Maro Itoje prepared for whatever Eddie Jones throws England’s way
Itoje made his England debut under Jones in 2016.
Maro Itoje insists England are ready to handle Eddie Jones’ scheming when Japan visit Allianz Stadium in Saturday’s Nations Championship showdown.
Jones accepts his Brave Blossoms are massive underdogs to register a first victory in seven Tests between the rivals but has been plotting an afternoon of “chaos” in the belief the “English don’t react well to unorthodox rugby”.
The canny Australian gave Itoje his debut in 2016 when he was England head coach and after seven years spent playing under his guidance, the hosts’ captain knows to expect the unexpected.
“Most coaches want to keep you thinking,” Itoje said. “Eddie would throw a whole load of weird and wonderful things at us to keep us sharp and keep us on our toes.
Eddie Jones wants to cause England a few surprises at Twickenham (Steven Paston/PA)
“Whether it’s unorthodox shapes in attack, things around the set piece – I know Japan are going to want to keep the ball in play or come up with special unique plays.
“We need to be alive, alive alive. It’s impossible to tick off every eventuality that an opposition might do, especially a team like Japan who have a very distinct way of playing.
“Let’s not sleepwalk into things and think ‘most teams play like this’ because Japan aren’t most teams. One, we need to be alive. Two, we need to impose our game.
“If we’re alive and we’ve got our house in order then we should be able to deal with what they throw at us.”
An important afternoon awaits England rookies such as a Max Ojomoh and Will Joseph after head coach Steve Borthwick made it clear the second of four Tests this month is an audition for World Cup places.
As many as 28 of his 33-man squad for the global showpiece have already been identified, leaving less established names to play their way into contention with Japan a rare opportunity for fringe players to shine.
But Itoje cautions that prioritising personal glory at the expense of the team will backfire as England look to build on the impressive 45-22 destruction of Australia that launched their autumn.
“The way you impress is by fully expressing yourself within the context of the team,” Itoje said.
“If you have 15 players doing their own thing it won’t look great and then no one really shines.
“The message this week – and every week really – is that we want the very best of each and every one of these guys, whether it’s a Will Joseph or a Max Ojomoh.
“We want them to fully express themselves but within the context of the team so that we can all work together and it be coherent.”
Itoje is on track to lead England into the World Cup as he benefits from being stood down from the July tour, his first full off-season break in over a decade.
“When my son was born I felt an overwhelming sense of duty – a duty to him, a duty to my wife,” Itoje said.
“I want to set a good example for him, guide him and help him to be a responsible person in this world that we’re living in.
“Having a child has made me cherish the rugby but it’s also made me want to make sure – and I’ve always tried to do this, but it’s made it more present – that when he’s old enough to look back at the body of work in my career, he will look back with pride and he’ll respect the work that his father has done.”