When players were notified by letter of their selection for England’s tour to Japan in 1979 it included a request from the Rugby Football Union which demanded “please don’t forget your passports”.
On Saturday, for the first time since the amateur era, England will play in Japan against the host nation – and the sport is unrecognisable from 45 years ago when Bill Beaumont took his squad on an adventure that also included visits to Fiji and Tonga.
