No contest: England wins 52-17 in Japan but Ewels red card takes shine off

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

June 23,vct ascension pacific 2024 at 08:30 JST

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FILE -England captain Jamie George reacts following their loss to France in the Six Nations rugby union international match at Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France, Saturday, March 16, 2024. England and Japan meet in a rugby test for the first time on Japanese soil on Saturday in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File)

Charlie Ewels' red card took the shine off an impressive England effort as Japan was bumped off 52-17 at the National Stadium on Saturday.

England scored four tries in each half, all to different players, and converted six despite the 29-degree humidity making ball-handling difficult.

The teams' first official meeting in Japan went as expected — the Japan XV averaged 11 caps — and England tuned up well for its two-test tour of New Zealand.

But Ewels may not travel on to New Zealand after he was red-carded for a dangerous ruck clearout into the knee of Japan captain Michael Leitch. Ewels had been on the field only nine minutes. He was originally yellow-carded in the 73rd minute and it was upgraded to red after a bunker review.

He faces a disciplinary hearing after becoming the first England men's player to be sent off twice. The other red was against Ireland in 2022.

Japan, with eight new caps in the 23, started at a lightning pace without being able to make the final pass.

England didn't waste chances in the 22, scoring the first try when flanker Chandler Cunningham-Smith barged over in the 14th in his first test start.

Flyhalf Marcus Smith was the next try-scorer, worked into a gap off a long throw-in. Smith's cut-out pass gave wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso the third try, and Smith's cross-field kick put center Henry Slade on the scoreboard right on halftime, when England led 26-3.

Scrumhalf Alex Mitchell eyed a gap off a ruck and scored minutes into the second half, then set up a try for No. 8 Ben Earl.

Smith was sin-binned for an early tackle on fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki, the university student who doesn't play for a professional side, but Japan didn't receive a penalty try. Smith, who kicked four of six conversions, didn't return, as he was replaced by Fin Smith.

Even down to 14, England scored through replacement scrumhalf Harry Randall for 45-3 but the substitutions and intensity affected the visitors' rhythm.

Japan touched down twice in three minutes by outside backs Koga Nezuka and Takuya Yamasawa, a late callup playing his first test in seven years.

After Ewels chopped Leitch, workaholic flanker Sam Underhill scored in a maul.

“I am very proud of the way we went about our business,” England captain Jamie George said. “We have got some really talented backs with a lot of speed and we were able to show that.”

England next faces New Zealand on July 6 in Dunedin in the first of two tests.

Japan hosts New Zealand Maori next weekend in Tokyo in the first of two matches.

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