England will look to extend their winning run when they face Japan at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday, 14 November, in the fifth round of the 2026 Nations Championship.
Steve Borthwick’s side enter the contest following a 45-22 victory over Australia, but several injuries have disrupted their preparations. England are chasing a fourth consecutive win, having also beaten Fiji and Argentina during July’s Southern Hemisphere series.
Japan arrive after a narrow 28-21 defeat against Wales in Cardiff. Former England head coach Eddie Jones will return to Twickenham looking to secure Japan’s first Test victory over his former side.
The match kicks off at 4.40 pm GMT and will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX.
England’s injury problems complicate selection
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland’s seven-try victory over Australia strengthened their position in the Northern Hemisphere standings, but the result came at a considerable cost.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso suffered a right ankle injury during the first half following a tackle by Australian prop Angus Bell. The Exeter winger will miss the remainder of the Nations Championship.
Tom Curry is also unavailable for the rest of the campaign after sustaining a hip injury in training before the Australia match.
Meanwhile, Seb Atkinson, Ollie Chessum and George Furbank look likely to miss Saturday’s encounter. Atkinson has a hip injury, Chessum has a shoulder problem, and Furbank is recovering from a groin injury.
England hope the three players could return against New Zealand on 21 November.
Borthwick responded by making six changes to his 36-man training squad on Monday, 9 November. Reuters
Noah Caluori, Max Ojomoh, Tobias Elliott, Jack Kenningham, Max Hicks and Archie McParland joined the group preparing for Japan.
The changes give England options across the backs and forwards, although the final matchday squad has yet to be confirmed.
Henry Pollock could also have an important role after his unusual contribution against Australia.
The Northampton Saints back-row forward replaced Feyi-Waboso on the wing at half-time and scored twice as England pulled away from the Wallabies.
Jamie George, Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes, Jack van Poortvliet and Ben Spencer also crossed the try line during England’s highest-scoring performance against Australia.
Pollock’s versatility offers Borthwick another option, but his performance on the wing does not guarantee that he will play there against Japan.
England must now balance their selection changes with the need to maintain momentum before facing New Zealand the following weekend.
Japan seek improvement after narrow Wales defeat
Embed from Getty ImagesJapan’s defeat in Cardiff demonstrated why England cannot rely solely on their superior head-to-head record.
The Brave Blossoms scored three tries and remained competitive throughout their meeting with Wales on 7 November.
Ben Gunter and Warner Dearns crossed during the first half, while replacement scrum-half Kenta Fukuda scored late to reduce the deficit to seven points.
Japan threatened to level the match during the closing stages, but Wales secured a turnover to preserve their 28-21 victory.
The Japanese lineout also caused Wales problems, providing attacking possession and disrupting the hosts’ set-piece play.
According to the Japan Rugby Football Union’s match report, head coach Eddie Jones praised his team’s commitment but acknowledged that errors near the opposition try line prevented Japan from converting pressure into points.
Those missed opportunities will concern Jones ahead of another difficult away assignment.
Japan have demonstrated an ability to attack through quick passing and support running. However, they must make better use of possession inside the opposition’s 22 if they are to challenge England.
Their performance against Wales also showed the importance of remaining competitive at the breakdown and maintaining defensive discipline.
England will expect their forwards to establish control, but Japan’s willingness to move possession quickly could test a home side dealing with changes in personnel.
Nations Championship standings increase the stakes
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland’s victory over Australia moved them into second place in the Northern Hemisphere standings after four rounds.
France lead with 17 points, while England and Ireland have 15 each. England sit above Ireland on points difference.
Japan occupy fifth place in the Southern Hemisphere group with five points, having collected a losing bonus point against Wales.
For England, another victory would strengthen their challenge for a place in the inaugural Nations Championship final.
The new competition features 12 countries divided into Northern and Southern Hemisphere groups.
Each team plays six matches against opponents from the opposite hemisphere, with three fixtures taking place in July and another three in November.
The results determine the final rankings within each group.
As explained in World in Sport’s Nations Championship fixtures and title guide, the first-placed teams from both hemispheres will meet in the final at Twickenham on 29 November.
The other ten nations will contest classification matches against teams finishing in the corresponding position in the opposite group.
England therefore have more than a home victory at stake.
France remain ahead in the standings, while Ireland are also competing for the top position. Bonus points and points difference could become important if the leading teams finish level.
Japan have different ambitions. A victory would improve their position in the Southern Hemisphere group and offer evidence of their progress against leading European opposition.
Previous meetings favour England
England have won all six previous capped internationals against Japan.
Their most recent meeting came at Twickenham on 24 November 2024, when England secured a convincing 59-14 victory.
Borthwick’s side scored nine tries, with Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie claiming two each.
England also defeated Japan 52-17 in Tokyo earlier that year and won 34-12 during the group stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Those results demonstrate England’s historical advantage, particularly through their physical strength and ability to finish attacking opportunities.
However, previous results offer no guarantee about Saturday’s outcome.
Japan have continued developing under Jones, who returned for a second spell as head coach in 2024.
His familiarity with English rugby adds another dimension to the contest.
Jones guided England to three Six Nations titles and the 2019 Rugby World Cup final during his tenure between 2015 and 2022.
He also knows the demands of playing at Twickenham and the expectations surrounding England’s international programme.
For Borthwick, the challenge is to ensure that his side impose their strengths without allowing Japan to dictate the pace of the match.
Where the match could be decided
England’s attacking performance against Australia provided encouragement after an inconsistent year.
Their forwards created opportunities, while their backs finished several moves effectively.
Fin Smith also impressed at fly-half, converting five of England’s seven tries.
Maintaining that attacking accuracy will be important against Japan.
The visitors demonstrated against Wales that they can compete physically and disrupt opposition possession. Their lineout performance was particularly encouraging.
England must therefore protect their set-piece ball and avoid giving Japan opportunities to attack from turnovers.
The breakdown could prove equally significant.
Japan will look to generate quick possession and challenge England’s defensive organisation. The hosts, meanwhile, will aim to slow Japan’s attacking rhythm and establish territory through their kicking game.
England’s changes in midfield and the back three may influence how effectively they manage those situations.
Borthwick must decide whether to retain the attacking structure that worked against Australia or adjust his approach to accommodate the available players.
Japan also face selection decisions following their demanding encounter in Cardiff.
Both sides have shown attacking potential, but their ability to limit errors could determine how competitive Saturday’s match becomes.
England vs Japan: Kick-off time and TV coverage
England face Japan on Saturday, 14 November 2026, at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
The schedule lists Kick-off for 4.40 pm GMT.
The Nations Championship encounter will be shown live in the UK on ITV1, with streaming available through ITVX.
Supporters attending the fixture can find admission arrangements, stadium opening times and other details through the official Allianz Stadium matchday information.
England will return to Twickenham on Saturday, 21 November, to face New Zealand in their final group match before the Nations Championship Finals Weekend.
Japan will travel to Edinburgh to meet Scotland on the same day.
For Borthwick, Saturday’s immediate priority is to secure another victory despite the injuries affecting his squad.
For Jones, the encounter presents an opportunity to challenge England at Twickenham and build on the competitive performance his players produced against Wales.
Both teams still have important matches ahead, but the outcome on Saturday could significantly influence their final positions in the inaugural Nations Championship.
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