Eddie Jones has vowed that his England side will show no mercy to Japan when they meet at Twickenham on Saturday.
Before taking over as England boss, Jones coached the Brave Blossoms between 2012 and 2015, and guided them to their shock 34-32 win over the Springboks at the last World Cup.
The 58-year-old, who is of Japanese descent, has sounded a warning to his former team ahead of their clash on Saturday, saying England would be preparing for the game with ‘sushi and sake’ and will be ruthless in their approach against the minnows.
‘Pray, pray, pray. Go to the temple and pray. Just pray, it’s the best thing. We’re going to be absolutely ruthless. If I was Japan, I’d be worried,’ Jones said.
‘I know they’re going to come full of confidence. I’ve heard some of the things they’ve said, they’ve been a bit cheeky, so look out.’
Jones revealed that he will select the strongest available team to front Japan because England are taking the Test ‘seriously’.
‘It’s a good test for us to see how cohesive we can get in a short period of time, which mimics the World Cup. Japan are the highest-kicking team in the world, they’ve got a really good defence system and they’ve got some good young players coming through.
‘We’re taking it seriously and that’s why we have to be absolutely ruthless about the game. If you want to come out and watch a Barbarians game, don’t come out, stay home.’
Photo: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
