Rugby World Cup

Lewis Ludlam comes in at number eight for England’s clash with Japan

Kyle Sinckler and Joe Marler come into new-look frontrow for game in Nice

Lewis Ludlam will play number eight in England's Rugby World Cup Pool D game against Japan in Nice on Sunday. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Fri Sep 15 2023 - 17:40

England have brought in Lewis Ludlum to replace suspended flanker Tom Curry in the Rugby World Cup game against Japan in Nice on Sunday (8pm Irish time), with props Kyle Sinckler and Joe Marler also starting in a team showing three changes from the Argentina Pool D opener.

Ludlam comes in at number eight, with Ben Earl moving to the openside flank in place of Curry, who is banned for this game and the next against Chile after his red card in Saturday’s 27-10 victory over Argentina. The backline is unchanged.

In the team named on Friday, Billy Vunipola, free to play having served a two-match suspension, is among the replacements, where Ben Youngs takes over from Danny Care as scrumhalf cover for Alex Mitchell.

Victory for England would give them one foot firmly in the quarter-finals while for Japan defeat will leave them battling it out with Argentina and Samoa for the other slot.

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Japan have beefed up their forward pack and picked centre Tomoki Osada among the backs. Coach Jamie Joseph has brought in hooker Shota Horie to replace Atsushi Sakate and flanker Pieter Labuschagne is preferred to Kanji Shimokawa.

Captain Kazuki Himeno also returns to the team after being a late withdrawal from the side that beat Chile 42-12 in their opening game.

It means Jack Cornelsen moves from number eight to lock, where he replaces Amanaki Saumaki.

Osada comes into the team at outside centre in the place of Dylan Riley as Joseph largely sticks with the selection that claimed their seventh World Cup pool stage win in a row dating back to the 2015 tournament.

Himeno will captain the side for the fourth time, while ex-skipper Michael Leitch becomes Japan’s most capped player at a World Cup with his 15th appearance, edging ahead of Luke Thompson.

There are 13 players in the matchday squad from the side that lost 52-13 to England in November last year.

ENGLAND: Freddie Steward; Jonny May, Joe Marchant, Manu Tuilagi, Elliot Daly; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Courtney Lawes (capt), Ben Earl, Lewis Ludlam.

Replacements: Theo Dan, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Martin, Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs, Marcus Smith, Ollie Lawrence.

JAPAN: Semisi Masirewa; Kotaro Matsushima, Tomoki Osada, Ryoto Nakamura, Jone Naikabula; Rikiya Matsuda, Yutaka Nagare; Keita Inagaki, Shota Horie, Jiwon Gu; Jack Cornelsen, Amato Fakatava; Michael Leitch, Pieter Labuschagne, Kazuki Himeno (capt).

Replacements: Atsushi Sakate, Craig Millar, Asaeli Ai Valu, Warner Dearns, Kanji Shimokawa, Naoto Saito, Dylan Riley, Lomano Lemeki.

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