Maro Itoje: England ready to make a statement in Autumn Internationals
Maro Itoje confident of England's chances in the Autumn Internationals
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England's star lock Maro Itoje has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to make a significant impact during the upcoming Autumn Internationals.
As England prepare to face New Zealand in their opening test on Saturday, Itoje emphasized that the squad is not there "to make up the numbers" but to prove they are moving in the right direction.
"Ultimately, we want to win," Itoje told ESPN in an exclusive interview.
"We're not here just to take part. We're not here just to make up the numbers. We want to win.
"I want to be a part of sides that win. So success would look like winning, but we also want to take steps forward. If we want to improve our game, we want to convert some of these Q4 moments in our favor.
"We want to see growth. We want to see growth in the team."
England are set to face a challenging series of fixtures this November, starting with the All Blacks, followed by matches against Australia, South Africa, and Japan.
The side is determined to show improvement following a tough summer tour and a competitive Six Nations campaign earlier this year.
In July, Steve Borthwick’s men narrowly lost twice to the All Blacks in a summer series, with a tight 16-15 defeat in the first Test and a 24-17 loss in the second.
Reflecting on England’s performances in the Six Nations, Itoje pointed out that several of their matches were decided by just three points or less, showcasing the narrow margins that separated victory from defeat.
These tight encounters, he believes, demonstrate England's competitiveness, and with further improvement, they can turn these close games into wins during the Autumn Nations Series.
"We've been building towards a performing well and having tight losses," Itoje added.
"The growth of this team will be turning those tight losses into wins and hopefully bigger wins down in the future."
