England will be hoping to make it two wins out of two as they take on Japan in their second game of the Rugby World Cup. After beating Argentina in their opening fixture, England will be pleased to put any negative energy and publicity behind them. Hopefully, they can get their World Cup rolling after a disappointing Six Nations and World Cup warm-up. Japan will also be hoping to continue a flawless start after beating Chile in their opening fixture.
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England v Japan Preview
The two sides will clash in the Stade de Nice at 9 pm local time (8 pm UK time). It’s just the fourth meeting between these two sides in men’s Test rugby, however, it’s the third time these two have played each other in the last five years. It doesn’t make great reading for the Cherry Blossoms having lost each of their three previous encounters by margins of 20+ points.
However, I don’t think England will be reading too much into the stats. Japan is a different beast this time around. They have continued to impress on the international stage. They are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run in the pool stages and continue to go from strength to strength. Remarkable progress from a nation that had only won one match in 24 attempts before their current turnaround.
Japan was far too strong for a Chile side making their World Cup debut. They ran in six converted tries and beat the newcomers 42-12. This secured the bonus point win for the Japanese. While it’s hard to read too much into this, with all respect to Chile, it’s a game Japan would expect to win. Chile are the lowest-ranked side, and on the day, Japan simply had too much and monstered the South Americans all over the pitch.
For England, it was a good start. Steve Borthwick’s men played a traditional English game. They utilised their pack to great effect, were strong in the breakdowns, and were tidy with the ball. They made use of the pack setting up plenty of kicking opportunities, of which George Ford took full advantage of hoovering up all 27 points from his boot.
However, it was England’s defence that would leave Borthwick happiest. It looked solid and gave them a real platform to build on going forward. Tom Curry’s red card will be the only frustration as they lose him for a further two matches after a head clash in which he was deemed to be culpable.
It’s a very interesting matchup. After serving a suspension of his own, number eight Billy Vunipola is eligible for selection against Japan which might well be a boost to the side. It would be history for Japan to defeat England here. It might well boil down to discipline and who wins in the pack, breakdown, and defending. England won’t mind that; their structure and tactics would suit another gritty affair where they can keep the penalty points ticking over. Japan will be hoping they can make it an open affair and fluster the English side.
Rugby World Cup Betting Odds
England comes into this one as favorites at 1.04 with Japan the outsiders at 9.00 and a draw priced at 46.00. The English also lead the market to score first at 1.37, with Japan at 2.85 to put the first points on the board. Borthwick’s side are expected to score big and are currently at 1.60 to put up over 33.5 points, while over 36.5 points (1.89) and over 39.5 points (2.30) are also heavily backed.
Find all the latest odds here.
England vs. Japan Betting Tips
England Over 39.5 points @ 2.30
England scored 52 points in a dominant win when these two last met in a friendly last year. They will be expected to do the business once more, and we could see them go from strength to strength as they find their World Cup stride.
Japan to win @ 9.00
While England were good against Argentina, their pre-world Cup form suggests there are still a few issues that need to be addressed. While for Japan, they’re on a great World Cup run and have pulled off more than one upset in the last few years. Could this be their time?
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