Much-Changed England Told to Ignore World Cup Talk vs Japan
England head coach Steve Borthwick made 10 personnel and two positional changes for Saturday's game against Eddie Jones's Japan. Rookies Will Joseph and Max Ojomoh start, but captain Maro Itoje warned players against freelancing in the hunt for a World Cup place.
A much-changed England have been told to ignore World Cup selection chatter and put the team first when they face Japan on Saturday. Head coach Steve Borthwick made 10 personnel and two positional changes to the side that played Australia.
Rookies Will Joseph and Max Ojomoh start on the right wing and at inside centre. Henry Pollock makes his second start, at No 8. Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland is in line for a debut from the bench.
Injuries and rest force changes
Borthwick is without Ollie Chessum, George Furbank, Seb Atkinson and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso through injury. Some players need a rest. He also wants to look at newcomers.
There is a six-day turnaround between the opener against Tonga and the second match against Zimbabwe. Borthwick has changed his entire front row: Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Asher Opoku-Fordjour start.
George Martin comes into the second row. Alex Coles moves to blindside and Ben Earl shifts to openside to make room for Pollock.
George Ford and Freddie Steward return at fly-half and full-back to add experience. Fin Smith is rested. Marcus Smith again has to settle for the bench.
Only Jack van Poortvliet, Henry Slade and captain Maro Itoje keep the same positions as against Australia. Greg Fisilau, who made his debut off the bench last Sunday, is again among the replacements.
Echoes of the "Black Hole game"
The match against Eddie Jones's side carries history. Eight years ago England limped past Japan after Jones rotated his team. Alex Lozowski, Alec Hepburn, Danny Care and Zach Mercer fell from World Cup contention the following year.
Players came to call it "the Black Hole game" because so many international careers disappeared down it. Ford was captain that day. England led 15-10 at half-time. Afterward he said: "It was very disappointing in the first half; our attitude wasn't quite there. That's not good when you're playing for England."
Borthwick said he knows the selection storyline exists. "We don't avoid it," he said. He believes "26 to 28 of the 33-man squad" is already pretty clear.
"The team is always the most important thing," Borthwick said. He wants a balance between self-sacrifice and self-expression, and said Joseph and Ojomoh should back themselves with ball in hand when the moment is right. He called Ojomoh "one of the most talented players in English rugby".
Itoje, named man of the match in the 2018 win over Japan, was blunt. "If you have 15 players doing their own thing, it won't look great. And then no one really shines," he said. "We want them to fully express themselves, but within the context of the team."
