Itoje: England 'ready' for All Blacks backlash despite Jones' 'violent' warning

England captain Maro Itoje believes his team are ready for the “huge step up” next week to face an All Blacks side that will be reeling from their first loss to Wales in 73 years.

Itoje’s side backed up their 45-22 win over Australia last week with a comprehensive 78-15 win over Japan on Saturday at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium in the Nations Championship. But the headline result of the day came just hours before, as Wales inflicted a historic 35-28 defeat on the All Blacks.

England’s encounter with New Zealand was always tipped to be their hardest game of November – excluding the Nations Championship finals – but the game has a new dimension to it in light of the result in Cardiff.

Speaking after his Brave Blossoms lost at Twickenham, Japan head coach Eddie Jones warned England of what awaits next week against an All Blacks side that will be eager to right the wrongs of the defeat.

“They’re violent,” Jones said. “They’re usually violent, very physical and they’ll be massively disappointed about the performance today.

“New Zealand next week will be back to the old New Zealand. They’ll be hard and tough and physical around the breakdown.”

Regardless of the result at the Principality Stadium, Itoje said that every encounter with the All Blacks is “fiercely contested” and expects next week to be no different.

The match in many ways will be the bellwether in determining where England stand in the Test landscape and how their November campaign can be assessed. But it is a challenge that Itoje feels his team are ready for.

“It will be a huge step up, New Zealand are a world-class team,” Itoje said when looking ahead to the match next week.

“We’ve had some great battles with them over the years. They’re right up there in the toughest teams to play. So it’s going to be a huge step up, but I think it’s a step up this team is ready for.

“Every time we play New Zealand, it’s a fiercely contested game. Next week, I am very confident it will be no different. Obviously, they’re going to want a response, and we want to show where this team is going. So it’s going to be a very hotly contested game.”