England vs Japan rugby LIVE: Autumn international as it happened

Action Images via Reuters
Action Images via Reuters

England survived an almighty scare as Japan threatened another giant slaying before Joe Cokanasiga's try sealed a 35-15 victory at Twickenham.

Eddie Jones had urged the Brave Blossoms to "go to the temple and pray" in the third of the autumn's Quilter Internationals, but instead it was England's head coach who was pleading to the heavens as his side fell 15-10 behind at half-time.

The Test remained alive until the 72nd minute when bulldozing Bath wing Cokanasiga powered over to celebrate his debut with a try.

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Starting XV

England: Daly; Cokanasiga, Nowell, Lozowski, Ashton: Ford (c), Care; Hepburn, George, Williams, Ewels, Itoje, Lawes, Wilson, Mercer.

Replacements: Hartley, Moon, Sinckler, Hill, Underhill, Wigglesworth, Farrell, Slade.

Japan: Tupou; Yamada, Lafaele, Nakamura, Fukuoka; Tamura, Tanaka; Inagaki, Sakate, Koo, van der Walt, Helu, Leitch (c), Nishikawa, Himeno.

Replacements: Niwai, Yamamoto, Ai Valu, Anise, Tui, Nunomaki, Nagare, Matsuda.


Match officials

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand).

Assistant referees: Nigel Owens and Dan Jones (both Wales).


Head-to-head

England and Japan have only faced one another once before, at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, with England winning 60-7.


Prediction