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Mantej Mann

BBC Sport journalist

Autumn Worldwide locations Sequence: England v Japan

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Sunday, 24 November Kick-off: 16:10 GMT

Coverage: Listen to are living commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, prepare are living textual impart material commentary on the BBC Sport internet space and app

England possess shown glimpses of high quality all the device through this autumn advertising campaign and but victory continues to elude them.

Steve Borthwick’s aspect possess misplaced their previous 5 fits, falling fast against southern hemisphere enormous-hitters Contemporary Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

They were leading in all three defeats by the All Blacks, sooner than conceding a closing-gasp are trying to fall fast against the Wallabies.

World champions South Africa were the entirely aspect to beat England by higher than one to find, but head coach Borthwick will be below mountainous stress if the hosts fail to beat Japan at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

England are overwhelming favourites to withhold their perfect file against the Brave Blossoms, who’re additionally the closing aspect they beat, abet in June.

Japan head coach Eddie Jones did no longer relief his pre-match files convention on Friday thanks to properly being reasons.

The current England boss turned into once properly enough, on the varied hand, to come to Twickenham on Saturday as he finalised his aspect’s plans to inflict a negative defeat on the hosts.

Japan near in London after beating Uruguay 36-20 in their closing outing and England prop Ellis Genge, who made his Test debut below Jones in 2016, says the Australian will delight in the chance to beat his historical aspect.

“I cherish the bloke. He turned into once repeatedly… no longer repeatedly in actuality, he wasn’t repeatedly nice to me, but we possess now received a legit relationship,” talked about Genge.

“He’s a grasp of the psychological half of player construction and man-management.”

Jones’ leadership model has been criticised in a guide by historical England scrum-half Danny Care, who claimed avid gamers were belittled and berated in a “toxic environment”.

The 64-twelve months-previous faculty will face England at Twickenham for the first time since he turned into once sacked by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 2022.

Genge talked about: “Customarily he gets it inappropriate. There had been some nightmare reviews of slack about him. But he’s a legit bloke. He’s a legit guy.”

The 29-twelve months-previous faculty front row added: “I’m able to’t take into consideration he’ll earn a cheer when he goes on digicam, but he’ll relish that half of it. He’ll delight in it.

“He’ll possess them fired up and likewise you saw what he did with his Japan aspect in 2015 that beat South Africa in Brighton.”

England will be aiming for an 80-minute performance against Japan after racing out of the blocks in every sport within the Autumn Worldwide locations Sequence.

Borthwick’s aspect failed to to find within the closing quarter against the All Blacks and Springboks, while their two transformed slack tries were matched by the Wallabies in a frantic finale.

Borthwick has criticised the properly being of his avid gamers, external, while historical England soar Chris Ashton has additionally talked about the contemporary squad has struggled with “fatigue”.

Ragged England scrum-half Matt Dawson, within the period in-between, says England’s personnel on the bench possess no longer been conducive to continuity in their manner.

“I am no longer convinced Steve Borthwick has solved his bench points,” Dawson told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.

“There is a enormous distinction between Ben Earl and Alex Dombrandt [as number eights].

“The place is the continuity to earn consistency across the corpulent 80 minutes?”

The taking half in form of Fin Smith, who has changed George Ford as abet-up soar-half on the bench, is extra equivalent to Marcus Smith’s creativity, while 20-twelve months-previous faculty prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour will make his England debut if he comes on from the bench.

A junior World Cup winner with England Below-20s within the summertime, Opoku-Fordjour has impressed with his dynamism in open play and his technical abilities on both aspects of the scrum.

England possess additionally recalled Tom Curry to the initiating XV, two weeks after he turned into once knocked out against Australia.

Curry turned into once cleared to play after coming through his 12-day stand-down period, and his inclusion in a corpulent-energy aspect against Japan entirely aspects to England’s want for a sure final result.

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