Nations Championship: England 78-15 Japan, Joseph Scores Five
Will Joseph scored five tries on his first England appearance since 2022 as Steve Borthwick's side beat Japan 78-15 at Twickenham. Japan lost lock Harry Hockings to a red card after one minute, and England missed eight conversions.
England beat Japan 78-15 in the Nations Championship at Allianz Stadium Twickenham on Saturday, with wing Will Joseph scoring five tries on his first England appearance since July 2022.
Steve Borthwick's side led 49-7 at half-time. Japan, coached by former England head coach Eddie Jones, fell well short of professional standards in a sombre return to Twickenham.
Red card after one minute
Joseph scored inside the first minute, sprinting down the right in acres of space. The television match official then drew the referee's attention to a high tackle by Japan lock Harry Hockings on England prop Ellis Genge.
Hockings' yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red by the sixth minute. Japan played on with 14 men.
England captain Maro Itoje chose to kick for three points from a scrum penalty, which George Ford converted. Joseph then collected a Freddie Steward grubber kick for his second try.
Tries in quick succession
Naoto Saito kicked a 40-metre penalty to put Japan on the board. England answered with Steward's try in the 15th minute after George Martin bulldozed forward, and Genge went over soon after, handing off a succession of defenders.
Joseph completed his hat-trick inside 20 minutes and scored his fourth in the 24th. Wing Cadan Murley added England's seventh try inside half an hour.
Japan lock Warner Dearns finished from close range after tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi had been held up. Ben Earl scored from a rolling maul on the stroke of half-time.
Second half
Ford produced a 50:22 kick early in the second half, and Martin scored from the resulting five-metre lineout. England's Luke Cowan-Dickie was sin-binned for playing the ball while offside after Japan lock Michael Stolberg broke up the middle.
Japan then overthrew their own lineout. Joseph intercepted and ran clear for his fifth try.
Ben Curry, Marcus Smith and Greg Fisilau also scored for England. Replacement prop Opeti Helu got Japan's second try.
England's total would have been 16 points higher had they not missed eight conversions. Ford missed six and Henry Slade two.
England scorers: Tries: Joseph (1, 10, 20, 25, 56), Steward (15), Genge (18), Murley (29), Earl (40), Martin (45), Curry (64), Smith (68), Fisilau (73). Conversions: Ford (15, 19, 41), Slade (57, 69). Penalty: Ford (8).
Japan scorers: Tries: Dearns (37), Helu (48). Conversion: Saito (38). Penalty: Saito (14).
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