England lock Maro Itoje is determined to right the wrongs of last week’s home defeat to Scotland, as Italy visit Twickenham on Saturday afternoon in Round 2 of the Guinness Six Nations.
The clash at Rugby HQ will be shown live on ITV in the UK, with coverage starting at 1.30pm GMT ahead of the 2.15pm kick-off, and the hosts are counting down the seconds before they can put things right back on the field.
The 2020 Championship winners couldn’t find a way to the Scottish try-line in Round 1, as Scotland recorded their first victory at Rugby HQ in 38 years after Duhan van der Merwe crossed for the only score of the game in an 11-6 victory.
But the visit of the Azzurri gives Itoje and his teammates the opportunity to get back to winning ways this weekend, and the Saracens star insists his side won’t let views from outside the camp affect their performances.
“It is what it is,” Itoje said. “I don’t think you can base your emotions on what the outside noise says and does, because it ebbs and flows, and you can’t base how you think on what other people say or do.
“For us I truly believe it’s a fantastic opportunity just to get back to basics and get back to what we do best and rip in.”
Eddie Jones has wrung the changes ahead of the Round 2 encounter, with Itoje lining up behind a completely changed front row in London, with Mako Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Kyle Sinckler all returning to the starting line-up.
Courtney Lawes and George Ford have also been recalled to the starting XV, while Franco Smith has made two changes to his Italy side that lost to France last time out, with Carlo Canna and Andrea Lovotti the two to make the step up.
With both sides eager to get their first victory of the 2021 Championship under their belts, there will be drama from first whistle to last at Twickenham this Saturday, so buckle up and tune in because it’s going to be quite the ride.
