Maro Itoje proving his worth to England as he grows into Eddie Jones's MVP
What the 22-year-old lacks in experience he offers in versatility after proving he can perform at a world class level across a range of roles and positions
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Your support makes all the difference.The term most valuable player is rarely used in sport this side of the Atlantic, and is reserved for such icons of sport such as Tom Brady, Steph Curry and Mike Trout, but England’s rugby team appears to have found its own MVP in Maro Itoje.
The 22-year-old Saracens lock is not yet in double figures in terms of international caps, but he is quickly proving his importance to Eddie Jones’ plans that will culminate at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He has already proven an welcome asset to the team on the whole, with Itoje yet to lose in an England shirt having begun his international career during the 16-match winning streak that the side are currently on.
But he’s also proven his incredible versatility in many ways. The first came in switching from lock to blindside flanker on the international stage – not an easy feat to do as seamlessly as he did against France in the Six Nations opener last weekend – while covering the second-row should either Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes need replacing.
The second has been the understanding that he can strike up with multiple partners in the pack. Itoje flourished early on alongside Saracens clubmate George Kruis, though that’s to be expected given their form in the Premiership and European Champions Cup. Bit on Saturday night against Wales, he proved he can also adapt the take up a third of the back-row alongside openside Jack Clifford and No 8 Nathan Hughes, despite the trio never playing together in the back-row.
The third, though, was the most remarkable. Despite playing in the No 6 shirt, Itoje packed down in the second row with Lawes shifting over to the blindside, and Jones lauded the pair as his new five-and-a-halves in a nod to his heralding of Chris Robshaw’s new role last year.
Itoje’s strong aspects are prevalent both in the lineout – where his height and reach certainly gives him an advantage – and in defence where he is rarely shaken off by the opposition. However, it’s this new role that is revealing his worth as a scrummager, something that Jones identified only last week when he took the decision to make the switch in the pack for the trip to Cardiff.
“One of Maro’s great attributes is his scrummaging,” Jones enthused after the 21-16 victory. “He's a strong scrummager so he scrummed at lock and played at six. If we could have numbers we wouldn't have those. We’d have four and a half and five and a half.
“He's doing really well, I’m so pleased with him. That’s his second Test as a starting number 6 and playing against Warburton who's played 70 Tests.
“He’s a better scrummager and I thought we're silly not using his scrummaging as scrummaging was going to be important and we won the scrums so it was a significant factor in the game. You want your best people scrummaging and there's a massive difference in people's ability to scrum.”
Look at Brady or Curry and you will see the take-it-in-their-stride attitude, the image of a consummate professional able to overcome any obstacle in their way. That was none so clear than in Superbowl LI little over a week ago, where Brady’s New England Patriots rallied from 25 points down to triumph 34-28 in overtime.
Itoje has that element to his game, too. “The two roles I have played numerous times for my club and here, I want to benefit the team as best I can. Whichever way the coaches feel I can do that, I will do,” Itoje says confidently.
“I’ve played second row and I’ve played No 6 – I feel pretty comfortable at both. The coaches make the decisions they do and I just follow. Having those two quality players, Courtney and Joe, at the side of me helps so they have the choice of which combination they want to use.
“If you asked me two and a half years ago I probably would have said I’m not really a scrummager but I want to try to be the most complete player I can and that involves scrummaging and work around the field. I’m just trying to be the most complete player I can.”
That complete player could prove crucial not only to Jones and his plan to conquer New Zealand on the way to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but way beyond that. Itoje will be 24 years old when the tournament begins in Japan, and still well below 30 by the time the 2023 Rugby World Cup comes around in either South Africa, Ireland or France.
That tournament is still eight years away, but the message is clear: Itoje is the type of player that a team can be built around to lead a generation, a Martin Johnson, a John Eales, a Richie McCaw. These players don’t come around every day, and it’s down to Jones and his coaching team to work out how his development is best handled be it at lock or flanker. So far, so good.
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