Japan want 'the sky to fall in' at Twickenham - Jones
Source: BBC Sport ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
Japan’s senior rugby side will try to pull off a historic victory over England at Twickenham on Saturday, inspired by Italy’s breakthrough win earlier this year. Head coach Eddie Jones, the former England boss who was dismissed in December 2022 after a 27‑13 loss to South Africa, says his side will look to “disrupt” an England team that is preparing for a test against New Zealand the following week. Jones, now 66, hopes to create “havoc, chaos” and even get the crowd “booing” so that “the sky starts to come in on Twickenham” and anything can happen. Japan have never beaten England, losing all six previous meetings, most recently 54‑19 in the 2022 autumn series, but they join Italy and Fiji as nations that have secured maiden victories over England during Steve Borthwick’s tenure.
Jones argues that England’s players are unusually vulnerable to pressure because of the intense media scrutiny they face, which he says is “probably more than any other country in the world.” He points to England’s recent five‑match losing streak, reports of a rift between players and coaches, and the need for leadership to keep the squad focused. Borthwick’s side, however, responded to those challenges by delivering a convincing 45‑22 win over Australia, easing the pressure on the coach ahead of the Japan test. Jones, who previously worked with Borthwick as an assistant for both Japan and England, praised his opponent as “an outstanding coach and a very intelligent man,” underscoring the respect between the two despite the rivalry.
Japan’s back‑line features several notable figures, including 21‑year‑old fly‑half Ryunosuke Ito, who was plucked from university rugby by Jones and debuted against Italy in July without any professional experience. Ito scored a solo try against Australia in August but will miss the remainder of the northern‑hemisphere Nations Championship because Meiji University requires his participation in a collegiate competition. He is set to join Tokyo’s Suntory Sungoliath next season, a squad that will also contain former New Zealand captain Sam Cane and former Ireland and British & Irish Lions wing James Lowe. England’s rising back‑row Henry Pollock, who has been prolific in the tournament, will also feature, though Jones cautioned against over‑emphasising his try‑scoring rate, noting that the broader context of the game matters more than individual statistics.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Cross-border money flows can gradually change direction after events like this.
- ▶Growth projections drawn up in distant capitals may need a rethink.
🏙️Local Economyhigh impact
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❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Getting swept up in the occasion is part of what makes sport special.
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- ▶Financial plans built on solid ground rarely need urgent revisiting here.
- ▶Investors often reshuffle their holdings when stories like this break.
🏠Housinglow impact
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🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.6%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.2%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 1.3% with inflation at 3.3%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.3%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.4% with inflation at 2.4%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 8.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at -0.5% with inflation at 8.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6.5%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at -3.9% with inflation at 4.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.