Eddie gets prayers answered
England 35 Japan 15
EDDIE JONES had to be saved by England’s super subs after Japan left him choking on his own words.
A 50-minute rugby lesson from his former team at Twickenham made a mockery of the Australian’s pre-match advice to them to “go to the temple and pray.”
Jones’s warning that Japan would be “physically smashed” by an “absolutely ruthless” England team seemed comical as his players barely laid a hand on the marauding visitors.
England escaped to victory in the second half but only after sending for star duo Owen Farrell and Sam Underhill to sort out the mess.
Captain George Ford fumed: “There was no life about us. Our attitude wasn’t quite there, which is not good when you’re playing for England.”
Maro Itoje, named man of the match after England recovered to score 25 unanswered points, confessed: “There was a bit of rage at half-time.”
Japan were given no chance of repeating the ‘Brighton Miracle’ – that stunning upset win over South Africa at the last World Cup.
And when Danny Care scored on England’s first attack the 81,151 crowd sat back expecting the floodgates to open.
But their team sat back too and Japan took full advantage – scoring tries through Ryoto Nakamura and captain Michael Leitch.
“We needed to up the intensity,” Itoje said. “We were losing collisions and that’s not good enough.
“We were off as a collective and we have to have a think why. Maybe the early score seduced us.”