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'The real motivation' that is driving on Maro Itoje and England

By PA
(Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)

Maro Itoje has insisted that England are ready to show their true selves when they launch the Rugby World Cup with the toughest assignment of their group campaign against Argentina. For the first time in the fixture’s 42 years, England are underdogs on the basis of an alarming run that has produced five defeats in their last six Tests, including a first-ever loss to Fiji.

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The Pumas, meanwhile, have been acclaimed by Steve Borthwick as the best team to leave Argentinian shores and last November’s 30-29 victory at Twickenham is still vivid in the memory.

England are struggling on multiple fronts – attack, defence, discipline, cohesion, confidence – and have plummeted to eighth in the global rankings, two places lower than Saturday’s opponents in Marseille.

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Itoje, however, reckoned they are about to turn the corner and place one foot into the quarter-finals. “We know who we are. We know the type of players we have. We know the quality of coaches we have,” Itoje said.

“Yes we haven’t in recent times played as well as we can, but we know the potential of this group. And when you know the potential of this group and you know the attitude of the players and the coaches, it can only fill you with confidence.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

4
Wins
2
4
Streak
2
25
Tries Scored
15
74
Points Difference
-25
3/5
First Try
1/5
3/5
First Points
1/5
3/5
Race To 10 Points
1/5

“We know we haven’t played our best rugby, but I guess that may add an element of fuel. The real motivation is where this team can go. The real motivation is how we can properly display the best of ourselves and give the very best account of ourselves.

“That’s the exciting opportunity that this brings. It’s an incredible opportunity and that is the motivation to see where we can go and how good we can be. There is a strong feeling and belief within the group now that things can change very quickly and the best is yet to come.

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“Moments like this don’t come very often throughout our careers. Top, top players have three chances and that’s a lot. So we want to take this with both hands.”

If they are to topple Argentina, England will need to produce a level of performance that has been beyond them so far in Borthwick’s nine Tests in charge.

Expectations are low, even allowing for their presence on the easier side of the draw, but attack coach Richard Wigglesworth insists the outside noise is being tuned out.

“I don’t know if I’m too interested in expectations outside of the squad, if I’m being honest. That’s been labelled at us a few times,” he Wigglesworth. “You have got to understand that this squad is incredibly tight and determined.

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“Whether that is from the outside or within, that has always been there. The expectation that Argentina maybe go in as favourites makes no difference to us. We are incredibly determined to go out there and give the absolute best of ourselves.”

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Comments

3 Comments
N
NP 649 days ago

Should concentrate on trying to regain some form, shouldn't even be in the squad after his poor performances over last few years. Very lucky the Borthwick is such a poor selector.

S
Sam 649 days ago

His true self? I guess that means he'll take his shithousery to the next leve.


Go Pablo Matera.

K
KiwiSteve 650 days ago

Apparently Itoje has signed a contract to act in a Hollywood movie. The remake of The Invisible 🫥 Man.

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Tom 33 minutes ago
Has 'narrow-mindedness' cost Ribbans and others their Lions chance?

I didn't say anything regarding whether I feel the eligibility rule is right or wrong, you've jumped to conclusions there…


The fact is the eligibility rule does exist and any English qualified player is aware when they sign a foreign contract that they're making themselves ineligible and less likely to be picked for the Lions. If Jack Willis and Dave Ribbans priority was playing for England and the Lions they wouldn't be playing in France. Whether they should be allowed to play for England or not isn't my point. Under the current rules they have chosen to make themselves ineligible so they can't have their cake and eat it while other players have taken lesser salaries to commit themselves to their dream of playing for England and the Lions. They have made their choices.


Besides, while it works for South Africa doesn't prove it will work for any other country. South Africa have an extraordinary talent pool of incredible rugby athletes which no other country can compete with. They sadly don't have the resources to keep hold of them so they've been forced into this system. If they had the wealth to keep all their players at home and were still playing in Super Rugby they might be even better… they could be worse. We can't know for sure but cherry picking the best country in the world with a sample size of 1 and extrapolating it to other nations with very different circumstances doesn't hold water. Again, not saying the eligibility rule is correct just that you can't assume scrapping it would benefit us simply because South Africa are world champions.

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I
IkeaBoy 1 hour ago
How Leinster bullied the Bulls at Croke Park

Expert coaches exist across the land and the IRFU already funds plenty. Ulster own their academy and who owns Ulster?


If you go to school in the North and rugby/tag rugby isn’t even on the PE curriculum until 12/13 as opposed to 7 or 8 in Leinster, how is that the IRFU’s fault? Even then, it’s only certain schools in the North that will offer it. On what basis would they go up to the North (strictly speaking, another country in the eyes of some) and dictate their schools programme?


The ABs used to be light years ahead of the pack because their eventual test superstars had been playing structured, competitive rugby from an average age of 5/6! On top of kicking it around the yard from the age they could walk with their rugby mad parents and older siblings.


Have you somehow gotten the impression that the Leinster system is not working for Irish rugby? What is that based on? The SARU should just stop competing because despite their back to back RWC’s, all 4 of their URC teams aren’t contesting semi-finals every year?


A couple of mining towns basically provided a Welsh team in the 70’s that were unplayable. Queensland in the old Super 10 provided the spine of an Oz team that were the first to win multiple world cups and in the same decade. The ABs population density is well documented with 35% of the population living around one city.


Is England’s match day 23 equally represented by mid-counties players, tough as nails northerners, a couple from Cornwall, a pack of manc’s and a lone Geordie? Ever?

It’s cute they won’t relegate the Falcons but has a Geordie test player ever hit 50 caps?


It’s ok not to understand geography. It’s also ok not to understand sport. Not understanding the geography of sport is something different entirely.

265 Go to comments
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