08 October 2023 , 22:14
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Maro Itoje demanded honest conversations after England won a match but lost crucial momentum in their quest to win the Rugby World Cup.
On Sunday they face a quarter-final against Fiji, ranked six places above Samoa and winners at Twickenham less than seven weeks ago - albeit a side stunningly beaten by Portugal last night.
Steve Borthwick's men fly south to Marseille today one of only four teams still unbeaten but looking miles off the standards set by Ireland, not to mention France, South Africa and New Zealand.
Borthwick has bolstered his squad by summoning Sam Underhill for the injured Jack Willis - thereby reuniting the ‘kamikaze kids’ breakdown combo with Tom Curry that took the nation to the 2019 final.
But Itoje knows England have their work cut out to replicate that level of achievement without a major gear shift in the coming days.
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“There will be some honest conversations,” the Saracen promised. "They’re necessary if you want to move forward.
Josua Tuisova scores against Australia for a Fiji side who almost blew quarter-final qualification when losing 24-23 to Portugal last night (Getty Images)“This is not about being hunky dory. If there’s a problem, if there’s something that needs to be fixed, we need to fix it. That wasn’t the performance we wanted. We need to improve, we need to get better.”
England won only because Danny Care, 37 in January, baled them out with a late try and then got back to make the tackle that prevented them giving it straight back.
In all other aspects England ranged from ordinary to hapless. But for a highly contentious TMO intervention they would have lost.
Ollie Chessum scores England's first try against Samoa in Lille (AFP via Getty Images)Itoje said the players would watch the game individually and “start having conversations between ourselves” before a “full-bore team meeting” to which everyone would be required to contribute.
“Steve will go through the facts,” Itoje added. “The facts of the game, what happened and why. It has to be honest.
“We’ve had a number of pretty awkward and tough conversations and meetings over the last three, four months as a squad. They’re necessary if you want to move forward.”
Owen Farrell had a mixed evening and his selection continues to divide opinion (PA)A match supposed to provide answers posed only questions as dusting down the Owen Farrell-George Ford axis after two and a half years backfired.
Farrell might have overtaken Jonny Wilkinson to become England’s record points scorer but he was timed out on a kick at goal and forced others - Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant - to play out of position.
With two playmakers England lacked the ‘quarterback’ focus Ford brought against Argentina and Matthieu Jalibert brings to every game France play.
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Eddie Jones suffered an agonising World Cup exit after Fiji, beaten by Portugal, finished level points on Australia but qualified having won their head-to-head (Getty Images)Without that, defence and discipline are their only weapons - and against Samoa both of those misfired.
The dynamic Islanders breached England’s try line four times in the second quarter alone, even if two were chalked off, one highly controversially.
“Sometimes performances likes that sharpen the senses," Itoje said. "And the hope, the ambition, is that this will sharpen us up for what’s to come next week.”
It remans to be seen what effect Fiji's loss to Portugal has on their performance. A quarter-final clash between two in-form nations it most certainly is not.