Maro Itoje believes head coach Steve Borthwick has brought a renewed fight to the England camp ahead of the Six Nations; England open 2023 campaign against Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday, February 4 (4.45pm kick-off)
Friday 3 February 2023 21:04, UK
Maro Itoje believes there is a renewed fight in the England team as they head into the Six Nations under new coach Steve Borthwick.
Borthwick announced his side for this weekend's opener against Scotland on Thursday, with Dan Cole returning and powerful centre Manu Tuilagi missing out.
Itoje is set to start at Twickenham on Saturday and knows there is hard work ahead to retain his place in Borthwick's side as the new head coach lays down his "non-negotiable" standards.
"It is a massive game, a massive game for England, a massive game for us and for myself individually," said Itoje.
"It is a game we are really excited to play. This is the old rivalry, as they say, and we are really excited.
"Naturally, obviously Steve is a different man to Eddie (Jones) so he has his own way of doing things and has his own way of going about his business - so there has been a slightly different emphasis put on different things.
"It has been a bit different, but we have just been getting stuck into the rugby. So we have been training hard, and spending time with one another - just the core basics of Test match rugby.
"When there is a change of leadership you want to impress, you want to put your best foot forward. So one thing he has made clear for us is the fight is non-negotiable.
"There has to be fight in this team. Fight for places, fight on the field, fight in training - so that has been very clear for us as a team."
A huge emphasis on fighting for a shirt has been coupled with a focus on not looking too far ahead - and certainly not beyond a strong Scotland side.
"It is something we have spoken about and it is a little bit cliché I know, but Steve has made it clear that this game is the most important game for us because it is the next game," Itoje said.
"Individually, collectively, as a team, we are not looking too far ahead. We are just looking at Scotland and we want to put our best foot forward."
It is a sentiment echoed by Borthwick, who has opted to start his Six Nations campaign with Marcus Smith at fly-half and captain Owen Farrell at centre, a combination which has been debated over recent months.
"To start with England vs Scotland, two teams battling it out for the Calcutta Cup, what a game to start with," Borthwick said.
"The England team, we have got some really experienced players who have been in the International Test arena multiple times, and then we have got some young players who are just emerging into the Test arena and new combinations.
"I think that blend only adds to the excitement.
"I think it is the right combination for the game we have this weekend and I am very clear that we concentrate on the game we have in front of us.
"That is certainly one of the key elements as we move forward as an England team that the players, deserve, the supports deserve, that I focus upon the game that is immediately in front of us.
"After this game, we will take the lessons we can get from it, we will learn as quickly as we can and then we will focus on the next game. I think [Smith and Farrell] is the right combination for this game.
"I will pick a team and play a tactical plan for the game that we need to play. That is always going to be the case.
"We are going to concentrate on the game we are about to play and what a game it is, England vs Scotland."
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Max Malins, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Ollie Chessum, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 7 Ben Curry, 8 Alex Dombrandt
Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Ollie Lawrence, 23 Anthony Watson.
Jamie Ritchie will captain Scotland for the Six Nations opener against England, but Zander Fagerson was not fit enough to be included in Gregor Townsend's 23-man squad.
Other headline team news sees scrum-half Ali Price - who toured with the British and Irish Lions in the summer of 2021 - dropped from the squad entirely, with Ben White starting, and George Horne among the replacements.
Experienced duo Richie Gray and Grant Gilchrist resume their partnership in the second row after impressing during last year's Autumn Nation Series, with Gilchrist being named as vice-captain.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White; 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 George Turner, 3 WP Nel, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 6 Jamie Ritchie (c), 7 Luke Crosbie, 8 Matt Fagerson
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 George Horne, 22 Blair Kinghorn, 23 Chris Harris
Tadhg Furlong has been ruled out of Ireland's 2023 Six Nations opener vs Wales in Cardiff, in a major blow for Andy Farrell's side.
Furlong, who has only played 36 minutes of rugby since the autumn internationals, has failed to recover from a calf injury, leaving Connacht's Finlay Bealham to start at tighthead prop.
Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey has been named to start, while skipper Johnny Sexton has been passed fit after a cheekbone fracture.
Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexon, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris.
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Tom O'Toole, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Bundee Aki.
Full-back Leigh Halfpenny has been ruled out of Wales' Guinness Six Nations opener against Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday.
Halfpenny was due to win his 98th cap and make a first Wales start for 19 months, but assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys said he had suffered a back spasm and would miss the game.
Experienced Cardiff back Liam Williams will replace Halfpenny in the number 15 shirt.
Wales: 15 Liam Williams, 14 Josh Adams, 13 George North, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Ken Owens (c), 3 Tomas Francis, 4 Adam Beard, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 6 Jac Morgan, 7 Justin Tipuric, 8 Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Dafydd Jenkins, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Alex Cuthbert
