Inexperienced Japan get tough lesson in 52-17 loss to England

Eddie Jones' new-look Brave Blossoms received a rugby lesson from a clinical England side who ran in eight tries to two in a 52-17 victory at Tokyo's National Stadium on Saturday.

The match pitted Jones, back in charge of Japan for the first time since 2015, against his former assistant and successor as England head coach, Steve Borthwick, whose world No. 5 team is gearing up for a two-test tour of New Zealand.

With 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup skipper Michael Leitch reclaiming the captain's armband, the young and inexperienced Brave Blossoms showed promising early signs as they sought to implement Jones' advertised brand of "super-fast" rugby.

The hosts finally went over in the 66th minute when replacement forward Kai Yamamoto scrambled past two defenders and set the stage for winger Koga Nezuka to cross and make it 45-10 once replacement flyhalf Rikiya Matsuda added the extras.

Takuya Yamasawa, who came on for 20-year-old debutant fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki in the second half, scored Japan's second try three minutes later after second-rower Warner Dearns stormed through the center of the field and provided the final pass.

Mainichi