Six Nations 2025: Maro Itoje hits back at England ...

Maro Itoje has hit again at critics of England’s assault as they search for a robust end to the Guinness Six Nations.

Steve Borthwick’s aspect stay in title competition however they sit fourth within the try-scoring desk behind France, Eire and Scotland, having crossed solely eight instances in three video games.

To reinvigorate his backline, Borthwick has axed Marcus Smith and Henry Slade and given begins to Elliot Daly and Fraser Dingwall, who’s one among 5 Northampton gamers behind the scrum.

England had been booed early within the second half in opposition to Scotland a fortnight in the past due to the quantity of field kicking, with 2003 World Cup winner Will Greenwood amongst those that criticised the shortage of impression they made with the ball in hand.

“I do not assume our assault is as unhealthy as everyone seems to be saying it’s,” Itoje advised reporters forward of Sunday’s conflict in opposition to Italy on the Allianz Stadium.

“First recreation in opposition to Eire, we scored three tries. Second recreation in opposition to France we scored 4. Clearly we solely scored one final time in opposition to Scotland, however that is not reflective of an assault that may’t even begin the engine.

“Do not get me unsuitable, we wish to enhance. We wish to get higher at it. However I do not assume we’re ranging from a nasty place.

“We wish choices on the line. We wish to go to the place the area is. We wish 15 gamers to be totally engaged in that. And we wish to be brave and courageous with that.”

Italy go to England on Sunday seeking a primary victory within the fixture, having misplaced all 31 earlier encounters, with the Azzurri coming into the match on the again of being demolished 73-24 by France.

“This week is about taking a step ahead,” Itoje added. “On this competitors, everyone seems to be harmful, everybody may cause groups issues.

“Italy’s recreation has been a bit up and down however they’ve proven either side of that. They’ve proven they’ll trigger groups lots of issues they usually will not be too pleased with their end result in opposition to France.

“We wish to win. We wish to win nicely. However to try this, we have now to do all of the robust stuff that rugby requires. It is not going to be a simple recreation.”

Curry dismisses criticism of England’s model

England’s two victories have come by a mixed margin of two factors and their rugby has typically been removed from free-flowing, however Tom Curry insists it isn’t honest to criticise the aspect for an absence of aptitude.

“Truthful or not, it is fairly an opinionated method to put it,” Curry advised Sky Sports activities Information. “You’ve got to take a look at it objectively by way of them being two completely different video games. That is why there cannot be a comparability – it is like evaluating chalk and cheese. They’re nearly two completely different sports activities.

“Can we wish to play higher? Can we wish to assault higher? Completely. However can we wish to say, ‘let’s do it just like the Premiership?’ No, it would not work like that. We’re not naive in any respect however that is the thrilling bit. It is the place we will take it fairly than a negativity.

“This is among the stepping stones. We have gone from the autumn – the place we had been shedding these video games – to now the place we’re successful them. We all know the subsequent step is to win them nicely however it’s simpler mentioned than achieved.”

Jamie George, set for his one hundredth England cap this weekend, added: “I feel the way in which that the video games have performed out have meant that we have not essentially been in a position to put the sport plan on the sphere that we would like.

“I feel this week has been extra about us, specializing in us and the way we will put our recreation plan on the sphere, no matter what the opposition are doing. That requires us to be courageous and that requires us to work actually arduous to get again behind the ball.

“We genuinely wish to play , expansive, attacking recreation, and I am hoping that is what you see at Allianz this weekend.”

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