Japan want 'the sky to fall in' at Twickenham – Jones

Eddie Jones said Japan want “the sky to fall in” on Saturday, a vivid way of describing the scale of the challenge they are preparing to take on. The message is clear: Japan are not treating this as an ordinary fixture, but as a chance to produce a result that would resonate well beyond one match.

Jones added that Japan are drawing inspiration from Italy as they seek their own breakthrough against England. In rugby, a victory of that kind can change how a team is viewed, lift confidence in the squad and sharpen attention on what it can do against higher-profile opposition. It can also give supporters a result to point to for years.

Twickenham gives the contest extra weight because it is one of the sport’s most recognisable stages. Teams who travel there know the size of the task in front of them, but they also know that one strong performance can reshape the story of a campaign. That is why landmark wins matter so much in international rugby: they are rare, memorable and often defining.

For Japan, the question is whether they can turn that inspiration into something tangible on Saturday. For England, the issue is whether they can absorb the pressure of a team arriving with nothing to lose and a clear ambition to create an upset. Either way, the match carries more than the usual significance, because Japan are openly chasing a result that would count as a major statement.