Shocking Lions incident that had fans calling for Maro Itoje to be banned
Maro Itoje will take the reins as British and Irish Lions captain for Saturday's Test opener against Australia, marking the start of their summer campaign. He's expected to lead by example as the squad eyes an early series advantage.
Having stumbled against Argentina in Dublin prior to their trip, the Lions have since gone unbeaten in five matches on Australian ground. But things will heat up in Brisbane, where Itoje faces scrutiny both for his conduct and his impact.
That's partly due to past controversy. During the 2021 South Africa tour, the Saracens lock drew heavy criticism after a high-profile clash with Damian de Allende, with the 30-year-old becoming the focus of outrage from Springboks fans and South African media outlets for his in-game antics.
He was seen pressing his knee onto De Allende's upper body - specifically around the chest, shoulder, and neck - during the second Test in Cape Town. That match ended 27-9 in South Africa's favour, tying the series before the decider.
De Allende retaliated from the ground by dragging Itoje down and then shoving him in the head. Itoje responded by complaining to referee Ben O'Keeffe. Although no action was taken against either, the online backlash was severe.
One fan posted to X: "[Maro Itoje] should be banned after his knee on De Allende's neck! That's dangerous." Another user said: "Itoje also deserved red for this. This is intentional."
"Shocked he wasn't thrown out of the game," another comment read. One supporter wrote: "Unacceptable! Maro had a terrible game overall, actually. Complaining and moaning."
Itoje, though, seems to have turned the page. His recent form suggests he's grown into the leadership role, becoming a consistent presence throughout the preparatory fixtures. He was on the scoresheet in the Lions' 52-12 rout of the Queensland Reds, showcasing endurance and focus throughout the match.
Australia, led by ex-Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, will likely make Itoje a priority target as they seek to disrupt the Lions' plans at Lang Park.
Itoje is set to line up in the second row alongside Joe McCarthy and is one of four Englishmen in the starting side, joined by Ellis Genge, Tom Curry, and Tommy Freeman.
But more than anything, Itoje must avoid the sort of confrontations that invite disciplinary trouble. With the captain's armband now on his arm, fans will hope he's left the drama behind and embraced the responsibility.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool transfer news: PSR position explained amid £120m Alexander Isak interest
Liverpool could make a sensational £120m move for Alexander Isak after he reportedly asked Newcastle for a move away as Arne Slot's squad continues to be revamped Liverpool have been granted what appears to be a free run at Newcastle striker Alexander Isak after he sensationally asked to leave St James' Park. And with Manchester United among the clubs already ruling themselves out of a move for the £120m forward, Arne Slot's Premier League champions could continue their remarkable transfer window by bringing in the Sweden star. Should that happen an even greater emphasis will be placed on outgoings, however, with a host of names now being linked with departures. Yet Liverpool could also continue spending regardless without immediately falling foul of PSR regulations. Here are the big stories as Liverpool continue to be the main characters in the 2025 summer transfer window. Isak latest Alexander Isak has opened the door to a sensational British-record transfer to Liverpool after informing Newcastle that he wants to explore a move away from St James' Park. Isak did not travel with the Magpies to Singapore yesterday for their pre-season tour, though the club insist his omission was due to a thigh issue. And the Reds are in pole position despite interest from Saudi Arabia. Financial reality So in the era of PSR, where clubs are evaluated on not posting losses of £105m across a three-year cycle, how can they continue to spend as they attempt to equip Arne Slot with a squad capable of retaining their title? That they only signed Federico Chiesa, one of several players now up for sale, last summer has certainly helped but the key to their splurge is amoritisation and the book value of sales outweighing fees paid out that are spread across several seasons. The sales of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher and Jarell Quansah for a combined £61.5m, with more departures destined to follow, means the Reds could sign Isak and still add another player amid continued links with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi. And here is how things could look on the balance sheet. Potential outgoings Luis Diaz is wanted by Bayern Munich and is keen to join the German giants while Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and Tyler Morton remain possible departures before next month's transfer deadline. A number of loan agreements are also likely to be struck for academy players as the hectic window is set to continue. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu secures impressive win over Naomi Osaka to reclaim British No 1 status
Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British No 1 ranking after winning her first meeting with four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington. Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. 'She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening round defeat to Maria Sakkari. It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and she has not dropped a set in three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese star gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only hitting partner Alexis Canter in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British number two beaten 7-6 (3) 6-3 by American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans ' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet. Elsewhere, Venus Williams fell in straight sets to Poland's Magdalena Frech in the second round. The 45-year-old became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004 after an opening-round victory over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday. Williams took an early 2-1 lead against Frech, but the 27-year-old responded with a dominant run of seven straight games en route to a 6-2 6-2 win.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Bill Clinton reportedly sent Jeffrey Epstein note for birthday album
Donald Trump apparently isn't the only president that sent a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. 'The biggest name in the album' was Bill Clinton, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The ex-president's letter appeared alongside nearly 50 others, including other prominent celebrities and executives. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had authored a 'bawdy' letter to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 after he was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges. The letter was included in an album Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell compiled on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch, two Wall Street Journal newspaper reporters and the newspaper's publisher Dow Jones for libel and slander over the reporting. In Thursday's article, the Wall Street Journal provided additional details on the album, including names of some of the nearly 50 people who wrote to Epstein. They reportedly include billionaire investor Leon Black, fashion designer Vera Wang, billionaire media owner Mortimer Zuckerman, billionaire former Victoria's Secret owner Les Wexner, attorney Alan Dershowitz, model scout Jean-Luc Brunel and billionaire former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold. It also includes the British ambassador to the United States and Labour party politician Peter Mandelson in a section titled 'friends'. Epstein's former co-workers, Alan 'Ace' Greenberg and James 'Jimmy' Cayne, who he worked with at the investment firm Bear Stearns in the 1970s, also sent letters. The New York Times confirmed the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Thursday evening. 'The professionally bound birthday book had multiple volumes and included a table of contents,' the Journal reported. According to the newspaper, Clinton's note to Epstein read: 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.' A Clinton spokesperson declined to comment to the Journal, instead referring the paper to a previous statement from the ex-president, saying he had cut ties with Epstein more than a decade before his arrest and was not aware of Epstein's crimes. Trump's letter to Epstein was far from the only note that was sexual in nature, according to documents the Journal reviewed. It describes a poem signed by Black that read 'Blonde, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically / With this net of fish, Jeff's now 'The Old Man and The Sea'', and a note from Wexner that included 'a line drawing of what appeared to be a woman's breasts'. Spokespersons for Black and Wexner declined the Journal's request for comment. A letter from Wang suggested Epstein star on The Bachelor. Wang did not respond to the Journal's requests for comment. And a note from Myhrvold promised photographs from a recent trip to Africa: 'They seemed more appropriate than anything I could put in words.' The images included 'a monkey screaming, lions and zebras mating, and a zebra with its penis visible', the Journal reported. A spokesperson for Myhrvold told the Journal the former Microsoft executive did not recall the submission, only knew Epstein as a donor to scientific research, and that he 'regularly shares photos of and writes about animal behavior'. The letter from Mandelson 'included photos of whiskey and a tropical island', the Journal reported. Mandelson referred to Epstein as 'my best pal' in the note. A spokesperson for Mandelson declined to comment to the Journal. As for the relationship between Trump and Epstein, the Times found that at least once before, Trump had written Epstein an admiring note. 'To Jeff — You are the greatest!' reads an inscription in a copy of Trump's book Trump: the Art of the Comeback, which belonged to Epstein. The message, reviewed by the Times, is signed 'Donald' and dated 'Oct 97' – the month the book came out. The Times also reviewed a previously undisclosed photo of Trump and Epstein with the singer James Brown. It is not clear where the photo was taken. Brown frequently performed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Trump owned the Taj Mahal casino.
