England dismiss Jones' distraction claims ahead of Japan test at Twickenham

England scrum coach Tom Harrison has rejected Eddie Jones’ assertion that Borthwick’s side risk an upset against Japan on Saturday at Twickenham, with the head coach making 10 changes to a team that includes Cadan Murley winning his first cap at the ground.

Jones, who guided England to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final before taking charge of Japan, suggested England would be “a little bit distracted” by New Zealand’s visit to Allianz Stadium on November 21 — a fixture widely regarded as the headline act of the autumn series. His plan, he indicated, was to exploit that distraction with left-field tactics.

Harrison was unequivocal in his response. “That’s nowhere near the case because we understand how important this game is,” he said. “We understand the challenge Japan can throw at us and we have to be alive in every single moment to the type of rugby they play. We understand that there might be unorthodox things coming our way, but our need is to be alive.”

Harrison also offered a candid assessment of Jones himself. “I’ve never worked with Eddie but I’ve met him a few times and he’s a rugby genius, the way he thinks about the game and the way the players talk about him.”

Murley comes into the starting XV on the left wing in place of the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, earning his eighth England cap and his first at Twickenham. He is joined by Max Ojomoh and Will Joseph among those given the opportunity to press their claims, with Borthwick having signalled that places in next year’s Rugby World Cup squad remain open.

“I just want to go out there and play my best rugby,” Murley said. “I’ll focus on what I can do, control the controllables, and hopefully that will get me in the mix further down the line. But my sole focus is on this game and putting my best foot forward. It’s my first game at Twickenham and that’s what’s on my mind at the moment.”

The depth of the selection shake-up underlines that Borthwick is treating the Japan fixture as a genuine audition for World Cup hopefuls, even as Jones attempts to frame England’s mindset as elsewhere.