Rugby World Cup: England lock Maro Itoje targets 'another level' after return to form and fitness
- Published
Itoje started against Argentina and Japan for England but was rested in their last match against Chile
2023 Rugby World Cup |
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Venue: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille Dates: Saturday, 7 October Kick-off: 16:45 BST |
Coverage: Full commentary across BBC Radio 5 Live and text updates on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Maro Itoje wants to power on to the next level with England after rediscovering form and fitness at the World Cup.
The lock explained he was affected by an underlying health issue during this year's Six Nations, but he now feels like a different player.
"It's definitely better being able to express myself physically," Itoje said.
"I had issues going on in the background which affected my ability to exercise and perform."
Itoje played in all five of England's 2023 Six Nations matches as the team limped to a fourth-placed finish.
England came into autumn's Rugby World Cup in France in torrid form having lost three of their four warm-up matches.
"I guess that whole period for me was my version of that, where I had something structurally wrong and I didn't know it was structurally wrong until I was quite deep into it," said Itoje.
"To be able to persevere through that period and finally get a fix for that was great.
"But I personally still feel there's a lot more to go and a lot more that I can contribute in a positive manner for this team and in this tournament."
Steve Borthwick's side still boast a 100% record and want to keep their winning streak going.
They reached the quarter-finals as Pool D winners with a match to spare after Japan beat Samoa on Thursday night.
England produced a defensive masterclass, aided by 28-year-old Itoje, to beat Argentina in their World Cup opener.
They also eased past Japan and Chile and will face Samoa in their final Pool D match on Saturday, October 7 in Lille.
"It's funny because people after the [Argentina] game thought I'd played well," said Itoje. "I thought I played all right. I don't think I played as well as what people were telling me.
"And that's probably because I know where I can be if I'm properly firing on all cylinders.
"The games have been a step in the right direction for me, but I'm not satisfied with that. I think there's another level for me to get to."