Maro Itoje has dismissed suggestions of a rift within the England squad following his on-field disagreement with fly-half Fin Smith during last week's defeat to Italy. The lock was heard shouting at Smith to 'take the three' in the 43rd minute, overruling the No 10 who wanted to kick for the corner. England went on to lose 23-18, leaving them needing a first win in France since 2016 to avoid their worst Six Nations campaign.
Itoje insisted the incident was blown out of proportion due to the loss and actually demonstrated the team's healthy dynamic. 'There's no crack, there's no crack between us,' he said. 'He's a good guy and I get on with him very well. I think it is a good thing that people in the team feel they can express a view. After that interaction, we even laughed about it a little bit on the pitch.'
The England assistant coach Joe El-Abd acknowledged the team's struggles, saying: 'It's been a difficult Six Nations. It's not something we wanted. We're all hurting. We've been working hard to see where we went wrong and what we can do to put it right.' France, who are top of the table, will likely need a bonus-point win to retain their title, making England's task in Lyon all the more challenging.
