Japan Tests will ease pressure on England stars

ENGLAND will play only two summer Test matches in Japan in 2020, edging elite players towards a total number of internationals more acceptable to Premiership chiefs.

Summer tours in the non-Lions and non-World Cup years of 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 have all had three Test matches.

England have a brutal 13 months coming up where they could play 20 internationals if they get to the latter stages of the World Cup, kicking off with four autumn internationals and including four warm-up games ahead of Japan.

The two Japan Tests in 2020 will fill the traditional summer tour slot but whether they will be played in June or July will be subject to the new global season structure.

Mark McCafferty, chief executive of Premiership Rugby, says ten Test matches a year would be the right number in other years.

McCafferty said: “In a non-World Cup, non-Lions year if you have got five Six Nations matches, two currently June matches and three Autumn Internationals that is probably the optimum.

“If players get through a World Cup we know the June tour is in Japan. The frontline players who have had a long season don’t necessarily need to go to Japan.

“Other countries have been doing that for a long time and we need to be prepared to think about that as well. Then you get a player who has got a full preseason and is ready to go.

“It is about striking the right balance between the international and the club game which has earned the respect it deserves in the last ten or 20 years. There has got to be a mutual respect.”

England have two preWorld Cup games against Wales plus fixtures against Ireland and Italy in August and September next year ahead of the Japan tournament.

McCafferty added: “The RFU said they might need four and the coaching team feel that is appropriate and the RFU has negotiated with us for that.”