England delivered a dominant performance at Twickenham, dismantling Japan 78-15 in a lopsided Nations Championship encounter. The match was effectively decided within the opening minute when Japan’s second-row forward Harry Hockings was sent off, an initial penalty that was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card. Despite the lopsided nature of the contest, England’s intensity remained high as they capitalized on their numerical advantage to score 13 tries, setting a new record for their highest point total against the Brave Blossoms. Admittedly, England do not score 13 tries every week but even if the hosts had run up 150 points they would have struggled to eclipse this weekend’s remarkable events in Cardiff and Paris. That said, in the annals of one-sided contests on this famous old stretch of turf, there have been few to match this virtual procession. Not every game of rugby can deliver a result for the ages. To say Japan came a distant second is to be polite in the extreme. In truth, this was akin to shooting koi carp in a barrel, the home crowd also particularly enjoyed a barnstorming first-half score by Ellis Genge but. Just seven days earlier, finished within a score of Wales it could be argued that England should now be seen as slight favourites to overturn the All Blacks this coming weekend, but if you work on the basis that Japan. Joseph’s try in the opening minute was splendidly taken but none of the three defenders left sprawling in the 24-year-old’s wake will be in a hurry to rewatch the tape. The athletic Joseph has had to be patient since making his debut under Jones on tour in Australia four years ago but this was as dream a home debut as Twickenham can offer. Again leaving multiple bodies strewn on the floor, sent an even clearer message about England’s intentions, which only wavered fractionally when they were awarded an early penalty in front of the sticks, genge’s rip-snorting score. Not that it remotely mattered on this occasion. Monty Ioane scored the opening try for Italy who dominated the early stages and were unlucky to reach half-time on level terms after Bautista Bernasconi’s converted effort.
Will Joseph became the centerpiece of the victory, marking his second Test appearance with five tries. His performance puts him in the company of historical English greats like Douglas Lambert, Rory Underwood, Josh Lewsey, and Henry Arundell, who are the only other players to achieve such a feat in a single Test. Joseph started his scoring spree early, collecting a hat-trick within the first 20 minutes. His fifth try was a highlight of the game, intercepting a ball on the halfway line before sprinting 50 metres to the line, even while teammate Luke Cowan-Dickie was in the sin-bin. From the moment Will Joseph collected a hat-trick of tries inside the game’s opening 20 minutes it was simply a question of how many points England would rack up and, to their credit, Maro Itoje’s side tucked into the fr. A neat double pump pass from Henry Slade and a well-judged cross-kick from Freddie Steward served up a hat-trick on a willow pattern plate and the acrobatic dive into the right corner for the Gloucester back’s fourth reflected the unfettered joy of a player with huge potential. Though, offered Japan scant respite with an interception on halfway allowing Joseph, the younger brother of the former England centre Jonathan, to sprint 50 metres for his fif, even Luke Cowan-Dickie going to the sin-bin. Only Douglas Lambert in 1907, Rory Underwood in 1989, Josh Lewsey in 2003 and Henry Arundell in 2023 had achieved the feat in a Test for England.
Japan’s head coach Eddie Jones, returning to familiar territory, watched from the stands as his team struggled to respond to the constant pressure. Although Japan managed two tries through Warner Dearns and Opeti Helu, they were largely overwhelmed. England led 49-10 by halftime, with contributions from Ellis Genge, Cadan Murley, Ben Earl, and George Martin, who all crossed the whitewash as the hosts exploited gaps in the depleted Japanese defense. Even in the absence of some first-choice personnel they again frequently attacked with verve and were already 49-10 up by the interval as Japan’s evening spiralled from bad to worse.
The match also showcased England’s depth, with Marcus Smith providing a dynamic spark after replacing George Ford in the 57th minute. Greg Fisilau also impressed, delivering physical defense and scoring a powerful try by taking a direct line to the goal. While England’s overall attacking play was clinical, their goal-kicking remained a minor point of improvement, with Ford and Henry Slade converting only five of their 13 attempts.
In other Nations Championship action, Argentina secured a hard-fought 19-14 victory against Italy in Genoa. The South Americans rebounded from a heavy loss to Ireland last week, relying on tries from Rodrigo Isgro and Matteo Carreras to establish a 19-7 second-half lead. Despite being reduced to 13 men following yellow cards to Joel Sclavi and Efraín Elías, and enduring a nervous finish as Italy benefited from a late penalty try, Argentina successfully protected their lead when Alessandro Garbisi missed a decisive last-minute kick.
As the Nations Championship pool standings look toward the final round, the focus shifts to next weekend’s fixtures. England’s emphatic win serves as a major statement of intent, though the squad remains focused on their upcoming test against a wounded All Blacks side. Internal discussions regarding tactical identity were briefly highlighted during the match when the team opted for a penalty kick rather than testing the try line, a decision that drew mixed reactions from the forward pack.
