England can only get better, roars Itoje
MARO Itoje issued a fierce warning to England’s World Cup rivals after he and his team-mates dished out an eight-try roasting to Ireland.
Eddie Jones’ men overwhelmed their opponents with a record number of points against them and also a biggest ever win.
Joe Cokanasiga crossed for a try double. Elliot Daly, Manu Tuilagi, Itoje, George Kruis, Tom Curry and Luke Cowan-Dickie also went over as the Irish melted in the summer heat and slumped to a 57-15 defeat.
After the good and bad against Wales, this was England’s most impressive 80-minute display.
Saracens lock Itoje said: “We are nowhere near the finished article and the exciting thing is that our best rugby lies ahead of us.
“We can only get better and the feeling inside the camp is one of real belief we can carry this on into the World Cup.”
Coach Eddie Jones enthused: “I was pleased with the intensity of the performance.
“We went out to play a certain way and it was a step up from the Wales game. But we have a lot more left in us and can get considerably better.”
Jones was full of praise for centre Manu Tuilagi who was outstanding and back to his powerful best.
He said: “It must be scary if you have to mark him when he’s in that form. He has plenty left in him and it was his first full game since May.
“He’s not had much rugby
and physically he is getting better all the time.”
England’s exciting young back row partnership of Tom Curry and Sam Underhill thrived in the heat of battle, and Bath star Underhill said: “Tom is quick, mobile and good in defence and it frees you up to do what you want to do.”
The only thing to tarnish England’s day was the sight of Mako Vunipola hobbling away from the field after coming on as a second half replacement.
The Saracens loosehead prop, playing his first rugby since the Champions Cup Final, sustained a slight twinge to the hamstring which has kept him out of action.
But Jones insisted: “Mako felt his hamstring and came off as a caution but we are quietly confident he will be ok.”
While Jones was beaming as brightly as the sun, it was the opposite for Ireland boss Joe Schmidt who wore the frown of a worried man having seen his World Cup preparations take a major blow.
Jordan Larmour and Bundee Aki crossed for the visitors who, apart from a blistering start, were never in the contest and Schmidt admitted: “We looked dishevelled out there.
“We were heavy legged and under-done. We were not nearly good enough.We fell off too many tackles and kept giving the ball away.
“We have to rebound from this in the two games with Wales and get different elements of our game back in order.”
Captain and prop Rory Best said: “That was nowhere near the standards we set ourselves. Very poor.
“We will have to get better as we are nowhere near where we need to be. The pack have to give a better platform to give the backs the ball required to do damage.”
Ireland also picked up a couple of injury worries with scrum-half Conor Murray sustaining a first half head injury and loosehead prop Cian Healy picking up an ankle problem
Schmidt said: “Conor passed his HIA and I was going to put him back on but there was a slip up in communication. Cian has had an ankle x-ray and it looks pretty normal.
“He was able to walk from the field which was a good sign.”