Marcus Smith boosted his chances of retaining England’s number 10 jersey for their upcoming series with New Zealand after a standout performance in a convincing win over Japan. The Harlequins fly-half scored 13 points, including a well-executed try, as England began their summer tour with a 50-15 victory against Eddie Jones’ side in Tokyo.
Japan initially took the lead with a penalty from Seungsin Lee in humid conditions. However, England absorbed the early pressure and responded with a powerful finish by Chandler Cunningham-South on his first Test start.
Smith’s moment came as he finished off a smart line-out routine to carve through the Japanese midfield, setting up further tries for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade with moments of brilliance. A delayed pass from Smith allowed Feyi-Waboso to score unopposed, and a precise crossfield kick enabled Slade to touch down in the same wide channel.
Alex Mitchell, Smith’s half-back partner, added to Japan’s woes with a close-range try after the break and then assisted Ben Earl for another score. Despite Smith receiving a yellow card for an early tackle, England maintained their momentum with Harry Randall exploiting Japanese defensive gaps upon replacing Mitchell.
Japan’s spirited effort earned them late consolation tries from Koga Nezuka and Samisoni Tua. However, England had the final word as Sam Underhill’s try brought their total to a half-century of points. The match concluded with England down to 14 players after replacement lock Charlie Ewels was sent off for a clear-out attempt on Japan captain Michael Leitch.
