Maro Itoje eyes World Cup glory after England dodge big guns in 2027 draw

Maro Itoje has set his sights on Rugby World Cup glory in Australia in 2027 after England were handed a favourable potential path through the tournament when the draw was made in Sydney on Wednesday.

Steve Borthwick’s side, 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, three-times winners New Zealand and France.

England are in in Pool F with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe at the expanded 24-team event with Italy, Australia, Ireland and Argentina likely opponents in the last 16 and beyond.

“I think our ambition is to do very well and win this tournament,” Itoje, the England captain, said. “That’s definitely our goal. 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. Rome wasn’t built in a day so we need to build throughout time and make sure we’re tracking in the right direction.”

Borthwick said excitement around the draw was “wonderful” and echoed Itoje on the objective for 2027, 24 years after England dramatically defeated the Wallabies to become world champions for the first and only time in Sydney.

“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. I think 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 the 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.”

A Wales repeat of 2015 seems a remote prospect – they have slipped to 11th in the world and were humbled in a record 73-0 home defeat by South Africa last Saturday – and pool-stage jeopardy is lessened with four third-placed teams qualifying.

“It’s just exciting,” said Steve Tandy, the Wales head coach. “Going to the World Cup, seeing the draw, different format with smaller groups – we just can’t wait to get started. I know it’s two years away but the excitement builds straight away.

“Those big games against England are always massive and being in the World Cup they seem bigger. But Tonga and Zimbabwe pose different challenges. Overall it is just unbelievably exciting and obviously most people will focus on the England game.”

Scotland, meanwhile, will again meet Ireland in the pool stage having been defeated by their Six Nations rivals at the 2019 tournament in Japan and again in France four years later. “It would help massively if we got on the right side of the result for a change,” said Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach. “We know how tough it will be and we’ll be doing everything we can to win that game.”

Asked if he would have preferred to avoid Ireland, whom Scotland last defeated in 2017 with 11 consecutive losses coming since then, Townsend said: “When you see the teams in the top six they’re all quality sides. Some have done really well at World Cups, some have done really well in Six Nations. You know it’s going to be a very difficult game. It’s one we want to win and top our pool because things get easier if you go through first.”