Maro Itoje demands England character in pivotal France Six Nations clash
England captain Maro Itoje has challenged his struggling team to prove their character against France in Paris this weekend to avoid their worst Six Nations finish since 1987.
A fourth consecutive defeat on ‘Super Saturday’ would consign the visitors to a dismal campaign featuring just a single victory.
Head coach Steve Borthwick is under immense pressure and faces a looming post-tournament Rugby Football Union review regarding his future.
The veteran lock insists the upcoming test is entirely about mental fortitude rather than tactical nuances.
Tactics secondary to resilience
“This game is about showing each other and showing our fans what we are really about, what we are truly about.”
The national skipper believes the current squad is still building towards success despite their frustrating recent setbacks.
“This game is an opportunity for us to show the character of this team. And I genuinely believe this team is going somewhere.”
Antoine Dupont’s title-chasing hosts enter the fixture as heavy favourites to inflict further misery on their cross-Channel rivals.
Bouncing back from Italian upset
Just five weeks ago, the English side were riding a 12-match winning streak before their form collapsed dramatically.
Confidence was severely dented following a shock 23-18 defeat to Italy in round four, a match where the Red Rose were overwhelmingly backed to win.
“I’m sure we were the favourites against Italy last weekend and I think a lot of people have lost a lot of money at Cheltenham betting on favourites.”
The experienced second-row remains unfazed by external predictions, pointing to last year’s narrow 26-25 triumph over Les Bleus when the odds were similarly stacked against them.
Looming world champion challenge
“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.”
Regardless of the outcome in the French capital, a daunting summer schedule awaits the embattled squad.
They will kick off their Nations Championship campaign against back-to-back world champions South Africa on 4 July.
