Independent England sport Est. 2026 · England, every angle

No noise. No nonsense. Just England.

England men · Test matches · Test match

England
v Japan⁠

35–15

Full time

England v Japan finished 35–15.

Japan
Ryoto Nakamura 22', Michael Leitch 31'
Date
Saturday 17 November 2018 · England in 2018
Venue
Twickenham, London
Competition
Test matches · Test match

Last checked 21 October 2026

Team sheets

Line-ups

England

Starting XV

Replacements

Japan

Starting XV

  • No. 1, Keita Inagaki Prop Off in the 75'
  • No. 2, Atsushi Sakate Hooker Off in the 70'
  • No. 3, Jiwon Gu Prop Off in the 73'
  • No. 4, Wimpie van der Walt Lock
  • No. 5, Uwe Helu Lock Off in the 40'
  • No. 6, Michael Leitch (c) Flanker
  • No. 7, Masakatsu Nishikawa Flanker Off in the 40'
  • No. 8, Kazuki Himeno Number 8 Off in the 60'
  • No. 9, Fumiaki Tanaka Scrum Half Off in the 40'
  • No. 10, Yu Tamura Fly Half Off in the 70'
  • No. 11, Kenki Fukuoka Wing
  • No. 12, Ryoto Nakamura Centre
  • No. 13, Timothy Lafaele Centre
  • No. 14, Akihito Yamada Wing
  • No. 15, William Tupou Full Back

Replacements

  • No. 16, Yusuke Niwai On in the 70'
  • No. 17, Koki Yamamoto On in the 75'
  • No. 18, Asaeli Ai Valu On in the 73'
  • No. 19, Samuela Anise On in the 40'
  • No. 20, Hendrik Tui On in the 60'
  • No. 21, Shunsuke Nunomaki On in the 40'
  • No. 22, Yutaka Nagare On in the 40'
  • No. 23, Rikiya Matsuda On in the 70'

Referee: Paul Williams. A replacement who came on is shown with the minute.

Men's senior internationals · Newest first

The 1 meeting before this one

1987 – 1987

01 30 May 1987
Rugby World Cup Concord Oval, Sydney

Japan 7–60 England England won

England tries: Rory Underwood 31', Gary Rees 38', Jamie Salmon 47', Dean Richards 49', Rory Underwood 56', Kevin Simms 62', Mike Harrison 66', Mike Harrison 68', Nigel Redman 76', Mike Harrison 78'

Japan tries: Katsufumi Miyamoto 42'

Match page: Japan v England, 30 May 1987

Official meetings since 1987

England v Japan stats

Full head-to-head

Meetings6In our results database
England wins6England perspective
Draws0Level at full time
Japan wins0Japan victories

England have scored 292 points to Japan's 78 across these meetings.

Individual fixture records

Who has scored most?

England · Fixture leader

3

Mike Harrison

3 tries against Japan in matches we hold scorer data for.

Japan · Fixture leader

2

Naoto Saito

Japan's leading scorer against England in matches we hold scorer data for.

Bet responsibly

18+ only. Odds and offers are subject to change and to the bookmaker's terms. Set a budget, never chase losses, and treat betting as entertainment. National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7.

Gambling support: GambleAware.org (opens in a new tab)