Maro Itoje Demands England Show True Character in Six Nations Finale Against France
England captain Maro Itoje has issued a powerful rallying cry to his teammates, urging them to demonstrate their true character as they prepare to face title-chasing France in Paris this Saturday. This crucial Six Nations finale represents England's final opportunity to salvage some pride from what has been a deeply disappointing campaign, having lost three of their four matches so far.
England Staring Down Barrel of Worst Six Nations Performance
The stakes could not be higher for Steve Borthwick's side, who face the prospect of recording their worst-ever Six Nations performance if they fail to secure victory away to France for the first time since 2016. Les Bleus will almost certainly successfully defend their championship title with a bonus-point victory, but will know exactly what is required of them by the time kick-off arrives at the iconic Stade de France.
Itoje's passionate address comes at a time of immense pressure for head coach Steve Borthwick, whose restrictive, kick-heavy game-plan has come under intense scrutiny following last weekend's defeat to Italy. This disappointing result came on the back of earlier losses to both Scotland and Ireland, leaving England's campaign in tatters.
Game-Plan Takes Back Seat to Character and Mettle
"It's not about, oh, we want to kick here, we want to run here, we want to do this lineout move," declared Itoje with conviction. "This game is not about that. This game is about showing each other and showing our fans what we are really about, what we are truly about. This game is an opportunity for us to show the character of this team."
The inspirational lock forward continued: "And I genuinely believe this team is going somewhere. Unfortunately, as of late we haven't been able to put that consistently on the park. But this is a brilliant opportunity and perhaps this opportunity is necessary for us to be the team we need to be, against a good quality French side, in their own backyard. We have the opportunity to go out there and give the very best of ourselves."
Senior Players Must Step Up in Paris Showdown
When naming his starting XV that features just one change in personnel with Ollie Chessum returning at blindside flanker, Borthwick specifically challenged his senior leaders – Itoje, Jamie George and Ellis Genge – to "step up" against the formidable French side. Itoje wholeheartedly agreed with his head coach's assessment but sought to strike an optimistic tone about England's long-term prospects.
"In any organisation, it's about the senior players or the senior leadership or the senior management," explained Itoje. "In any organisation, they play a crucial role, especially when things haven't gone our way as of late, you look to the senior guys – we must step up. We must make sure that our own game is in order."
Belief in England's High Ceiling Despite Recent Struggles
The experienced forward remains convinced about England's potential, stating: "I truly believe this team has a high ceiling. Yes, just because we haven't won the last game or the last couple of games, doesn't mean we can't win the next one. There are lessons to be learnt from the games and perhaps it was necessary for us to go through this to be the team we want to be in due course."
Itoje added with perspective: "I would rather not have experienced what we have experienced over the last three games but I think when it is all said and done in a couple of years we might look back and say 'this is what that team needed to go on to achieve what they went on to achieve.'"
England Coaches Wary of 'Wounded Beast' French Side
Meanwhile, England assistant coach Joe El-Abd has expressed caution about facing what he describes as a "wounded beast" in the French team. Les Bleus suffered a stinging 50-40 defeat by Scotland last week that ended their hopes of securing a grand slam, making them particularly dangerous opponents.
El-Abd, who finished his playing career in France before coaching at Oyonnax and Castres for ten years prior to joining the England set-up, offered his assessment: "They will be injured, they call themselves un bête blessée so an injured beast and that can be dangerous. They will want to put that right and I expect the best of France this weekend."
The coach concluded with determination: "[But] there are two teams that want to put in a great performance this weekend. We know how hard it is when you lose in an England shirt as a coach or a player, no one is hurting more than us so we expect that from France but we also expect from us, an attitude to play the England way and go out there and show what we can do."
