Maro Itoje Issues Rallying Cry for England's Six Nations Finale in Paris
England rugby star Maro Itoje has called on his teammates to demonstrate their true character as they prepare to face France in the final match of a challenging Six Nations campaign this Saturday at the Stade de France. With England having lost three of their four games in the tournament, including a recent defeat by Italy, the pressure is mounting on head coach Steve Borthwick and his squad.
England Staring Down the Barrel of Worst Six Nations Performance
Itoje's impassioned plea comes at a critical juncture, with England at risk of recording their worst Six Nations performance if they fail to secure a victory in Paris. The last time England won away against France was in 2016, adding to the significance of this weekend's clash. Meanwhile, France are poised to defend their Six Nations title, needing only a bonus-point win to clinch the championship, with their exact requirements clear by kick-off time.
Steve Borthwick is under immense scrutiny following consecutive losses to Scotland, Ireland, and Italy, which have cast doubt on his tactical approach, often criticised as overly restrictive and reliant on kicking. However, Itoje emphasises that the game-plan should take a back seat in this high-stakes encounter.
Itoje: This Game Is About Showing Our True Character
"It's not about, oh, we want to kick here, we want to run here, we want to do this lineout move," said Itoje. "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. 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."
He added, "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."
Borthwick Challenges Senior Leaders to Step Up
In selecting his starting XV, which features just one change with Ollie Chessum returning at blindside flanker, Borthwick has explicitly challenged senior players like Itoje, Jamie George, and Ellis Genge to "step up" against France. Itoje concurred with this sentiment, while maintaining an optimistic outlook on the team's long-term prospects.
"In any organisation, it's about the senior players or the senior leadership or the senior management. 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," Itoje stated.
He further explained, "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. 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 Assistant Coach Warns of 'Wounded Beast' France
Adding to the pre-match tension, England assistant coach Joe El-Abd has cautioned his side about facing a "wounded beast" in France, who suffered a dramatic 50-40 defeat by Scotland last week, ending their grand slam hopes. El-Abd, who spent a decade coaching in France before joining the England setup, highlighted the danger posed by a motivated French team.
"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," El-Abd said.
He continued, "[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."
As both teams gear up for this pivotal showdown, all eyes will be on whether England can heed Itoje's call and deliver a performance that restores pride and hints at a brighter future, while France aim to secure their title in front of a home crowd.
