Itoje laughed off an Opta boffins’ prediction that England have a two per cent chance of winning the Six Nations and less than a one per cent chance of winning the Grand Slam. Experts there fed all the data into their systems and simulated matches 10,000 times to come to that conclusion.

Maro Itoje says England are "ready to go" as they bid to upset the odds by launching their Six Nations campaign with a defeat of twice defending champions Ireland in Dublin. But they were also the only side to beat Ireland in last year's Six Nations and Itoje believes a new-look England can repeat that Twickenham triumph at Lansdowne Road.