Eddie Jones has told his Japan players anything could happen if they manage to turn the Twickenham crowd against England on Saturday, saying "the sky starts to fall in" when the hosts are under pressure.

Jones, who coached England between 2015 and 2022, overseeing three Six Nations championships including a Grand Slam in 2016, will go up against his former employers this week.

He does so with a Japan side ranked 12th in the world, who have lost all six of their previous meetings with England, including a 54-19 defeat on their last visit in 2024.

But, with England boss Steve Borthwick coming under huge pressure earlier this year, which was eased somewhat by last week's 45-22 victory over Australia, Jones feels there could be an opportunity for his team.

England suffered their first defeat against Italy in 33 head-to-head meetings earlier this year, during their dire Six Nations campaign, and Jones knows first-hand that Twickenham can sometimes be a difficult place to play as the home team.

"We're massive underdogs," Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live. 

"We've got to find a way to disrupt an England side that's looking at New Zealand next week and may be a little bit distracted.

"Our opportunity is to get in there, cause some havoc, cause some chaos, put them off their game, get the crowd booing. 

"Then the sky starts to come in on Twickenham, and you never know what could happen.

"We've seen it happen with Italy and other countries."

Borthwick's position was deemed to be under threat just a few weeks ago, amid reports of a rift between England's coaching staff and senior players.

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But Jones feels the 47-year-old – who previously served as his assistant – has dealt with the scrutiny well.  

"The noise does get to the team, and it can be pretty loud in England," Jones said. "You've got a lot of newspapers, a lot of media, probably more than any other country in the world. 

"Sometimes that can weigh down on the players and it's the job of the leadership to get the players thinking straight. Steve's an outstanding coach and a very intelligent man. I've got the highest respect for him."

England are currently second in the Northern Hemisphere table in the inaugural edition of the Nations Championship, with three wins and one defeat, while Japan have only won once and are fifth of six teams in the Southern Hemisphere standings.