England captain Maro Itoje has warned his side to expect the unexpected and stay “alive” against a Japan side threatening to throw a few curveballs in their Nations Championship clash.
Steve Borthwick’s hosts face Japan for the first time in nearly two years on Saturday and meet a familiar foe in Eddie Jones, Borthwick’s predecessor and an influential figure for much of the home side.
Jones had teased his former charges in the build-up by threatening to do something different, suggesting that England struggle with “unorthodox” rugby and referencing Italy’s no-ruck tactics that caused bafflement at Twickenham during the 2017 Six Nations.
England, though, will be on their guard as they seek to build on a strong start to the autumn against Australia.
“The overarching message this week is that we need to be alive,” Itoje explained. “We need to be alive, alive, alive.
“It’s impossible to tick off every eventuality that an opposition might do. Especially a team like Japan, who have a very distinct way of playing. They’re very consistent at getting speed into the game. They could do a number of things so let’s be alive and let’s not sleepwalk into things and think ‘most teams play like this’ because Japan aren’t most teams. One, we need to be alive. Two, we need to impose our game. We need to play the way we want to play.
“If we’re alive and we’ve got our house in order then we should be able to deal with what they throw at us. Most coaches want to keep you thinking. Eddie would throw a whole load of weird and wonderful things at us to keep us sharp and keep us on our toes.”
Jones spent seven years in charge of England, leading them to three Six Nations titles and the final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
He returned for a second stint with Japan after being axed by Australia at the end of 2023, and will be back at Twickenham for the second time with the team.
His last visit ended in a one-sided 59-14 English success but Borthwick’s side were pushed closer during the 2023 World Cup. Played on a hot and humid evening in Nice, England were unsettled by Japan’s variety in an encounter that featured 79 kicks from hand.
Fly half George Ford featured in that encounter, and believes it is important England retain focus on where they can gain an advantage regardless of how Japan play.
“The key for us if any of that comes is to try and understand what they are trying to achieve as quickly as we can, and try and negate it,” Ford said. “But we also want to impose our stuff. We don’t really want to just come down to reacting to what they do.
“We call it our competitive advantage. Where are our competitive advantages in the game? If it is in a certain area, or area or two, we’d be daft not to try and hammer that home.”
Read MoreEngland vs Japan: Prediction, betting tips and odds for the Nations Championship
Nations Championship schedule, results, kick-off times and how to watch
Borthwick explains Ojomoh selection for Japan: ‘One of the most talented players’
Why England’s fringe figures face World Cup audition against Japan
France v South Africa LIVE: Latest score and updates from Springboks clash
Is France v South Africa on TV? Channel, kick-off time and how to watch Springboks
