Friday 20 September 2019 22:43, UK
Eddie Jones has declared that England are ready for the twists and turns of the World Cup rollercoaster after opting to face Tonga with all guns blazing.
Jones has selected his strongest available starting XV to take on the big-hitting Islanders in Sunday's opener at the Sapporo Dome by making only two changes to the side that overwhelmed Ireland last month.
With his side for the opening encounter of England's title quest now chosen, Jones turned his attention towards what awaits in Japan over the coming weeks.
"The players have worked hard. Physically I haven't seen them any better and off the field, they've worked really hard to be a tight team," said Jones.
"And that's going to be tested in the World Cup because the World Cup is like a rollercoaster.
"We are at the top of the ride now and we are looking down - everyone's nervous, everyone's excited.
"You go down the first slope and you're not sure if you are going to throw up or hang on.
"You've got to adapt to that and the players have equipped themselves to ride the rollercoaster because there's going to be some turns, there's going to be some accidents, there's going to be some fun.
"We want to enjoy all of those things that come along and the team's equipped to handle it."
Cokanasiga has been struggling with a knee injury and despite being passed fit by the England management, he is unable to even win a place on the bench.
Instead, Watson is given the chance to continue the strong form he showed during the warm-up Tests to form one third of a rapid back three that also features Jonny May and Elliot Daly completing the back three.
Jones will return to Japan after spending over six years coaching their earlier in his career, and he knows it will be an emotional moment leading his England side out in Sapporo.
"It's a great honour to coach England and I just want to make sure I do my best," said Jones.
"World Cups are always emotional. You get to do something that is pretty special. To coach a nation and to be responsible for a nation at a World Cup, where you know it's not just rugby fans watching.
"It becomes an event for the country, rather than an event for rugby followers. It becomes an event for this country here. To be involved in that is a real honour.
"That's the amazing thing about World Cups. You are playing seven rugby games so it's no different than anything else, but it is in extraordinary circumstances."
Tonga were flattened 92-7 by New Zealand in a recent warm-up match but Jones says that they will be a different opposition come Sunday.
"That game was played in Hamilton two weeks before the World Cup. This is Sapporo now. We've got the greatest respect for Tonga as a World Cup opponent," Jones said.
"They're completely different opposition with a different mindset, just like we've got a different mindset from the warm-up games.
"If you look at them historically, Tonga has punched above their weight at every World Cup and we are anticipating a ferocious battle on Sunday.
"We want to take them on. We are England and we want to take them on up front so no one will come out of there guessing."
