England 34-12 Japan: Steve Borthwick’s side move top of Rugby World Cup group but struggle to dominate in error-strewn victory

Job done, but it wasn’t pretty, until the final phase. England won another match, but for a large part of it they did not win hearts and minds. They have one foot in the quarter-finals, but there is still a lot of work to do.

The good news for the national team is that they have kept fifteen players on the field for a change. They also managed to score a few World Cup tries, courtesy of Lewis Ludlam, Courtney Lawes and Freddie Steward.

But prior to the late flourish, their cautious approach made for a dull spectacle and their supporters became so frustrated after half-time that they started booing time and time again when England players kicked the ball away.

Hours after Fiji lit up the tournament with their glorious display against Australia at St Etienne, this was rugby of a very different kind. This was all about pragmatism and programmed systems. It was supposed to be about substance over style, which is fair enough, but a flurry of errors and fouls undermined the meticulous, rigid game plan.

It summed up the messy, disjointed proceedings as England’s second try came via a fumble and a ricochet off Joe Marler’s head. They all count, but the offense is still in a formative phase. In any case, the training ground can continue from a strong position at the top of Group D, with a formality against Chile on Saturday in Lille.

There is every chance for Steve Borthwick’s side to qualify in top spot, but there was fresh evidence here – despite the growing, marauding impact Ben Earl made as the match progressed – that they are still a long way from the title favorites, France. , South Africa and Ireland.

And if Fiji is the team they face in the last eight; that could also be an awkward occasion, with the ghosts of a defeat at Twickenham last month still haunting English minds.

England went into this match in high spirits after reigniting their campaign with a resounding 27-10 victory over powerful pool rivals Argentina in Marseille, despite the inconvenience of being reduced to 14 men for 77 minutes. Tom Curry’s early dismissal for a dangerous headbutt led to a two-match ban, but Borthwick responded by giving Ludlam a deserved start after his explosive cameo against the Pumas.

Also included in the XV were props Marler and Kyle Sinckler as England looked to maintain their set-piece improvement in the opener, while also providing dynamism and creativity around the pitch. All the talk in the build-up was about how the Japanese would pose another threat to Argentina, and that a repeat of the defensive and kicking masterclass might no longer be enough.

Borthwick and his players were respectful in discussing these opponents, but the last meeting between the countries produced a 52-13 English victory at Twickenham and the national team had also comfortably won their two previous meetings with the Brave Blossoms. Japan’s recent problems were reflected in a world ranking of 14 going into this match, with England well ahead in sixth place.

Still, Jamie Joseph’s men made a better start, in front of a crowd that fell slightly short of the 35,000 capacity. George Ford’s fourth-minute penalty put England ahead after Semisi Masirewa spilled Elliot Daly’s kick on the left, but after that it was Japan who produced the more threatening and daring rugby.

In the ninth minute, from an attacking lineout, the Japanese launched a flurry of attacks on the England line and appeared to be about to strike when Joe Marler brilliantly intervened to win a crucial turnover penalty in front of his own line . After a few stuttering English raids were broken up, the underdogs came again, on pace, and earned a penalty which Rikiya Matsuda struck to make the score 3-3.

The fly-half repeated the feat in the 23rd minute, but England struck back quickly. Ford’s clever kick down the left put pressure on the Japanese lineout, their throw was spilled, the ball fell to Ollie Chessum and he charged to the line. The Leicester lock was stopped short, but from the ruck Ludlam fired over for England’s first try at the World Cup.

Ford converted but missed his next shot – a long-range penalty – and Japan closed the gap again when Matsuda was on target at the other end. Ford had the last word before half-time, with a kick to make it 13-9, but England were still far from supreme at half-time.

After the break, Borthwick’s men began to pick up the pace and play with more intent for a short period, before resuming the kicking routine. Kazuki Himeno stopped an English attack in the red zone with a bad luck penalty and five minutes before the end his team managed to pull back to within a point with another Matsuda penalty.

But a minute later England were lucky. Earl broke down the right flank and as the ball was switched infield, Ford’s pass was fumbled behind by Will Stuart, bounced off Marler’s head into space and Lawes leapt to score.

Ford converted again and with 14 minutes to go created a third Red Rose try, with a cross from an attacking scrum, which Freddie Steward caught to land. Ford’s extras made it 27-12 and the game was over. Immediately after his death, Joe Marchant crashed for the bonus point try, to create an emphatic score even though it had not been an emphatic performance.