England face the Italians at Twickenham on Saturday…
Ben Youngs has revealed that he will be using England’s match against Italy as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, reports the Daily Mirror.
SEE MORE
England v Italy Six Nations preview and live rugby streaming
Six Nations: England unchanged vs Italy – Stuart Lancaster looks to build on victory in Cardiff
James Haskell says England must be tough on themselves after Six Nations victory over Wales
The team are in high spirits after an impressive 21-16 victory over Wales in Cardiff, and will want to build on that against the perennial losers. With only seven matches before the home World Cup starts they need to keep their form up.
He said, “As a team, week by week, we have got to push on from where we are at,” he said. “Every game now is a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. We’ve got seven games before our opener against Fiji so Italy at home is very much a dress rehearsal for a home World Cup.”
The 25-year-old is one of only two survivors from the team that got knocked out of the last World Cup amid controversy four years ago. When the tournament comes around this time they will be hoping for a better showing in front of the home crowds.
COMMENTS