4. England 34-12 Japan: Pool D – 2023 Rugby World Cup
September 18th 2023, Stade de Nice, Nice
The most recent meeting between England and Japan, things did not start off to plan for Steve Borthwick’s men. An underwhelming first half saw England scrapping to get the upper hand on their unfavored opponents, as the Brave Blossoms once again had Rugby World Cup upsets on their minds. Having previously toppled the likes of South Africa and Ireland previous World Cups, England fans held their breath for an anxious first 40 minutes.
A try from Lewis Ludlam was the only break through of the first half, with George Ford adding three penalties to the points tally. However, Japan responded through their own sharpshooter, as Rikiya Matsuda narrowed the score-line to just 13-9 at the break. The half-time team-talk breathed new life into England for the second half, and despite Matsuda’s efforts of the tee to narrow the gap to just one point, England were soon over to score following an unexpected assist from the head of Joe Marler.
A loose pass ricocheted off the prop’s iconic mohawk and bounced towards the try-line, with Courtney Lawes quickest to react and ground the ball for a try. The floodgates then opened for the Brave Blossoms, as England ran in additional tries from Freddie Steward and Joe Marchant to establish a real foothold into the match. England kept their unbeaten start to the Rugby World Cup in tact and climbed to the top of the pool, whilst Japan would eventually finish third to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
