England v Japan - Autumn International

[Catogrande]

England team to play the Brave Blossoms.

England: Furbank; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Curry, Underhill, Earl.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Isiekwe, Cunningham-South, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck.

Mixed selection once more. Japan renowned for their high tempo game, so playing that back row sort of makes sense but to then play JvP instead of Randall - just why? We saw what a handbrake he was last week and this game is tailor made for Randall. Similarly in the front row, we have gone for the been there, done that brigade when we are crying our for players with some pace (relatively speaking, it is the front row after all). Can't complain too much about the backs, we're still not right in the centres but we have mediocrity in depth there. 10-15 look about right to me given the options available.

The bench. The bench. Some more stodge when we have a high tempo opponent and not the sort of stodge that can play a containing game either. Theo Dan was in most peoples eyes nailed on for a spot somewhere. Is he injured? Isiekwe on the bench and Ted Hill nowhere?

Missing some gilt edged opportunities here I feel.

[Dodge]

Pretty sickened that Tom Curry is starting two weeks after being knocked out, second time in five weeks apparently. Don’t understand how that represents player welfare

[Catogrande]

@Dodge

That had slipped my mind. It's definitely a poor look.

[Mr Fish]

Fiji?

[Catogrande]

@Mr-Fish Aaaagh!

[MiketheSnow]

@Dodge said in England v Japan - Autumn International:

Pretty sickened that Tom Curry is starting two weeks after being knocked out, second time in five weeks apparently. Don’t understand how that represents player welfare

Perhaps the Welsh physio signed his papers

[MiketheSnow]

Great opportunity for England to say a big FU to Eddie

[Catogrande]

@MiketheSnow said in England v Japan - Autumn International:

Great opportunity for England to say a big FU to Eddie

Did that in the summer. This is unlikely to be quite so emphatic I feel.

[Duluth]

15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Tomoki Osada, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Siosaia Fifita, 11 Jone Naikabula, 10 Nicholas McCurran, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Kazuki Himeno, 6 Kanji Shimokawa, 5 Epineri Uluiviti, 4 Sanaila Waqa, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takato Okabe

Reserves: 16 Seunghyuk Lee, 17 Yukio Morikawa, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Daichi Akiyama, 20 Tevita Tatafu, 21 Ben Gunter, 22 Shinobu Fujiwara, 23 Yusuke Kajimura

[Bones]

Lawes is a waste of space at the moment, still too close to this England team.

[Bones]

Intrigued at the thought process that puts a team in red jerseys instead of white, due to a clash with white and red.

[sparky]

As windy as a game at Athletic Park.

[Bones]

Wales score first.

[Dodge]

Lovely hands from Smith, nice line from Lawrence. About time

[sparky]

Ben Earl scores after good work from Marcus Smith.

England 7 Japan 0.

[sparky]

Deliberate offside by Japan that denied a try-scoring opportunity. Should have been a YC.

[Dodge]

Fascinated how a two man overlap getting cut out by a guy 3 yards offside on his own fry line isn’t a try scoring opportunity. How have they not looked at that?!

[sparky]

Underhill in.

[sparky]

England 14-0 already. This will be an easy win for them.

Japan have gone backwards since the Joseph/Brown coaching era.

[sparky]

Tommy Freeman looking very sharp.