Maro Itoje is demanding a statement performance against Japan which leaves no doubt as to what England rugby is all about.
A week after being so far off the mark against Argentina as to be unrecognisable, Owen Farrell’s team gets a chance to set the record straight.
“We need to break free and just go out there and be the players that we know we are,” Itoje said. “The response I expect is a team full of energy, a team that is physical, tough, ready to take the game, not waiting and not wanting to see what happens.
“England are at our best when we are confrontational and aggressive, when we play flat and fast and take the game to the opposition. We don’t want to take a backward step, we want to take the game by the scruff of the neck.”
How they could have done with a wake-up call like that seven days ago, before losing at home to Argentina for only the second time ever and barely firing a shot.
It was as if they had not won a summer series in Australia and simply regressed back to their wretched Six Nations form of the past two years.
“You never want to lose a game to have this type of response,” Itoje admitted. “But when you are in this position you have to go out there and show yourselves, let alone anyone else, what you're really about.
“Show each other what playing for England means to us and how important this is in all of our lives.”
Japan have never beaten England and start as 11/2 underdogs, but they beat Ireland and Scotland at the last World Cup and Itoje warned: “If you take them lightly, they will punish you.”
The game is a sell-out and the Saracens star will take it upon himself to “energise” his team mates, knowing that England desperately need momentum going into next week’s clash with New Zealand.
“Playing for England is the greatest honour,” Itoje added. “When I started playing it was England games that attracted me to the sport, watching them sing the national anthem and run out.
“It's been my motivation ever since I started, to be a part of winning teams who consistently compete and are up there with the best in the world, winning trophies and tournaments.”
Team boss Eddie Jones insists there is no chance of the nation he so famously coached springing a shock but says he can’t wait for Itoje’s ‘headline’ duel with Michael Leitch.
“Michael is a very dear friend of mine,” he said of the man who led Japan to the ‘Miracle in Brighton’ win over South Africa at the 2015 World Cup.
“They are both totem players. When Leitch goes forward, wins a line out, steals a breakdown, the whole Japan team lifts. Maro is the same for us.”
ENGLAND: Steward; Nowell, Porter, Farrell (capt), May; Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler, Ribbans, Hill, Itoje, Curry, Simmonds.
Replacements: George, M Vunipola, Heyes, Coles, B Vunipola, Youngs, Slade, Tuilagi.
JAPAN: Yamanaka; Matsushima, Riley, Nakamura, Van den Heever; Yamasawa, Nagare; Inagaki, Sakate (capt), Gu, Dearns, Cornelsen, Leith, Himeno, Tatafu.
Replacements: Norikoshi, Millar, Kizu, Van der Walt, Labuschagne, Saito, Lee, Fifita.
