In the past 24 hours there has been an estimated eight inches of torrential rain fall in the Tokyo region, but England are determined to shine brightly against Japan this Saturday. Steve Borthwick wants his team to trust their attacking instincts against Eddie Jones’s Japan and the choice of Marcus Smith at fly-half and a first start for Chandler Cunningham‑South in the back row reflects the proactive mood.
Rather than waiting until Thursday to name his side as scheduled, the England head coach opted to push forward the announcement by 48 hours, the kind of pre-emptive curveball often thrown by Jones on occasions in the past. Arguably most striking of all, though, is Borthwick’s desire for his players to maintain the momentum they were building in the latter half of the Six Nations, with Smith handed the baton as chief playmaker.
