Maro Itoje says he and England are relishing the expectation around the team's 2027 Rugby World Cup hopes after learning who they will play in Australia.

England were drawn in Pool F with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe, and should they top that group they could avoid other heavyweights South Africa, New Zealand and France until the final if they also finish top of their own pools.

The meeting with Wales will represent the first clash between the two at the Rugby World Cup since 2015 when England were dramatically beaten on home soil and went on to be knocked out of the pool stage.

Captain Itoje wants to right that wrong and also spoke about the team's aims overall.

"I watched the game [England vs Wales, 2015 World Cup]," he said. "I was supporting England, obviously, as a fan at the time.

Pool F confirmed

We’ll face Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe in the @rugbyworldcup 2027 pool stage pic.twitter.com/d5sWXy862f

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) December 3, 2025

"Wales obviously won the game, and it wasn't the best day from an England point of view. But hopefully, this time around, it will be a little bit different.

"Our ambition is to do very well and win this tournament. That's definitely our goal, our aim. That's our objective, 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.

"I relish the expectation because the converse would not be ideal. If this England team had no expectation or you played for a team that had no hopes, that's a situation which I don't want to be in.

"It's all part of the parcel. If we want to go out and do what we want to do, we have to walk that line and welcome whatever comes, and if that's part of it [two years of England fan expectation], we have to welcome that."