Japan are going to have their work cut out. Why? I suspect England’s coaches will be keen to employ similar tactics to those that paid dividends against Argentina and put boot to ball regularly. Having been on the receiving end of George Ford’s kicking ability at the last World Cup, I can see England’s fly-half taking full advantage of a disjointed-looking Japanese backfield, which even a beaten Chile exploited last week.
While many buoyant English fans will be calling for a 15-man running attack against the Brave Blossoms in Nice, they may need to be patient. A more likely scenario is that Steve Borthwick’s side will continue to focus on winning the territorial game and the aerial battle with the calculated aim of turning pressure into points. Personally, despite the presence of the dangerous Kotaro Matsushima in Japan’s back three, I’m all for it.
