Online Reporter
LONDON. —Maro Itoje has set his sights on Rugby World Cup glory in Australia in 2027 after England were handed a potentially favourable path through the tournament when the draw was made in Sydney on Wednesday.
England are in Pool F with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe at the expanded 24-team event with Italy, Australia, Ireland and Argentina possible opponents in the last 16 and beyond.
England, who have risen to third in the world rankings after an 11-match winning streak, emerged on the other side of the draw from the reigning world champions, South Africa, the three-times winners New Zealand and France.
“Our ambition is to do very well and win this tournament,” Itoje, the England captain, said.
“But to do that we know we have to make sure we get our preparation right and the next two years leading to the World Cup is massive.
“We need to build throughout time and make sure we’re tracking in the right direction.”
England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, said excitement around the draw was “wonderful” and echoed Itoje on the objective for 2027, 24 years after England dramatically defeated the Wallabies in Sydney to become world champions for the first and only time. “We’ve been very clear in saying our aim is to win the World Cup and a number of other nations will be saying the same,” Borthwick said. “We are working towards it.
“The team is progressing, it’s transitioned a lot since the last World Cup over the last 18 months … I want to make sure that our supporters in Australia in two years’ time have loads to cheer about.”
Asked for his memories of the Wales victory against hosts England at the 2015 tournament, Borthwick said:
“As ever with every England v Wales game, it was very hard-fought and I am sure the game in Australia will be exactly the same: full of passion and full of spirit.”
Itoje said he will relish the expectation that seems bound to grow as a buoyant England build towards the tournament.
“The converse would not be ideal, if this England team had no expectation or you played for a team that had no hopes,” he said.
“That’s a situation I don’t want to be in. If we want to go out and do what we want to do, we have to walk that line and welcome whatever comes. If that’s part of it we have to welcome that.” — The Guardian
Mathew Masinge