Japan will take England right to the last moment - Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones has cautioned England that Japan will push them to their limits in Saturday's match in Tokyo, aiming for a significant upset.

Jones’ second tenure as Japan's head coach kicks off at the National Stadium, where he faces the team he led for seven years before being dismissed in December 2022 due to poor performance.

Adding to the excitement, Jones will compete for the first time against Steve Borthwick, his former assistant with both the Brave Blossoms and England, who took over his role at Twickenham.

Although Japan is expected to be easily defeated, Jones is confident in his young squad, which includes four newcomers such as university full-back Yoshitaka Yazaki, to surpass expectations.

“We’re really looking forward to this game,” said Jones.

“We know England are a strong side, they were top four at the World Cup and have got their traditional strengths of set-piece, kicking and kick chase. And they’ve developed line speed. What better start is there to see where we’re at?

“Whatever we do in this game, we are going to take England right to the last moment. I’ve got a really good feeling in my bones that we’re going to take them right to the last moment.

“If we’re good we’ll win the game. If we’re not good enough, we’ll work out what we’ve got to do to get better. It’s pretty simple.”