Rugby Betting: England's Next Game, Latest Odds and Analysis

Following their headline-grabbing defeat to Argentina at Twickenham Stadium last weekend, UK betting sites are offering their assessments on whether England can bounce back against Japan at the same venue this Saturday.

Having enjoyed a 2-1 series win over his native Australia in the summer, English head coach Eddie Jones was hoping to kick-start the Autumn Nations Series in style against the Pumas. 

In the Argentinian corner was his fellow Aussie Michael Cheika, who - like Jones himself - previously guided the Wallabies to the finals of the World Cup.

Jones’ head-to-head record with Cheika in the international test arena was impeccable coming into Sunday’s game as the former Saracens supremo had registered seven victories from seven previous clashes with his compatriot.

Cheika was also juggling his responsibilities with Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup - they lost out to Australia at Huddersfield on Friday - but his union charges pulled out all the stops as Argentina claimed a 30-29 triumph in London.

Argentina Squeezed Past England In Packed Out Twickenham

Although it had been nip and tuck for large stretches of play, Argentina ultimately edged the contest courtesy of Emiliano Boffelli’s sixth penalty of the tie on 69 minutes. 

Joe Cockasinga and Jack van Poortvliet bagged tries to compliment 19 points from the boot of Owen Farrell, but it wasn’t enough to get the win that England craved in front of 80,790 spectators and it was a result that didn’t help their 2023 Rugby World Cup betting odds.

While there was a sense of familiarity for Jones in those recent bouts with Australia and Argentina, the same will be true for the impending test at home to the Japanese.

Jones Has Strong Links To Upcoming Opponents Japan

After previously spending three years in the country as coach of Suntory Goliath, Jones was placed in charge of the Japanese national team for a similar period of time (2012-2015). 

It is a place that is very close to Jones’ heart, given his mother is Japanese-American and his wife Hiroko also hails from the nation.

He steered them towards a famous pool stage victory over South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup before taking over the England reins in November of the same year.

New Zealander Jamie Joseph was subsequently appointed as Japanese head coach in 2016 and brought them to the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time three years later. 

Currently ranked 10th in the world, the Brave Blossoms were close to pulling off a shock win at home to New Zealand on October 26 - eventually losing out on a scoreline of 38-31 to the All Blacks.

England Expected To Recover In Second Autumn Test

Surprisingly, Saturday’s encounter will only be the second full international test featuring England and Japan. 

Both of those fixtures have ended in victories for the English, and the best betting sites for rugby union are expecting them to shrug off their loss to Argentina and get back to winning ways.

That’s why you’ll find England as strong 1/16 favourites for a first success in this autumn window.

Six of Japan’s nine wins over Tier One nations have come within the last decade, but they remain clear outsiders in Twickenham this weekend and Ladbrokes are offering odds of 9/1 on a shock Japanese success.

As is often the case in test rugby, the prospect of a draw in this fixture is seen as a long shot. 

Japan did play out a thrilling 23-23 showdown with France in Paris just under five years ago, but the odds of a stalemate only range from 28/1 up to 50/1.

Even though England’s form over the past two years doesn't necessarily suggest that a comfortable victory is on the horizon, the hosts are nevertheless 5/1 with William Hill for a winning margin of between 16 and 20 points.

Alternatively, odds of 6/1 on an English triumph of 11 to 15 points and 13/2 on a 6 to 10 points win are also available.

As far as Japan are concerned, they are 16/1 with Betfair to come away with a 1 to 5 points win. That’s the same odds as an English victory of between 41 and 45 points!

England Looking To Rediscover Winning Form

Having begun this window on a losing note, England can ill-afford another slip-up in front of a partisan home crowd. 

New Zealand and South Africa are also coming to Twickenham on November 19 and November 26 respectively, and Jones’ troops will need some form of momentum coming into the first of those tests.

There was a largely familiar look to the English team the last day with Northampton Saints lock Alex Coles the only player in their match 23 to make his international debut. 

Five uncapped players remain in the squad, and it will be interesting to see if Jones takes a chance on any of them this weekend.

Given how strong the All Blacks and the Springboks continue to be in spite of some chinks appearing in their armour, this will probably be the best opportunity for the English coaching staff to experiment in a substantial manner.

Make Up Of English Bench Will Be Intriguing This Weekend

In advance of the Argentinian game, there was much made of Jones’ decision to go for a 6-2 split on his bench. 

This ordinarily allows coaches to have a fresh pair of legs in the forward pack, but Jack Singleton (hooker) and David Ribbans (second-row) were both held in reserve throughout Sunday’s test.

The challenge England will face from the Japanese is set to be different from what the Argentinians brought to the table, and this may well see an additional back being added to the replacements bench on Saturday as betting apps predict a home win.

While Jones insists his focus is on the World Cup, the English rugby public will be looking to see clear evidence over the course of this autumn period that the side are on the right road ahead of next year’s finals.