Borthwick has done a fantastic job, says Jones
Eddie Jones has hailed the impact Steve Borthwick has had with England ahead of the first official Test between the Brave Blossoms and England on Japanese soil. Jones will kick off his second spell in charge of Japan by going head-tohead with his old protégé in Tokyo on June 22. Matches against Italy, Georgia and the Maori All Blacks will follow.
Far from breeding contempt, Jones’ familiarity with Borthwick’s coaching style has left him with nothing but respect for the man who succeeded him at Twickenham and was his assistant with both England and Japan.
“England are three years ahead of us in terms of development,” Jones said. “Steve has had the team for three years, they have got progressively stronger under him. He has done a fantastic job.
“We know what they will bring: a strong set-piece game, a strong kicking game and they are playing a type of South African defence now.
“It is going to be a great challenge to play against them and we are going to have to play really well. But you never know what can happen on a hot day in Tokyo.”
Borthwick went into the last World Cup with a 50:50 win/loss record but the team made steady progress under him while in France, surprising everyone by taking home the bronze medal.
While the straight-jacketed style of play seen from England in France was loosened during the Six Nations, the Tokyo meeting should provide a fascinating contrast of styles.
Jones is excited by the challenge of imposing his brand of “Cho-soku (super-fast) Rugby” on England. He said: “We feel the need to play in a different style, a Japanese style of play, and we will be implementing that from day one. It will be difficult to learn but we want to see the first signs of it against England.”
Jones has included 12 debutants in his squad, including two universi-ty students, so it may be a fairly callow team that takes to the field against England as Japan look to build towards RWC 2027.
However, 35-year-old former captain Michael Leitch is one of the survivors from the famous win over the Springboks in Brighton in 2015, and could still be in contention for a fifth World Cup.
Having made history by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time when they hosted the tournament in 2019, Jones wants Japan to go one better and make the semis in Australia in 2027.
“We need to rebuild and put foundations down so that we can make top four in 2027,” he said. “From here on in, we start building towards the World Cup and this group of players have the first opportunity to do Japan proud.
“What I am looking for is players who are hungry to improve. To go where we want to go, we need players who are absolutely hungry every minute of the day to get better.
“If we can find 33 players before the next World Cup who are like that we have got a good chance of achieving our dream.”
While there are plenty of unfamiliar names on the Brave Blossoms’ roster, Jones has surrounded himself with some high-profile assistants.
Double World Cup-winning Springbok Victor Matfield is a consultant coach and the former lock is joined by another Test centurion in former All Blacks prop, Owen Franks. While those two and coaching co-ordinator Neal Hatley will look after the forwards, former London Irish, Leicester and Bath fly-half Dan Bowden has been rewarded for his work with Japan League One Championship winners, Brave Lupus, with the role of attack coach.
