England fringe ace World Cup audition in warning to wounded All Blacks

Will Joseph starred with a record-equalling five tries as England’s fringe players came to the fore in a scintillating 78-15 demolition of Japan.

Steve Borthwick’s side laid to rest any lingering murmurings of dressing room discontent last weekend when they recorded their biggest-ever win over Australia, scoring seven tries to quell the outside noise and provide some much-needed momentum after a difficult year.

This, though, was England at their destructive best. They took less than half an hour to reach the seven-try mark and had Japan totally reeling by the half-time whistle as they rattled in 49 points to their opponents’ 10.

So unrelenting and unapologetic was England’s performance at Twickenham that they never went longer than 11 minutes without scoring a try in the first half.

Joseph started the procession within a minute, completed his hat-trick after 19 and was in dreamland by the 55th, marking his first appearance for England in four years in devastating fashion and equalling the record for the most tries scored in a single game by an England player.

He now holds a five-way share of that particular record, joining Henry Arundell after the latter’s own five-try haul against Chile at the 2023 World Cup.

Josh Lewsey did it against Uruguay at the 2003 tournament, likewise Rory Underwood - England’s leading try-scorer of all time - on the tour of Fiji in 1989 and Douglas Lambert against France all the way back in 1907.

Flying finish: Joseph equalled the England record for most tries scored in one match

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Reduced to 14 men after Harry Hockings’ first-minute yellow card for a high hit on Ellis Genge was upgraded to a 20-minute red, Japan were powerless to stop England.

A sympathetic ripple of applause from the home crowd after the Brave Blossoms ran in their first try in the 37th minute summed it up.

Eddie Jones’ young side were simply blown away by England’s sheer power, pace and physicality. The hosts dominated in the air and at the breakdown, laying down the perfect marker ahead of a huge showdown with a New Zealand side who will be hurting after their historic shock first defeat to Wales since 1953.

The irony of Jones handing Joseph his England debut was not lost on the Japan head coach. He joked that he had expected a little more loyalty from the Gloucester wing, but ultimately England were always going to pounce given the time and space they were afforded.

Shock defeat: New Zealand lost to Wales for the first time since 1953 in a huge upset

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Joseph and Max Ojomoh are both on the outside looking in as Borthwick weighs up who to take to the World Cup next year, but their performances against Japan certainly won’t have hurt their chances.

This was an opportunity taken by an England side showing 10 changes from the Australia rout, some of them injury-enforced.

Borthwick did not hide from the advantage that his team were afforded by Hockings’ early dismissal, but he will have been thrilled with how they pressed home their dominance so emphatically.

New Zealand are, as Maro Itoje put it post-match, a world-class team, and they will be keen to respond after their humbling defeat in Cardiff.

England, though, are the side with confidence and a clinical streak heading into next weekend’s blockbuster Nations Championship clash.