Manu Tuilagi celebrates with teammate George Ford after scoring his second try against Tonga. Photo / Getty Images
Manu Tuilagi celebrates with teammate George Ford after scoring his second try against Tonga. Photo / Getty Images
All you need to know ahead of...
England V USA
It was meant to be a compliment in Eddie Jones' famously impertinent style, only it didn't really work out that way.
The England coach's quip that the United States will play like "15 Donald Trumps" when the teams meetat the Rugby World Cup in Japan on Thursday has intensified the buildup to what should be a routine win for the English.
Jones, an Australian, said he only meant that the Americans would be fired up for their opening game.
"They're going to come out all guns blazing," Jones said, hardly making it any better.
US Coach Gary Gold didn't react, mindful that his squad — at No 13 in the rankings and below the likes of Georgia — has no right to any bravado against the 2003 champion and No 3-ranked team in the world.
Instead, the Americans' record at rugby's top tournament requires humility. The Eagles have won one game in three previous Rugby World Cups and three out of 25 in their World Cup history.
This year, they must face three Tier One nations - England, France and Argentina - in their first three games in Pool C. The Americans lost 28-10 to England in 2007 on the way to finishing winless and last in its pool, and the difference this time might be bigger.
The US also finished bottom of its pool with an 0-4 record at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
"At this stage, with all due respect, we're not a good enough rugby team to be making comments or answers to questions like that," Gold, a South African, said when asked for his reaction to Jones' bizarre comparison.
"I don't know what it means."
It's been a lively few days at the start of the World Cup from Jones, even by the cheeky Aussie's standards.
The Trump comment came a day after he was asked by a Japanese reporter to explain his reference to two of his England players being "kamikaze kids".
Jones, a former Japan coach who has Japanese heritage through his mother, said he used the term to describe young flankers Tom Curry and Sam Underhill because of their ferocious defensive work.
Kamikaze is a sensitive word in Japan because of its reference to airplane pilots who flew suicide missions against US and other Allied ships in World War II.
After England's first game against Tonga in Sapporo, on Japan's northern Hokkaido island, Jones said it was special to take rugby to a region unfamiliar with the game.
Then, he added Hokkaido was "closer to Russia than you probably want to be".
Despite Jones' early exuberance in Japan, his team was patchy against Tonga, only securing a bonus point in the last three minutes and didn't provide him with a compelling start to the tournament following a compelling final warmup when England beat Ireland 57-15 and Italy 37-0.
Instead, England will aim to ramp up its performance against the Americans in Kobe on Thursday, although the four-day turnaround from the game against Tonga threatens to work against the English.
"The recovery process will be massively important and we've just got to get on with it," England scrum coach Neal Hatley said.
In contrast, while the English were taking on the hefty Tongans up in Hokkaido, the US has been in camp at a resort on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa for two weeks preparing for its entrance at the World Cup.
England head coach Eddie Jones has put his foot in it a few times already at this World Cup. Photo / Getty Images
That also seemed a strange choice, politically, with protests last year in Okinawa over the US's long-term military presence there, which dates back to World War II.
Still, there's no indication that the Americans have been anything other than comfortable in Okinawa, with the Japanese hospitality at Asia's first Rugby World Cup described as excellent by teams.
Against England, the Eagles may get some help from many of their players having experience of England and English players.
Four starters — hooker Joe Taufete'e, prop Titi Lamositele, first-five AJ MacGinty and center Paul Lasike — play in the English Premiership, as does reserve back Bryce Campbell.
The US has eight players in its squad attached to English clubs.
"We're trying to get better," said captain and wing Blaine Scully, who formerly played in England.
"We've shown we can improve and we are improving. That's where our focus is."
Match details: Thursday 26 September,10.45pm, Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe City.
England 15. Elliot Daly, 14. Ruaridh McConnochie, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Piers Francis, 11. Joe Cokanasiga, 10. George Ford (c), 9. Willi Heinz, 8. Billy Vunipola, 7. Lewis Ludlam, 6. Tom Curry, 5. George Kruis, 4. Joe Launchbury, 3. Dan Cole, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1. Joe Marler.
Reserves: 16. Jack Singleton, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Kyle Sinckler, 19. Courtney Lawes, 20. Mark Wilson, 21. Ben Youngs, 22. Owen Farrell, 23. Anthony Watson.
USA 15. Will Hooley, 14. Blaine Scully (c), 13. Marcel Brache, 12. Paul Lasike, 11. Martin Iosefo, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Shaun Davies, 8. Cam Dolan, 7. John Quill, 6. Tony Lamborn, 5. Nick Civetta, 4. Ben Landry, 3. Titi Lamositele, 2. Joe Taufete'e, 1. David Ainuu.
Reserves: 16. Dylan Fawsitt, 17. Olive Kilifi, 18. Paul Mullen, 19. Greg Peterson, 20. Hanco Germishuys, 21. Ruben de Haas, 22. Bryce Campbell, 23. Mike Te'o
How to watch:
The Herald will have live updates of the match from 10.30pm. Spark Sport coverage starts at 10.15pm. Kickoff is at 10.45pm.
