Sunday, December 22, 2024

England v Japan: Eddie Jones’ warp-speed plan to win at Twickenham

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England have not won since beating Japan in the summer, losing to New Zealand three times before defeats by Australia and world champions South Africa.

Jones, who masterminded Japan’s seismic shock win over the Springboks at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, has prioritised speed in both thought and action since taking over from Jamie Joseph in January.

“We want it to be a core identity of Japanese rugby,” Jones said after his appointment.

“So you play against South Africa, you know it’s going to be physical. When you play against New Zealand, they’re the best counter-attacking team in the world. So we want to develop Japan into the best team at playing fast rugby.”

“When I first came into the camp, I didn’t know the training was going to be so hard and tough – harder than before – but I have enjoyed it,” said centre Siosaia Fifita.

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