevin Sinfield in contrast Japan’s assault to tiki-taka soccer this week, intricate, ornate and exact.

“They played very well against Argentina,” Joseph mentioned on Friday. “They controlled that whole game through pressure. Argentina really didn’t get a chance at all. I think that was England at their best. We’ve seen England at their best in the last match they played, but prior to that we’ve seen that they’ve got a few weaknesses. If we can find them and play our own game, perhaps we can take some opportunities.”