Will Joseph was taken on England's 2022 tour of Australia by Jones as a teenage apprentice player, alongside fellow London Irish academy product Henry Arundell.

While Arundell's try-scoring cameo in the first Test captured most of the attention, Joseph also made his international bow, coming on for the final minute of the team's second-Test win in place of Guy Porter.

Now 24, it has been a long wait for his next piece of international experience.

“What a player he [Joseph] is. I've been really impressed with him in training," England coach Kevin Sinfield told the Guardian,

"There are some young guys who have massively put their hands up over a period of time. Having only worked with Will for a little while, he's made a huge mark on everybody. He beats people.

"He's got great balance. He's a good defender with unbelievable power and speed off the mark.

"Do you want me to go on…? He's going to be some player.

"I'm a big fan. He's a special player. Some of the bits he’s done in training have been 'wow' moments. He can play."

Image source, Getty Images

Mike Henson
BBC Sport senior rugby union reporter at Allianz Stadium

England's wider squad are doing their bit for the team's public relations. Jamie George and Joe Marchant cheerfully sign and smile for fans before running as part of a bibs opposition, marshalled by Fin Smith, against the starting XV.

Image source, BBC Sport

It takes you back seeing a duvet-coated Eddie Jones stalking around the Twickenham turf.

His Japanese side practise kick-off drills, hoisting 6ft 8in second row Warner Dearns skywards.

Dearns, the team's co-captain, leads them back to the sheds in an arrowhead formation.

Image source, BBC Sport

England fly-half George Ford, speaking on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast about the competition at 10: "The three of us, our relationship we have, the respect we have for each other and the competitiveness is the best I have experienced in the England team.

"We all understand that Steve will pick the team and we are compete hard.

"We are a little unit that are responsible for preparing the team. To win a championship or World Cup you need three high-quality 10s who are great people as well."

England head coach Steve Borthwick worked under Eddie Jones at both Japan and England.

Jones, 66, was sacked by England in December 2022 after a miserable autumn which ended in a 27-13 Twickenham defeat by South Africa and jeers from the home fans.

"The noise does get to the team and it can be pretty loud in England," Jones told BBC 5 Live.

"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.

"Steve's an outstanding coach and a very intelligent man, and a really good coach. So I've got the highest respect for him."

Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent

Centre Max Ojomoh - labelled "one of the most talented players in English rugby" - has been challenged to produce a relentless and physical performance against Japan on Saturday.

The challenge has been put down by England head coach Steve Borthwick.

The Bath man burst on to the international scene in a man-of-the-match display against Argentina at the end of 2025, but has not played for his country in the 12 months since.

Ojomoh was initially left out of Steve Borthwick's wider training squad but after starring for the 'A' team has been catapulted back into the England number 12 shirt and with it World Cup contention.

"You have to be incredibly skilled in that position, but it demands a skill and toughness it previously probably didn't," Borthwick explained.

"It used to be a second receiver, that second pair of eyes, the distribution skills and the potential kicking skills.

"Now they've got to hit and they've got to run in attack and they've got to run in defence, and our centres are involved in a lot of rucks in wider channels.

"Can they get the ball back? And can they tackle with impact to get the ball back? So when I'm talking about centres, I want the incredible skill and I want the incredible toughness.

"And I am full of belief that Max will go and deliver that this weekend."

Image source, Getty Images

Mike Henson
BBC Sport senior rugby union reporter at Allianz Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

There is definitely a bit of a different demographic at Allianz Stadium today.

Tickets for under-16s were priced at £15 to pull in the families for the lowest profile of England's autumn fixtures.

Reginald Hefferman is here with his Painswick RFC under-11s team-mates. About 15-20 youngsters have made the coach trip and will be pulling back into the clubhouse car park tonight at around 11pm.

Reginald is rocking England's away shirt, drawn to it by the shiny rose badge, and two foam fingers. It is a strong look.

Massive credit to Jeremy and Aimee Hefferman, Reginald's parents, who both coach kids on their weekends.

Head coach Eddie Jones says Japan are drawing inspiration from Italy, who beat England for the first time in March, as the Brave Blossoms attempt to heap pressure back on Steve Borthwick with their own landmark win.

"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 [England play the All Blacks on 21 November] 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.

"We've seen it happen with Italy and other countries."

Image source, Getty Images

France's epic win over South Africa puts them in control of the northern hemisphere standings.

Wales have moved up to fourth with their magnificent 35-28 victory against New Zealand - their first win over the All Blacks since 1953.

Despite that defeat, New Zealand top the southern hemisphere standings after securing a bonus point in Cardiff.

Image source, Getty Images

Riku Tokito, who shone with ⁠the Japanese sevens team at the Nagoya Asian ​Games, will make his debut on the left ​wing.

Riku ⁠Kitahara retains his place at fly-half after making his debut last week.

Mike Henson
BBC Sport senior rugby union reporter at Allianz Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

Ethan Hung and his dad Richard are on their first trip to Allianz Stadium.

They have come in from Hertford today, hoping to see some local and localish heroes.

Jamie George played his boyhood rugby at Hertford, just like Ethan. But he has been rotated out of the starting line-up with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Theo Dan on hooking duties.

Ethan is a big fan of Saracens' Noah Caluori, but the 20-year-old has not made the matchday 23 either.

Maro Itoje will be carrying their home hopes in George and Caluori's absence.

Ethan, who also plays at Richard Hale School, is sitting out his own head injury time-out after copping some friendly fire last month, running into a team-mate's shoulder.

Image source, Getty Images

Free-scoring back row Henry Pollock will make only his second start for England after being named at number eight in a much-changed side.

Despite mainly being restricted to the bench, Pollock has scored eight tries in 14 Tests, including a double as a stand-in wing against Australia on Sunday.

Elsewhere in-form Will Joseph, whose only previous England cap came under now-Japan coach Eddie Jones in 2022, is given his chance in the absence of injured wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Max Ojomoh comes in at inside centre.

Image source, Getty Images

The news just in is that Wales have beaten New Zealand.

Reaction here.

Friday, 13 November

France 21-19 South Africa

Saturday, 14 November

Italy 14-19 Argentina

Wales 35-28 New Zealand

England v Japan (16:40 GMT)

Ireland v Fiji (20:10 GMT)

Sunday, 15 November

Scotland v Australia (15:10 GMT)

Japan lost 28-21 to Wales last week in the opening Test of their away Nations Championship matches.

Despite beating Italy in their opening match of the championship, the Brave Blossoms were beaten by Ireland and France.

Following two defeats by Australia in August, they won the Pacific Nations Cup in September thanks to a 20-15 win over Fiji in the final.

The build-up to England's game against Australia was marked by questions over Steve Borthwick's side's form, which has been poor for most of 2026, and a reported rift between players and coaches during the summer.

Senior players angrily insisted on Friday the squad and staff were still united, with a 45-22 win the response.

Oh, and Henry Pollock played 40 minutes on the wing, scoring twice.

That was fun!

Back-to-back home wins for England?

Steve Borthwick's side return to Allianz Stadium to face Japan after emphatically dispatching Australia last weekend.

It has not always been this way...

Image source, Getty Images