Maro Itoje has revealed the England players noticed a shift in atmosphere before Eddie Jones’ dismissal in November and likened it to the conclusion of Boris Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister.
“I think I just saw it on the news,” Itoje said when speaking exclusively to The Telegraph..
“You could feel the mood change, especially in the newspapers. Kind of like how it felt when Boris Johnson or Liz Truss were coming to their end. It was that kind of shift.
“I’m very grateful to [Eddie]. He picked me 62 times. I don’t think he ever dropped me. So I’m grateful for the opportunities. He pushed me.
“He had his moments with me, but ultimately I’m grateful for what he’s done.”
“Things are going to change,” Itoje said. [Steve] will change the way we do things. And to be completely honest, we needed a change, because the last year wasn’t what we expected of ourselves.
“So change is good, it’s exciting. I’ve always said this team has an incredible amount of potential. It’s now about us figuring out how to make that a reality.”
ITOJE’S TOUGHEST OPPONENTS:
#3. Charles Piutau
Itoje said: ”For me it’s always those quick guys you can’t quite get a hold of that give me the most trouble for sure. I’m not sure if I’ve played him this year but Piutau is a real handful.”
