Joseph scores five on England return in 78-15 win over Japan

Will Joseph marked his first England appearance since 2022 with five tries as Steve Borthwick's side defeated Japan 78-15 at Twickenham on Saturday. Sky Sports reported that England crossed 13 times in the Nations Championship match, with Joseph accounting for more than a third of their tries on his return to international rugby.

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Japan suffered an early setback when lock Harry Hockings was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Ellis Genge, subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card. Joseph completed his hat-trick inside the opening 20 minutes and added a fourth before the interval, repeatedly finding space on the wing.

Freddie Steward, Genge, Cadan Murley, Ben Earl, George Martin, Ben Curry, Marcus Smith and Greg Fisilau also scored tries for England. Japan's tries came from Warner Dearns and Opeti Helu. England missed eight conversions, with George Ford unsuccessful on six attempts and Henry Slade on two, according to Sky's match report.

For Joseph, the performance ended a four-year wait for a second cap. BBC Sport reported that his only previous England appearance had come against Australia in July 2022, when Eddie Jones, now Japan's head coach, was in charge of the England team. Joseph was a teenage member of that touring squad.

The 24-year-old's route back included a move from London Irish to Harlequins after his former club's bankruptcy. He subsequently struggled with fitness and opportunities at Harlequins before producing strong performances for Gloucester this season. England used him on the wing against Japan, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso unavailable for the remainder of the autumn campaign.

BBC Sport described the result as England's fourth consecutive victory following a run of five defeats. Borthwick praised his team's attacking speed and positioning, saying their movement had created options with the ball. Joseph, meanwhile, said the work he had put into returning to international rugby had been rewarded.

England next host New Zealand at Twickenham on November 21. Japan will face Scotland at Murrayfield on the same day. Joseph's selection for the All Blacks match remains to be decided.