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Will Joseph stars as England thrash Japan 78-15 in Nations Championship

Summarised from 10 outlets · 29 reports · Updated 15 Nov, 09:08 · Archive

Will Joseph scored five tries as England overwhelmed Japan 78-15 at Twickenham in the Nations Championship on Saturday.

Will Joseph marked his return to the England team after nearly four years away with an extraordinary performance, scoring five tries on his first Test start as England crushed Japan 78-15 at Twickenham in the Nations Championship. The Gloucester winger, who had not played for England since 2022, touched down inside a minute and added three more before half-time, taking just 59 seconds for his hat-trick.

Joseph's five-try haul equalled the England record, a feat previously achieved only by Henry Arundell in 2023 and Douglas Lambert in 1907. The 24-year-old had won only one previous cap, a two-minute cameo under Eddie Jones in 2022 when he was a teenage apprentice at Harlequins. His rapid ascent at Gloucester this season, where he has played as a winger and in midfield, earned him his recall to replace the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

England's dominance was established from the opening seconds when Joseph sprinted clear down the right to score, and it was only compounded when Japan's lock Harry Hockings was sent off for a high tackle in the first minute, initially receiving a yellow card that was upgraded to a 20-minute red by the television match official. From that point, Japan never recovered.

England scored eight tries in the first half alone, with Freddie Steward, Ellis Genge, Cadan Murley and Ben Earl also crossing. The hosts' accuracy from the tee was lacking; George Ford missed six conversions and Henry Slade two, a weakness that meant the final margin could have been considerably greater.

In the second half, Japan managed to show some resistance, scoring tries through lock Warner Dearns and replacement prop Opeti Helu, but England continued to add tries through George Martin, Ben Curry, Marcus Smith, Greg Fisilau and Joseph again. The gate and atmosphere were buoyed by junior ticket pricing at £15, with 9,864 under-16s attending, reported to be a record for a men's Test at Twickenham.

Japan's coach Eddie Jones, making his return to Twickenham where he had served as England head coach from 2015 to 2022, sat impassively in the coaches' box as his team was dismantled. At his post-match press conference, Jones praised England as "very good" but noted ruefully that Joseph, whom he had given his first cap, had scored five tries against him. He warned that New Zealand, reeling from their first defeat to Wales since 1953, would respond with a "violent" and physical performance when they visit Twickenham next Saturday in what will likely decide the Nations Championship final spot.

The result follows England's emphatic 45-22 victory over Australia the previous week, and both performances were described as World Cup auditions by Steve Borthwick, who made 12 changes from the Australian match. While Joseph's display was outstanding against notably weak opposition—Japan's centre Riku Tokito was making his first professional appearance—the margin of victory reinforces England's credentials heading into their encounter with the All Blacks.

Will Joseph stars as England thrash Japan 78-15 in Nations Championship
Image: BBC News

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In this story: Will Joseph · England · Japan · Eddie Jones · Steve Borthwick · Twickenham · New Zealand · Harry Hockings

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