‘Well, Italy is going to be a tough game. They’re going to be emotionally up at the start of the game; they’re going to be pumped. They’ll come hard off the line and there’ll be Italians flying everywhere. We’ve got to hold our nerve, be disciplined and then in the last 20 minutes of the game we’ll get our points.’
That is the short and sweet summary from Eddie Jones as to how he wants Sunday afternoon the pan out. Of course there are many more intricate details that make up his side's game-plan however he isn’t one that likes to discuss them with an audience wider than his squad.
England’s recent trips to Rome haven’t been as profitable as they should have been and that is a fact that irks their new head coach. Alongside adding layers onto their performance against Scotland Eddie has focused on his squad's mindset. This week he has implored his players to be thinking, acting and ultimately playing like the superior side. For Eddie Jones this is non-negotiable, it is not false arrogance instead it based on fact as he explained;
‘If you look historically, in 2008, 2010 and 2012 the winning margin was five points or less, that’s underperformance. But, the last time England went to Italy they put some points on them didn’t they? Now that’s all up here [in the head], it’s got nothing to do with anything else, so that’s the thing we’ve got to get right and I’m confident the players have got that right.’
'I want our players to be confident. I don’t want them to be delusional but I want them to be confident. If you look at our team on paper and the Italian team on paper, we’re a better team and therefore we should put on a better performance.'
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'We’ve got a new captain who’s full of enthusiasm and a bit brash. We’ve got three good young vice-captains that are very assertive, then underneath that we’ve got a great tier of senior players, and guys like Chris Robshaw are doing a terrific job, as is James Haskell, in helping creating a stronger leadership strength in the team.’
This straight-talking approach is what this England squad needs. We’ve already seen the impact that Eddie’s confidence in Billy Vunipola has had and with the calibre of individuals in England’s match-day 23 why shouldn’t they believe that they can smash Italy off the park? If they play to their potential then they should.
Of course their 80 minutes against Scotland could never be called vintage or beautiful however there was enough in it to build upon. Defensively England were intense and they shut down Vern Cotter’s side from the outset, the scrummage was stronger than we saw at any point during the World Cup and the lineout was secure and provided crisp ball. All of those elements will need to be replicated and added to especially when it comes to the pack’s role as this match will adhere to the phrase ‘forwards win matches and the backs decide by how much’. The work-ons are clear; a reduction of needless breakdown penalties, sharper handling and taking their opportunities when they present themselves.
Naturally they’ll be a host of individuals that are on ‘Maro watch’ just waiting for the introduction of the man that has excelled for Saracens since the day that he played his first professional match. However I expect Eddie Jones to maintain his resolve that test rugby is not about ‘creating opportunities for younger players, it is about winning’. If, and only if, England are in the right space will he look to use those watching on including young Itoje.
Italy proved last weekend that they have plenty to be positive about; their pack remain at the heart of their performances. Carlo Canna pleasantly surprised us, Sergio Parisee was his usual talismanic self and Michele Campagnaro will give England a spot to think about. However France weren't the most organised of opponents whereas under Eddie Jones England's clarity of thought and organisation should be one of their key strengths.
‘We want to make the opposition fear us and we want to be disciplined. That means dominant set piece, strangulating defence and the ability to be ruthless in attack. We want to be absolutely brutal up front so there is no Italian play left standing at the end of the game.’
There’s no shying away from it, Italy may have turned some heads last weekend however Eddie Jones expects his side to go over there and blow them off the park. Let's see what they can do shall we!?
England Rugby: 15 Mike Brown 14 Anthony Watson 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Owen Farrell 11 Jack Nowell 10 George Ford 9 Ben Youngs 1 Mako Vunipola 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Dan Cole 4 Courtney Lawes 5 George Kruis 6 Chris Robshaw 7 James Haskell 8 Billy Vunipola Replacements: 16 Jamie George 17 Joe Marler 18 Paul Hill 19 Joe Launchbury 20 Maro Itoje 21 Jack Clifford 22 Danny Care 23 Alex Goode
Italy: 15 Luke McLean 14 Leonardo Sarto 13 Michele Campagnaro 12 Gonzalo Garcia 11 Mattia Bellini 10 Carlo Canna 9 Edoardo Gori 1 Andrea Lovotti 2 Ornel Gega 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 4 George Fabio Biagi 5 Marco Fuser 6 Francesco Minto 7 Alessandro Zanni 8 Sergio Parisse (C) Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon 17 Matteo Zanusso 18 Martin Castrogiovanni 19 Valerio Bernabo 20 Abraham Steyn 21 Guglielmo Palazzani 22 Edoardo Padovani 23 Andrea Pratichetti
Live Coverage on ITV from 1pm with kick-off at 2pm
