Eddie Jones has never been one to shy away from a headline, and the Japan head coach has set the stage for Saturday's clash with England by declaring that his side will attempt to "cause some havoc" and "get the crowd booing" at Allianz Stadium.
Jones, who was sacked as England boss in December 2022 following a dismal autumn campaign, returns to Twickenham with a Japan team desperate to upset the odds. The 66-year-old Australian believes his underdogs can take inspiration from Italy's historic first win over England in March, as well as Fiji's maiden triumph in 2023.
Underdogs with a plan
"We're massive underdogs," Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We've got to find a way to disrupt an England side that's looking at New Zealand next week and sometimes may be a little bit distracted. Our opportunity is to get in there, cause some havoc, cause some chaos, put off their game, get the crowd booing. Then the sky starts to come in on Twickenham and you never know what can happen."
Japan have never beaten England in six previous Test meetings, but Jones knows better than most how fragile confidence can be in the English camp. He points to the intense scrutiny that England players face, which he believes is unmatched anywhere else in world rugby.
"The noise does get to the team and it can be pretty loud in England," he said. "You've got a lot of newspapers, a lot of media, probably more than any other country in the world. Sometimes that can weigh down on the players and it's the job of the leadership to get the players thinking straight."
Respect for Borthwick
Despite his fighting talk, Jones was quick to praise his opposite number, Steve Borthwick, with whom he has worked closely in the past. "Steve's an outstanding coach and a very intelligent man, and a really good coach. So I've got the highest respect for him."
Borthwick's England eased the pressure on their coach with an impressive 45-22 victory over Australia last weekend, a win that followed five successive defeats and reports of a rift between players and staff. The result vindicated Borthwick's insistence that the squad remained united.
England will be wary of a Japan side that has shown flashes of brilliance under Jones. Fly-half Ryunosuke Ito, plucked from university rugby by Jones, scored a solo try against Australia in August and has established himself as first-choice number 10. However, Ito is missing the northern hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship due to commitments with Meiji University.
Jones also downplayed the try-scoring exploits of England's Henry Pollock, who scored two tries against Australia after coming off the bench. "I wouldn't look too much into it," he said. "Everyone was licking the ice cream on Sunday. They were on the front foot, everyone's lining up to run the ball, there's no pressure in the game. He's a fast back rower, he got the ball in space and he's a talented player, but you couldn't read into it any more than that."
As the countdown to kick-off continues, one thing is certain: Jones will relish the chance to haunt his former employers and remind them of what they let go.
