They say it used to take the great Japanese swordsmiths a year to forge their finest swords. Eddie Jones spent two and a half crafting the weapon he used to cut up the All Blacks. He had been working on it ever since they announced the draw for this World Cup in May 2017, heating it, honing it till it had exactly the heft and sharpness it needed for this one specific job.
This was the first time England had beaten New Zealand in a World Cup, yes, but also only the eighth in more than a century of Test rugby. You can count off the years: ’36, ’73, ’83, ’93, ’02, ’03, ’12, and now, the most famous of the lot, in 2019.
Written by Andy Bull at International Stadium Yokohama
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/oct/26/maro-itoje-england-new-zealand-rugby-world-cup-semi-final under the title “Maro Itoje’s one-man highlights reel puts England on course for greatness | Andy Bull”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.