"I don't want to play for a low-expectation team, I don't want to play for a team that no one thinks they can do anything, no one thinks they can achieve anything, and they have little potential.
"We want to be a team that wins on a regular basis; we don't want to be a team that fans are expecting disappointing results from," said Itoje.
"We need to seize our moments; in any game you have a finite amount of moments that are there for you to take," he replied when asked how England avoid a further false dawn.
With a home game against Italy and a trip to beleaguered Wales on the horizon, an overdue success against the 'Auld Enemy' would very much leave England in the mix for a first Six Nations title since 2020.
Maro Itoje admits England must supplement "blind, beating-your-chest fury" with calm heads and composure in order to wrestle back the Calcutta Cup.
