England insist their Rugby World Cup bid will not be blown off course by the threat Super Typhoon Hagibis poses to their Pool C decider against France on Saturday.
World Rugby is expected to announce on Thursday whether the clash at International Stadium Yokohama must be cancelled due to the storm that is arrowing towards the south coast of Japan.
Hagibis has escalated from a tropical storm into a Category 5 super typhoon with winds reaching 290kph into one of the most dramatic intensifications of any tropical cyclone since records began.
Satellite images of the extreme weather event reveal that it is the size of Japan and shows no sign of deviating in its path or decreasing in magnitude.
It is many times the dimensions of Typhoon Faxai, which brought Tokyo to a standstill for the day of England’s arrival for the World Cup, delaying their exit from Narita Airport by six hours and leaving a million homes without power and killing three people.
Also at threat is Scotland’s crunch Pool A clash against Japan at the same venue 24 hours later.
While England and France have already guaranteed their places in the knockout phase, it would mean they enter the quarter-finals without having played for a fortnight – potentially leaving them undercooked.
“One thing we really pride ourselves on is being adaptable and flexible for anything that may throw us off,” said England defence coach John Mitchell.
“If there are other factors that are outside our control, then we’ll find another way to prepare very well.”
England are due to announce their team to face France on Thursday morning and even if the game does go ahead, Billy Vunipola, Joe Marler and Jack Nowell will almost certainly be missing.
Vunipola, the Saracens No.8 coach Eddie Jones dare not lose, twisted his left ankle against Argentina and it is hoped he will recover in time for the quarter-final against Wales or Australia.
Marler and Nowell were also hurt against the Pumas and England are unlikely to take any risks with their respective back and hamstring injuries.
