It is typical of England as a sporting nation that we can write off a team for a couple of months, they then dig out a defiant victory against Argentina and suddenly we expect them to stick 40 points on Japan. That is the nature of the expectation that comes with representing England, however, and it is something Steve Borthwick’s side must confront this weekend.
The challenge stems from the fact that it is a completely different test against Japan. England face opponents who like to play at tempo and, although Borthwick’s men managed to get the job emphatically done against Argentina without doing so, they will have to score tries this weekend. Drop goals and penalties are all well and good but England will have to demonstrate their ability to play more expansively and continue their evolution.
