England target complete performance against Japan

Autumn Nations Series: England v Japan

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Sunday, 24 November Kick-off: 16:10 GMT

Coverage: Listen to unrecorded commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, travel unrecorded substance commentary connected the BBC Sport website and app

England person shown glimpses of precocious prime during this autumn run and yet triumph continues to elude them.

Steve Borthwick's broadside person mislaid their past 5 matches, falling abbreviated against confederate hemisphere big-hitters New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

They were starring successful each 3 defeats by the All Blacks, earlier conceding a last-gasp effort to autumn abbreviated against the Wallabies.

World champions South Africa were the lone broadside to bushed England by much than 1 score, but caput manager Borthwick volition beryllium nether immense unit if the hosts neglect to bushed Japan astatine Allianz Stadium connected Sunday.

England are overwhelming favourites to support their cleanable grounds against the Brave Blossoms, who are besides the past broadside they beat, backmost successful June.

Japan caput manager Eddie Jones did not be his pre-match quality league connected Friday due to the fact that of wellness reasons.

The erstwhile England brag was good enough, however, to instrumentality to Twickenham connected Saturday arsenic helium finalised his side's plans to inflict a damaging decision connected the hosts.

Japan get successful London aft beating Uruguay 36-20 successful their past outing and England prop Ellis Genge, who made his Test debut nether Jones successful 2016, says the Australian volition relish the accidental to bushed his erstwhile side.

"I similar the bloke. He was always... not ever actually, helium wasn't ever bully to me, but we've got a bully relationship," said Genge.

"He's a maestro of the intelligence portion of subordinate improvement and man-management."

Jones' enactment benignant has been criticised successful a publication by erstwhile England scrum-half Danny Care, who claimed players were belittled and berated successful a "toxic environment".

The 64-year-old volition look England astatine Twickenham for the archetypal clip since helium was sacked by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) successful 2022.

Genge said: "Sometimes helium gets it wrong. There person been immoderate nightmare stories of precocious astir him. But he's a bully bloke. He's a bully guy."

The 29-year-old beforehand enactment added: "I can't ideate he's going to get a cheer erstwhile helium goes connected camera, but he'll emotion that portion of it. He'll relish it.

"He volition person them fired up and you saw what helium did with his Japan broadside successful 2015 that bushed South Africa successful Brighton."

England volition beryllium aiming for an 80-minute show against Japan aft racing retired of the blocks successful each crippled successful the Autumn Nations Series.

Borthwick's broadside failed to people successful the last 4th against the All Blacks and Springboks, portion their 2 converted precocious tries were matched by the Wallabies successful a frantic finale.

Borthwick has criticised the fittingness of his players, external, portion erstwhile England helping Chris Ashton has besides said the existent squad has struggled with "fatigue".

Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson, meanwhile, says England's unit connected the seat person not been conducive to continuity successful their approach.

"I americium not convinced Steve Borthwick has solved his seat issues," Dawson told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.

"There is simply a large quality betwixt Ben Earl and Alex Dombrandt [as fig eights].

"Where is the continuity to get consistency crossed the afloat 80 minutes?"

The playing benignant of Fin Smith, who has replaced George Ford arsenic back-up fly-half connected the bench, is much akin to Marcus Smith's creativity, portion 20-year-old prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour volition marque his England debut if helium comes connected from the bench.

A inferior World Cup victor with England Under-20s successful the summer, Opoku-Fordjour has impressed with his dynamism successful unfastened play and his method expertise connected some sides of the scrum.

England person besides recalled Tom Curry to the starting XV, 2 weeks aft helium was knocked retired against Australia.

Curry was cleared to play aft coming done his 12-day stand-down period, and his inclusion successful a full-strength broadside against Japan lone points to England's request for a affirmative outcome.