England v Japan LIVE: Rugby World Cup result and reaction after ludicrous try off Joe Marler’s head

England 34-12 Japan: Joe Marler’s accidental headed assist for Courtney Lawes’ try was the highlight of an error-strewn performance by England

(Getty Images)

England toiled at times but profited from a bizarre second-half try to defeat Japan 34-12 at the Stade de Nice and earn a bonus point in an unimpressive display that nonetheless leaves them in control of their Rugby World Cup Pool D.

With the game poised at 13-12, England captain Courtney Lawes cantered in for a try as the Japanese players stopped and watched, expecting to hear the referee’s whistle for a knock-on when the ball in fact deflected off the head of prop Joe Marler.

That turned the tide of the contest as England ran in four tries in all, No 8 Lewis Ludlam barging over in the first half before full back Freddie Steward crossed in the corner and centre Joe Marchant grabbed the bonus point with the final play of the game.

Before that England’s attack looked blunt as they battled to hold onto the ball and kicked away possession from promising attacking areas, but were let off the hook by a Japan side that did not have the quality to punish them.

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England vs Japan updates

• REPORT: Joe Marler uses his head to spare England’s blushes after error-strewn performance against Japan
• Use your head! England score comical try against Japan at Rugby World Cup
• FULL-TIME! England 34-12 Japan
• TRY! England 34-12 Japan, (Marchant secures bonus-point victory, 80 mins)
• TRY! England 27-12 Japan, (Pin-point Ford kick sets up Steward score, 66 mins)
• TRY! England 20-12 Japan, (Lawes scores comical try off Marler’s head, 56 mins)
• TRY! England 10-6 Japan, (Ludlam capitalises from lineout error, 25 mins)

[17 September 2023 19:00 · Luke Baker]

England vs Japan talking points

Sharpen the attack

England delivered a defensive masterclass to nullify clueless Argentina but there was no masking their attacking deficiencies. The most glaring moment was the butchering of a clear overlap that the same players would finish with ease for their clubs.

If England are to advance deeper into the World Cup they must show they have the capacity to score tries as drop goals and penalties alone will not be sufficient to see off the big guns.

[17 September 2023 18:50 · Luke Baker]

England vs Japan talking points

No more cards

England have amassed more cards this year than any team ranked in the top 10, accumulating five yellows and four reds. It is a debilitating statistic and while Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield are adamant that the team do not have a discipline problem, they know they can not keep playing with 14 men - or even less.

The officiating of incidents involving head contact and their subsequent disciplinary hearings during this World Cup have been plagued by inconsistency, making avoiding dangerous play more important than ever.

[17 September 2023 18:40 · Luke Baker]

Maro Itoje will take England victories at the World Cup ‘by any means necessary’

Maro Itoje insists England will do whatever it takes to win if a substance over style approach emerges as their blueprint for success at the World Cup.

George Ford kicked all 27 points in their rout of Argentina last Saturday as England responded to the third-minute dismissal of Tom Curry for a dangerous tackle by grinding the Pumas into submission.

It was a rousing riposte to a dismal warm-up campaign but having excelled in defence and shown the smarts to shape their gameplan according to events, a potent attack remains elusive.

Free running Japan are the next assignment at the Stade de Nice on Sunday and while Itoje would prefer to see England run riot, he will take a victory any way it comes.

When asked if it matters how the team win, Itoje said: “For me, it’s by any means necessary.”

[17 September 2023 18:25 · Luke Baker]

Lewis Ludlam replaces suspended Tom Curry as England make minimal changes for Japan

Lewis Ludlam replaces the suspended Tom Curry in the back row with Steve Borthwick making minimal changes for England‘s second Rugby World Cup fixture against Japan.

After a much-needed win over Argentina in Marseille, England head to Nice full of confidence.

There is a return for Kyle Sinckler at tighthead, with the prop absent last week having not quite been 100 percent after injury, while Joe Marler is promoted to start ahead of Ellis Genge.

The backline remains intact from the 27-10 win against Los Pumas.

[17 September 2023 18:10 · Luke Baker]

Steve Borthwick questions World Rugby’s silence on red card inconsistency

England head coach Steve Borthwick has appeared to question what he perceives as a silence from World Rugby during the ongoing debate over head contacts and consistency in officiating.

The opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup was in part overshadowed by a series of contentious incidents, with Tom Curry shown a red card after making head-to-head contact with Argentina’s Juan Cruz Mallia in the opening minutes of England’s Pool D opener.

