Japan vs England LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Marcus Smith inspires big win in Tokyo
Japan 17-52 England: Marcus Smith and Henry Slade pulled the strings as the visitors ran in eight tries
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England kicked off their summer tour with an eight-try thrashing of Japan in Tokyo as they tuned up for two Tests against the All Blacks.
Steve Borthwick’s side head south for a two-Test tour of New Zealand at the start of July, and the England head coach will have been pleased with how his side accelerated away after a sticky start on a hot and humid afternoon. After holding firm defensively despite a fast Japanese start, Marcus Smith and Henry Slade pulled the strings nicely at the Japan National Stadium as England showed off their attacking array to take control of the contest.
Four first-half tries were followed by scores after interval from Alex Mitchell, Ben Earl, Harry Randall and Sam Underhill, though England’s win was somewhat marred by the sending off of Charlie Ewels late on. The lock was making his first international appearance since being red carded at Twickenham against Ireland during the 2022 Six Nations but flew in dangerously on Japan captain Michael Leitch at a ruck to potentially end his tour.
The Ewels incident came amid Japan’s brightest spell as lock Warner Dearns created two excellent tries, but it is England who emerged as sizeable winners to take confidence into their first clash with the All Blacks in a fortnight.
Re-live all of the action from the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo below:
Japan 3-7 England, 17 minutes
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.
TRY! Japan 3-7 ENGLAND (Chandler Cunningham-South try, 14 minutes)
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.
Japan 3-0 England, 12 minutes
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 3-0 England, 9 minutes
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.
Japan 3-0 England, 7 minutes
Superb maul defence. Japan go to the tail and Maro Itoje can’t win it in the air, but the lock gets down to work, wiggling in like a wood weevil to dismantle the drive from the inside. George Martin gives him a healthy helping hand - maul collapsed legally, England’s scrum.
Japan 3-0 England, 6 minutes
And England are in real strife, here. A third penalty inside six minutes with the forwards blowing in the heat and humidity. Seungsin Lee prods into the corner.
Japan 3-0 England, 5 minutes
This is an excellent start from Japan othewise, though. A neat grubber connects with the outside backs and Samisoni Tua puts himself about with intent and intelligence twice, bumping off Marcus Smith. A thumping hit from Tommy Freeman stalls momentum briefly but still Japan come...
Japan 3-0 England, 4 minutes
Bold - a quick tap just outside the Japan 22! Naoto Saito likes to up the tempo and urges his backline into action, though a long kick three passes later suggests that booting the penalty for touch might have been a better call.
Japan 3-0 England, 3 minutes
That’s better from the visitors, getting after a stabby Marcus Smith restart and nearly latching on to it, Sam Underhill knocking on in the gather after a ricochet. A first scrum skirmish, then, with Japan relatively sizeable in the tight five...and the arm goes up their way! Bevan Rodd is penalised as he hits the deck almost immediately.
PENALTY! JAPAN 3-0 England (Seungsin Lee penalty, 2 minutes)
A simple starter for Seungsin Lee and a tidy little start for Japan. They nudge in front.
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