SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: England said we’d see their attack come to the fore against Japan but we didn’t… Steve Borthwick and his side still have lots of work to do, but a win is all that matters

If you had told Steve Borthwick and his England players last month that they would start their World Cup campaign with back-to-back wins, they would have bitten your hand off.

During the misery of the warm-up matches in August, England were in all kinds of trouble both on and off the field. At that point you weren’t sure where a victory in France would come from.

The fact that Borthwick’s side have now defeated both Argentina and Japan is cause for cheer, as on paper they are the toughest opponents England will face in Group D.

The England players said we would see their attacking play come to the fore against Japan in Nice. But it didn’t happen.

In the end, England did enough for their 34-12 win, but unlike the opening win over Argentina, their big players did not perform at their best.

Steve Brothwick’s side struggled to get into the tournament but will be happy to have won their first two games

Borthwick’s side defeated Japan 34-12 on Sunday evening to maintain their top spot in Pool D

There was far, far too much kicking and too many spilled balls. England’s attack looked clumsy as George Ford tried to get it going. Considerable work remains to be done.

I was pleased to see England produce fast ball – something they struggled to do in the warm-up games – with barely a minute on the clock against Japan. Unfortunately the theme was cancelled.

Freddie Steward collected a signature kick. We expect the same from him, but this time he deliberately reversed it. From the ruck, Alex Mitchell hit the ball clear at breakneck speed.

Elliot Daly’s decision to then kick the ball away was baffling. Yes, there was space at the back, but when you get possession of the ball quickly, the last thing you want to do is give it back to the opposition!

In any case, England opened the scoring through Ford when Japanese full-back Semisi Masirewa failed to collect Daly’s kick. But that didn’t make it the right decision.

Japan had joy with an early cross. That’s the kind of attacking play I’d like to see from England.

Ford had some up-and-down tries against both Steward and Jonny May, but after a fine start from England it was Japan who looked more dangerous going forward.

I didn’t think Jamie Joseph’s side had the ability to play at the pace they did in 2019 when they beat Ireland and Scotland, but they certainly caused problems for England.

England were not at their best against Japan: there was far too much kicking and too many spilled balls

England looked clumsy as George Ford tried to get them going but did enough for the win

Ford was awarded a free kick and with the score 3-3 after the first quarter, Japan certainly deserved an equal score.

The first half was a real contrast in styles. Japan played deliberately and quickly. England did not; their set-piece once again focused on driving lineouts.

The English pack did drive one maul forward, but there was none of the fast ruck ball spreading wide that we saw from the very start.

At one point in the first half I wondered if it would be better if England sent another man off, as they seem to play better with fourteen men!

It was a stroke of luck that Japan made a big mistake on its own line. When their lineout went completely wrong, England got a try for Lewis Ludlam.

Ford converted and then missed a penalty. But the English players could not hold the ball for several phases before kicking or the attack failed. They just gave the ball away. There were 19 kicks from England’s first half and their poor execution was evident just before half-time when Ford went for the corner.

Japan impressed early and deserved to be on level terms after the first quarter of the match in Nice

Being positive by turning down three points and taking a shot is to be applauded, but it means nothing if you then throw away the opportunity.

That’s what England did. When Ben Earl threw the ball up there seemed to be confusion as to whether he was looking for Ludlam or Jamie George. The ball hit George right in the head.

England produced some nice hands early in the second half, sending Daly onto the wing.

May raced on to a chip ahead. They were promising signs.

There were promising signs for England, but ultimately they were just happy to win in the end

Borthwick’s side should top Group D but will need to improve if they want to go far in the tournament across the Channel

But then normal service resumed, with Steward spilling a short ball from Ford. Mitchell’s kick attempt, which ended in a dead end, was even booed by the English fans on the Cote d’Azur.

It was an exciting match. I didn’t expect England to put 60 or 70 points on Japan, but I did think they would win quite comfortably. In the end, England were just happy to win at all.

Courtney Lawes’ sloppily converted try was a huge relief and a key moment.

The performance was disappointing overall. But at the World Cup, winning is all that matters and England are doing just that – something you couldn’t have guaranteed last month.