'Argentina really didn’t take a chance at all': Japan ready to exploit England’s shortcomings

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph insists his side are ready to exploit England’s vulnerabilities when they clash in Nice.

The Pool D rivals opened the competition with emphatic wins but the Brave Blossoms are viewed as heavy underdogs for Sunday’s showdown after slipping down the global rankings to 14th.

Although not the swashbuckling force that illuminated their home World Cup four years ago, Japan saw sufficient frailties in England’s 27-10 victory over Argentina to give them hope of springing an upset.

“England controlled that whole game through pressure and Argentina really didn’t take a chance at all,” Joseph said.

“We’ve seen they have got a few weaknesses and if we find them and play our own game we can create some opportunities.

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“We are expecting a lot of pressure – kicking is a big part of their game. Our players have got to be good enough to catch those balls under extreme pressure. It’s going to be one of the big parts of the game that we have got to improve on.

“England will be a handful in the way they play the game. They play differently to everyone else at the World Cup and they control the game well.

“They control the kicking game and set-piece. For tier-two teams it’s always a challenge.”