Will Joseph Scores Five as England Crush Japan 78-15

Will Joseph marked his return to the England squad with a five-try performance on Saturday, as Steve Borthwick's side routed Japan 78-15 in the Nations Championship. It was Joseph's first appearance for England since 2022, and he made the most of it, turning a match that was already one-sided into a rout.

England scored tries at will and never allowed Japan a meaningful spell of pressure. The margin was the story of the afternoon, and it leaves Borthwick with a set of selection questions that are easier to ask than to answer. A winger or centre who spends two years away from the Test scene and then scores five times in one game forces a conversation about where he fits in the squad going forward.

For Japan, the result is a hard one to take. They have been building their game against stronger opposition, and a score line like this shows how far there is still to go against the top tier of the sport. Their defensive line was stretched repeatedly, and England's finishing was clinical.

For England, the win is the kind of result that builds momentum ahead of tougher tests. A thrashing of this size will not settle every debate about the team, but it gives Borthwick a result to build on and a player whose return could change the balance of the back line.