Maro Itoje sends rallying cry to England ahead of France test

Eddie Jones’ men are seeking to avoid finishing in the bottom half of the table when they take on Grand Slam-chasing France

Eddie Jones’ men are seeking to avoid finishing in the bottom half of the table (Getty Images)

Maro Itoje insists England must seize the opportunity to show their true colours when a disappointing Six Nations draws to a close against France on Saturday.

Eddie Jones’ team were removed from the title race when they fell to a spirited defeat by Ireland in round four and they arrive in Paris with the aim of avoiding finishing in the bottom half of the table.

France are expected to complete the Grand Slam having already proved themselves to be the competition’s outstanding team, but Itoje warns that England are playing for pride.

“It’s about the type of team and individuals we want to be,” the Lions second row said.

“Ultimately, we are playing for the win and for each other. Playing against France is always competitive, but we’re playing for England here.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity for everyone in the team. Playing for England is an absolute honour and you can’t take these types of moments for granted. You never know when they’re going to come again.

“The future is not guaranteed, but what we can guarantee is living in the present. For us, we want to go out there and play our game.

“We’re not just here to take part and make up numbers. We want to be confrontational and to win this game.”

Hooker Jamie George has spoken of the need to silence the Stade de France crowd as quickly as possible, an objective born out of the knowledge that the home fans can be a fickle audience.

If Les Bleus are firing they will be roared on, further lifting the team and generating hostility, but should they struggle then the supporters can be quick to turn against them in a manner not seen at other grounds.

“I think that’s probably a fair representation. They’re loud. They’re noisy. They love to support their team, especially when they’re doing well,” Itoje said.

“They perhaps go a little bit quiet when things aren’t going their way but when their team is on top and they have momentum, they’re amongst the loudest fans on the circuit.”

Among the most influential weapons in France’s armoury is defence coach Shaun Edwards, whose impact on the team has been to heighten their resilience as seen against Wales in the penultimate round.

Martin Gleeson, England’s attack coach, played rugby league for Wigan after Edwards had retired, but he knows the 55-year-old well and is full of admiration for his success in rectifying an area of France’s game that was previously inconsistent.

“Shaun has been unbelievable. He’s transformed them. It’s because of his simplicity in his message and he gets a buy-in from the lads,” Gleeson said.

“The lads respect him 100 per cent and they will go into the trenches for him. No matter where he goes, he seems to have success so I have nothing but respect for him, as a bloke and as a coach.

“There is a lot of excitement. France have got a lot to play for and so have we. But while it is notoriously hard to break Shaun’s defence down, we feel there are a couple of chinks in their armour.”