Maro Itoje is a beast. The man is one of the best rugby players in the world. He does it all and above all, scored the game-winning try against France on Saturday. So, with the scene set, let’s dive into England and their 23-20 win.
Itoje and England are Incredible
We know going back to the 2019 Rugby World Cup that England is a great team. For example, in the latest World Rugby Rankings on March 7th, the Roses ranked 4th in the world. It puts them just ahead of Wales and Ireland, but right behind France. With the long-time rival pencilled in to play one another on Saturday, it set up one of the best games of the tournament so far.
Coming off a loss to Wales two weeks ago, Itoje knew the pressure was on to win at home. They’d be playing France, one of the top teams in the world. They have some of the best talents in the world. When England plays France, it’s one of the best games of the year and that meant another big stage for Itoje to shine on.
At halftime, France led England 17-13. An early try for Antoine Dupont helped put France up but being up four points wasn’t good enough for Les Bleus. Everyone knew that, including France, so we were in store for a thrilling second-half of rugby. England would outscore their rivals 13-3 in the final 40 minutes, including Itoje’s try in the 75th minute.
Still More Work to Do for England
The 2021 Six Nations have been a roller coaster for England. Losses to Wales and Scotland have hurt England’s chances at winning the championship. Wins against Italy and France give them hope for what this team looks like when it’s playing its best. However, there is still more work to do.
This team is not close to the likes of South Africa and New Zealand. And that’s ok! They don’t have to be perfect right now. As long as they’re peaking for the World Cup in two years, that’s what matters the most. A loss to Ireland next week will be concerning but again, they need to be playing their best when they go to France in 2023. That goes for Itoje and the rest of the team.
Final Thoughts
Winning is great. Beating your biggest rival is even better. While England had some flaws that they’ll need to correct, they are certainly one of the best teams in the world. Improvement is on the way for England and surely, you’ll see the best from them in 2023. It was Itoje’s best game of 2021 and I was impressed watching him. He’s turning into one of my favourite players and I can’t wait to see how he performs next week against Ireland.
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