Japan vs England LIVE rugby: Latest score and updates from Tokyo

Wallop! Chandler Cunningham-South is some physical prospect, and absolutely ends a Japanese carrier, forcing a knock on with a picture perfect rib examination.

A marvellous England score!

Oh, that really is quite lovely! An intricate move from a lineout is aided by two back rows in midfield, Sam Underhill providing inside threat after a superb Jamie George lineout throw beyond the back finds Ollie Lawrence, who flicks out the back with Ben Earl holding the defence on his own hard line.

That creates a chasm through which Marcus Smith can zip, and the fly half has the pace and poise to do the rest. Under the posts he scurries – England haven’t been at their best in this first half but that is a beaut!

England have plenty of crashing carriers of their own, as Ollie Lawrence shows, demolishing the chest of Tomoki Osada in a hard charge. Osada, somewhat understandably, fails to roll away. England advance from the penalty.

Japan are at it here, but just can’t quite keep their continuity at the key moments. A lovely bit of play from the halves sends Jone Naikabula rampaging up the right touchline. The wing is such a threat in the open field and darts in dangerously, but Marcus Smith gets contact on the ball as he’s bashed away, dislodging it just enough so it is sprung when Naikabula hits the deck.

Cunningham-South is ok to continue, taking up his place on the blindside of England’s defensive scrum. Japan try something fun in midfield but the connections between Tomoki Osada and Samisoni Tua aren’t clean.

Alex Mitchell boots upfield, but overcooks it – the right decision, just poor execution.

England try their own up-tempo beats, George Furbank and Alex Mitchell at the DJ decks and spinning something lively. Furbank jinks and finds his Northampton colleague with a clever pass, and Ben Earl might have been away had he been able to cling on to the scrum half’s inwards hurl. Slightly behind the number eight, but he’ll be disappointed not to have been able to hold it.

This is a worry, thouhg, for England – Chandler Cunningham-South is down in back play and receiving treatment. The referee uses the opportunity to call for a water break in the sweltering summer sun.

A bouncing ball causes Immanuel Feyi-Waboso some difficulty, the young Exeter wing grappling for it as it pitches and pops randomly around his own 22. No harm done, in the end, and Feyi-Waboso then makes an impact defensively, biting ankles and leading a counter-ruck that is perhaps unfortunate not to bring reward in the form of a penalty.

Instead, the whistle goes the hosts way, with a quick tap again indicating their desire for speed.

First Test start, first Test try!

England strike! They keep things tight within sight of the Japan line, Jamie George making a punchy carry to take his side within a couple of metres. Ben Earl changes the point of contact with a deft flick to his back row colleague Chandler Cunningham-South, who uses his burl to get within reaching distance before extending a telescopic scoring arm.

Marcus Smith converts his Harlequins team mate’s score – England are up and running.

Those battles in the tight are developing intriguingly. England are again firm in their maul defencem whie Bevan Rodd gets into Shuhei Takeuchi to earn a scrum time penalty. This feels like a key day for Rodd, who has the chance to stake a claim to the starting loosehead shirt in the absence of the injured Ellis Genge.

Henry Slade finds the corner with his left boot.

Japan are over eager to put a shove in, but Henry Slade’s free kick misses touch, allowing the hosts to charge back. And Steve Borthwick’s side just can’t their discipline right – another whistle from referee Luc Ramos and they are pushed back on to their own goal line by a fine touchfinder from Seungsin Lee.