England boss thanks 'typhoon gods' after World Cup game axed

England coach Eddie Jones said Super Typhoon Hagibis had given his team a "great opportunity" on Thursday after their final group game was cancelled for safety reasons.

Tournament organisers took the unprecedented step of cancelling Saturday's matches between England and France and New Zealand and Italy as the typhoon bears down on Japan.

It means England will finish on top of Pool C thanks to the two points both they and France will receive for a cancelled game.

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England, unbeaten at this tournament, can now look forward to a quarter-final in Oita on October 19, with their likely opponents set to be Jones's native Australia.

But far from being downcast at a week without a match, Jones told reporters on Thursday: "We are not concerned at all, we are excited, absolutely excited, a great opportunity.

"Who would have thought we would have two relatively easy games (against Tonga and the United States), one tough game (against Argentina) and then two weeks to prepare for a quarter-final?

"So someone is smiling on us -- the typhoon gods maybe?"

Jones added that he expected the injured Billy Vunipola, Joe Marler and Jack Nowell all to be available next weekend.

England now plan to head to Miyazaki, where they had a pre-tournament camp, for three days' training.

Jones, Australia's coach when they lost the 2003 World Cup final to England in Sydney, said the squad had only been officially informed the game was off on Thursday.

"We were preparing for the game in game mode and now the game is off, we're in preparation mode. We can't control it."

Jones, however, did have sympathy for England fans who had made the long journey to Tokyo for the France game.

"It is difficult for them because it was going to be a special occasion and we feel for them and we are lucky to have such great supporters."

Jones, asked if England now had a better chance of reaching the semi-final with a week's break, replied: "It's the only chance we've got mate because that's the only preparation we've got. So why worry about whether if it's a better chance or a not so good chance?

"That's the only chance we've got, so we're prepared to take it.

"You can't help typhoons, we would all like to think we've got the power above and beyond what's on the world at the moment, but we don't and these things happen and you just ride with it."