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David Davies / AP
England’s Jonathan Joseph escapes to Georgia before being forced to retire injured.
England beat Georgia 40-0 in their first Fall Nations Cup game at the expense of an injury to Jonathan Joseph at Twickenham.
Joseph got hurt while preparing the last attempt of the first half and had to be helped.
In an experimental pick, Joseph was thrown out of midfield to the right wing, but coach Eddie Jones told him to be a floating center, go where he wanted. He was busy as ever and made his biggest contribution as Georgia thought about the approaching interval.
Ollie Lawrence acted as the decoy, Joseph floated through a 40-meter hole, slipped a defender, drew last and sent fullback Elliot Daly for the team’s fourth down.
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Owen Farrell’s conversion made it 26-0 which England made 40-0 with six total attempts.
Europe’s best team outside the Six Nations was no match for the new Six Nations champion, and followed a 48-7 draw from Scotland last month in a warm-up. The Scots were ruthless with the maul at the lineout, and England also used it as an effective weapon to set up hooker Jamie George’s three attempts.
Warren Little / Getty Images
Hooked Jamie George scored a hat-trick for England.
Played in wet conditions, the game was bogged down with 47 set pieces that matched the herd of monsters that Jones chose to outpace Georgians of similar size.
Props Ellis Genge and Will Stuart, making their first test outing, had the upper hand early in a long series of scrums near the Georgia try line. Flanker Jack Willis, on his debut, had the first attempt opportunity rejected, but his second attempt was allowed in the 15th minute.
George scored the next two attempts. After pitching, he joined the back of the lineout maul, and the England players were too tight and organized to be stopped when the Georgians dodged them.
David Davies / AP
Several England players kneel during the singing of the national anthem at Twickenham.
The rain returned at halftime and, combined with constant substitutions, the game stuttered even more.
Willis was replaced after a good debut, Genge and Stuart were replaced by the first British Lions rowers Mako Vunipola and Kyle Sinckler, and George was eliminated after his third attempt before time.
Max Malins made his England debut as a fullback, and England finished his scoring with a try by replacement running back Dan Robson from a ruck.
