England lock Maro Itoje has said he is confident that England can prove they are heading in the right direction with a series of wins this autumn, adding the side are “not here to make up the numbers.”
England face New Zealand on Saturday in the first of four November Tests that will also see them play Australia, South Africa and Japan.
“Ultimately, we want to win,” Itoje told ESPN in an exclusive interview. “We’re not here just to take part. We’re not here just to make up the numbers. We want to win.
“I want to be a part of sides that win. So success would look like winning, but we also want to take steps forward. If we want to improve our game, we want to convert some of these Q4 moments in our favor. We want to see growth. We want to see growth in the team.”
England were twice defeated by the All Blacks during a summer tour in July — Steve Bothwick’s side were narrowly beaten 16-15 in the first Test, followed by a 24-17 loss a week later.
Those results came months after a Six Nations series that saw England in a number of tight encounters, with four of their five games decided by three points or less.
“We’ve been building towards a performing well and having tight losses,” Itoje added. “The growth of this team will be turning those tight losses into wins and hopefully bigger wins down in the future.”
Further reading:
– State of the unions: How rugby’s top 10 shape up this November
– Autumn internationals to trial 20-minute red cards
– Borthwick defends England environment after departures