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Three threats an inexperienced England will need to be wary of at Twickenham

By Alex Shaw
Keita Inagaki has been one of the most consistent loosehead props in world rugby over the last four years. (Photo by Ken Ishii/Getty Images)

England and Eddie Jones have chosen to roll the dice against Japan at Twickenham on Saturday, bringing in a number of fresh faces and giving them an opportunity to put down a marker at international level.

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Joe Cokansiga is making his debut on the wing, whilst starters Alec Hepburn, Zach Mercer and Alex Lozowski have less than 10 caps between them. Ted Hill is also set to debut from the bench, with the 19-year-old enjoying a stellar season with his club Worcester Warriors.

As for Japan, they have opted for a much more settled line-up, even if it doesn’t necessarily boast a major experience advantage, as they bid to upset the odds in their first ever visit to Twickenham.

We have picked out three key threats that England will need to be wary of on Saturday, lest they face the same kind of upset that South Africa endured during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

 

Keita Inagaki (RugbyPass Index score – 68)

Japan’s starting loosehead is no pushover in the scrum, and he was one of they key contributors in that historic victory over the Springboks. He has taken on more experienced operators than Harry Williams and come out with credit before, so the Exeter man will need to be at his best on Saturday.

The 28-year-old has the relatively small amount of 23 caps to his name, but his experience includes a Rugby World Cup, growing Super Rugby exposure with the Sunwolves and a wealth of rugby in Japan’s Top 14 with the Panasonic Wild Knights. Unfortunately for Inagaki, he is without his long-term hooking partner Shota Horie, a combination which has brought Japan plenty of success, but starting hooker Atsushi Sakate is also a teammate at club level in both the Top League and Super Rugby, so there should be a good understanding between the pair.

 

Michael Leitch (RPI score – 65)

A name that should be slightly more familiar to English rugby fans, with the Cherry Blossoms’ captain a regular feature in Super Rugby, initially with the Chiefs and now with the Sunwolves. With the exception of scrum-half Fumiaki Tanaka, Leitch is the most experience player in the Japan squad, with 57 test caps to his name.

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Leitch has prospered in Super Rugby as a balanced operator in the back row, capable of piling up eye-watering tackle numbers, influencing the breakdown or providing a necessary carrying threat, depending on the game situation and what his team needs. He will certainly test England’s fringe defence and keep them honest, whilst his work at the lineout and the maul will be one of Japan’s main scoring threats on Saturday.

 

Kenki Fukuoka (RPI score – 62)

Speaking of scoring threats, another one of Japan’s key weapons will be wing Fukuoka. He has 17 tries in his 27 international matches to date, although that should be treated with a pinch of salt, as seven of those tries have come in three games against the Philippines and Korea.

That said, he is an elusive threat in the wider channels, using his smaller height and slighter frame to his advantage offensively. He will be matched up with Cokanasiga on Saturday, which is quite the physical mismatch in England’s favour, but Jones will have to be wary about kicks in behind Cokanasiga, as the big Bath wing will be under constant pressure from the more agile Fukuoka. Do not be surprised if the Panasonic Wild Knights wing sniffs out a try in broken play this weekend.

Watch: England defence coach John Mitchell talks to RugbyPass ahead of the game against Japan.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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