 After losing the first four matches on a tour of New Zealand, they won the last five.In 1971, England toured Japan.Shiggy Konno admitted that lack of height amongst the Japanese players was a problem, but said that it made it –

The Japanese (coached by Waseda University Professor Onishi Tetsunosuke) lost by just 3–6 to England in Tokyo on 29 September 1971 in the RFU's centenary year.