Itoje (ENG) - 'If you're lucky, you get two or three games like this'

Maro Itoje, second-row

On focusing on the match:

“If you’re lucky, you manage to get two or three games of his magnitude, but over the course of a career, that’s not many. So we’re aware this an opportunity to take the bull by the horns.

On not fixating on RWC2019 final:

“We have to play the game that’s in front of us – this South African team. We have to be present and in the moment to deal with it.”

On the personal responsibility he feels:

“It brings huge opportunity. I know my role, how important it is to get the team operating smoothly. I’m going to be putting my best foot forward.”

On gaining South Africa’s respect:

“That’s neither here nor there for me. Eben Etzebeth is obviously a good player – they have four very good second-rows. It’s about playing the type of game I want to play.”

On not putting South Africa on pedestals:

“They are the current World Champions. They’ve had a very good World Cup but we’ve played them twice since 2019. They’ve won one, we’ve won one." 

“We’re not talking about a team that’s never lost. We’re not talking about a team that is without fault. They are a good team but so are we."

On if job changes now playing alongside George Martin:

“No. George is a fantastic young player. He has been brilliant when he has come on the pitch. He has mainly come off the bench but whenever he’s been on he’s been brilliant. He’s trained brilliantly well.

“When this process started four or five months ago we’ve all been interchanging, we’ve all been playing and training with one another so my job doesn’t change.”

On growth seen in Martin over last couple of years:

“Massive amount of growth. He’s not only grown in terms of his physical sense, he’s a lot bigger now than when he first came in, but in terms of his understanding of the game, his ability to have big moments. He still a young man and has a beard four or five times the size of mine.

“George is a tough man. He is a tough tackler. He enjoys the scraps.”

On if he feels England’s best performance is still to come:

“That’s what I believe. I believe that there is a huge amount of potential in this team.

“You haven’t seen the best of us yet.”

On if he believes England’s best will get them the whole way:

“Yes. If we put our best out on the field we will be celebrating on Saturday night and have a positive night.”

On what has been said this week to build the mindset needed:

“We have had a lot of conversations. Steve [Borthwick, head coach] has led and spoken brilliantly well about what’s required.

“We have the game plan and we want to play a smart brand of rugby. As players we’ve talked about how we want to be, we’ve talked about that when you get to these games a lot of people say ‘oh, it’s just another game’. This isn’t just another game. This is a special game ... so it’s about us seizing the moment. It’s about us being really present and taking advantage of the opportunities that we get.”