"Just occasionally even the world's best rugby players are genuinely taken aback. In mid-September, Maro Itoje, recuperating from his British & Irish Lions exertions, stood and watched an England training session and could not believe the pace, intensity and all-round zip on view. I was thinking: Wow, I need to get back in the gym, I need to make sure I come back quickly,' he admitted this week."
"It also adds an extra frisson to an upcoming autumn series already rich with possibility. Find a way past Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina on successive weekends and England could extend their winning sequence to 11 games since losing to Ireland in Dublin in February. By the time the World Cup pool draw is made on 3 December it could be that several of their rivals are looking anxiously over their shoulders."
Maro Itoje watched an England training session after his British & Irish Lions exertions and was surprised by the pace, intensity and all-round zip on display. Mako Vunipola and Danny Care registered similar impressions. Itoje's growing belief centers on England's potential with the 2027 Rugby World Cup on the horizon. A successful autumn run against Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina could extend England's winning streak to eleven since the February loss to Ireland. England currently sit fifth in the world rankings and risk repeating past near-misses. Australia have improved and arrived battle-hardened from the Rugby Championship.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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