Itoje: England must unlock potential

Twickenham – Maro Itoje (right) has urged England to “unlock their potential” by producing a full 80-minute performance against South Africa in their final Autumn Nations international.

England head into their last match of 2022 on the back of a remarkable draw with New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, coming back from 19 points down with 10 minutes left to finish all square at 25-25.

But England’s late trio of tries could not disguise a sluggish start to a match where they were second-best for most of the game and dynamic lock Itoje is determined to avoid a repeat against the world champion Springboks this coming Saturday.

“Playing South Africa at Twickenham – I’m really looking forward to it,” Itoje told reporters. “I only wish the game was a little bit sooner because we left a lot out there against New Zealand.

“While the second-half was a bit more how we want to play, next week is an opportunity to hopefully play how we want to play for the full 80 minutes.”

The 28-year-old Saracens second-row star added: “We have an incredible amount of potential in this team, we just need to unlock it. We are spending more and more time together and are becoming more cohesive, so hopefully it will come.

“You never want to be too happy with a draw, but it’s better than losing. Hopefully it will put us in better stead for South Africa, who will be a great challenge.”

Itoje, a member of the England team overwhelmed 32-12 by the Springboks in the 2019 World Cup final in Japan, is well aware of the enduring difficulty of playing South Africa, who will arrive in London fresh from thrashing Italy 63-21 in Genoa.

“South Africa haven’t changed the way they play since their first game in international rugby!” joked Itoje. –