A similar challenge from Chile captain Martin Sigren resulted in a yellow card, while Jesse Kriel’s tackle on Jack Dempsey was not reviewed live and the South African centre was subsequently cleared by the citing commissioner.

That has led to a renewed discussion on how high tackles are being managed by the officials, with a number of prominent pundits and ex-players questioning the “consistency”.

[17 September 2023 17:55 · Luke Baker]

George Ford hopes drop-goal work with Jonny Wilkinson can be a World Cup weapon

George Ford has been working with Jonny Wilkinson to turn the drop-goal into a weapon at the World Cup.

Ford landed three as England opened the tournament with a 27-10 rout of Argentina in Marseille last Saturday and is ready to continue using them if the opportunity arises.

To assist with the tactic, the Sale fly-half has been perfecting his technique with Wilkinson, who famously landed the drop-goal that enabled England to lift the World Cup in 2003.

“Jonny’s big thing is don’t worry about the posts,” said Ford, who continues in the number 10 jersey for Sunday’s showdown with Japan in Nice.

“Obviously you need to know where they are, but the only thing you can control is what you do in terms of how you place the ball and what you do with your body.”

[17 September 2023 17:25 · Luke Baker]

England vs Japan referee: Who is Rugby World Cup official Nika Amashukeli?

Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli will make history as one of the officials at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The 28-year-old makes his tournament debut and is the first referee from Georgia to officiate at the event.

He is the youngest whistler since Wayne Barnes in 2007 to be appointed to a men’s World Cup panel.

Amashukeli represented Georgia at junior level as a centre, but was forced to retire at the age of 20 after a series of concussions and other injuries.

He was recruited as a referee as part of a new programme to improve officiating standards in the country, developed in partnership with the Irish Rugby Football Union.

[17 September 2023 17:10 · Luke Baker]

Japan team news

The Brave Blossoms make six changes from the win against Chile last Sunday. Dylan Riley is replaced by Tomoko Osada as head coach Joseph opts to make four changes in the pack. Shota Horiei is preferred to Atsushi Sakate at hooker, while Jack Cornelson moves from the back row into the second row to replace Amanaki Saumaki.

Captain Kazuki Himeno has recovered from a leg injury that saw him miss his side’s opener against Chile, with the 29-year-old returning at No 8. He is joined in the back row by Pieter Labuschagne, who returns from a suspension to replace Kanji Shimokawa at flanker.

Japan XV: 15-Semisi Masirewa, 14-Kotaro Matsushima, 13-Tomoko Osada, 12-Ryoto Nakamura, 11-Jone Naikabula, 10-Rikiya Matsuda, 9-Yutaka Nagare; 1-Keita Inagaki, 2-Shota Horie, 3-Jiwon Gu, 4-Jack Cornelsen, 5-Amato Fakatava, 6-Michael Leitch, 7-Pieter Labuschagne, 8-Kazuki Himeno (c).

Replacements: 16-Atsushi Sakate, 17-Craig Millar, 18-Asaeli Ai Valu, 19-Warner Dearns, 20-Kanji Shimokawa, 21-Naoto Saito, 22-Dylan Riley, 23-Lomano Lemeki

[17 September 2023 16:55 · Luke Baker]

England team news

Lewis Ludlam comes in to replace the suspended Tom Curry as England make minimal changes from the team that beat Argentina. Ludlam comes in at No 8 with Ben Eal shuffling across to flanker.

Elsewhere, there are two changes in the front row as Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler come in to replace Dan Cole and Ellis Genge. Billy Vunipola is available again after serving his suspension and sits amongst the replacements.

England XV: 15-Freddie Steward, 14-Jonny May, 13-Joe Marchant, 12-Manu Tuilagi, 11-Elliot Daly, 10-George Ford, 9-Alex Mitchell; 1-Joe Marler, 2-Jamie George, 3-Kyle Sinckler, 4-Maro Itoje, 5-Ollie Chessum, 6-Courtney Lawes (c), 7-Ben Earl, 8-Lewis Ludlam.

Replacements: 16-Theo Dan, 17-Ellis Genge, 18-Will Stuart, 19-George Martin, 20-Billy Vunipola, 21-Ben Youngs, 22-Marcus Smith, 23-Ollie Lawrence.

[17 September 2023 16:40 · Luke Baker]

When is England vs Japan and how can I watch it?

When is England vs Japan?

England vs Japan is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Sunday 17 September at the Stade de Nice.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV1, with coverage on the channel from 7:15pm BST. Registered users can also stream the action via ITVX.