Captain Itoje humbled by honour of a lifetime
By James Toney
Maro Itoje has a reputation for choosing his words carefully – and he has just one to describe The British & Irish Lions squad he'll lead in Australia: tough.
Itoje's leadership potential has been talked about since his schoolboy rugby days, and it has only been reinforced by two tours of duty with the Lions – in 2017 as the youngest player in New Zealand, and four years ago with a series of standout performances against the Springboks.
Thoughtful and articulate, with an intense work ethic his schoolteachers once described as 'scary', he's a captain straight from central casting and the perfect choice for the raging furnace of a tour Down Under.
'The philosophy of the team and the style we play is down to the coaching staff, but I want this team to be tough,' he said.
'I look at this forward pack and I just see a group of really tough men. I want us to be tight, I want us to have each other's backs. I want us to play with the passion and energy that you expect of a Lions player.
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'Our role is to make sure we give people something to cheer about. I want players to enjoy it – this is a unique experience. Who knows if this will be your last opportunity to wear this shirt? You never know what will happen. We just have to work hard and give all of ourselves. If we do that, with the talent we have, it will be a great tour.'
Itoje was missing from training on Monday, leading to intense speculation among his Saracens team-mates that he'd already had the call-up. The truth was he was at his brother's wedding – not finding out that he'd become the 47th captain in Lions history until just 24 hours later.
'I've been talked about as a captain contender since I was 21, and more often than not, I haven't got it,' added Itoje, who was only named England captain ahead of the recent Six Nations.
'I've learnt you can't take speculation as gospel – just because people are saying something, it doesn't make it true.
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'I never want to be presumptuous and just try and focus on what I can control. It means an awful lot; it's a tremendous honour. It's felt very humbling and surreal. It's been incredible and I'm very excited to get going.
'You never want to be the reason why it leaks, so I kept the circle as tight as possible: my fiancée, my brother and sister, mum and dad.'
Itoje spent the night before coach Andy Farrell confirmed his 38-strong touring party having dinner with his predecessors – a red thread that dates back to Robert Seddon, who led the team to New Zealand on the boat SS Kaikoura in 1888.
And he claims that his captains in 2017 and 2021, Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones, have given him a blueprint for the weeks ahead.
'Both had very different personalities. Sam wasn't the biggest talker, but he led through his actions – he was always putting his body on the line and was among our best players. His record speaks for itself,' he said.
'Alun was all pride, passion, and energy. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, he's very eloquent and very smart. Both were selfless guys and did what they had to do.
'It was just an amazing dinner, spending time with some of the giants of our game. It was the first time I've spent really good quality time with these people. The message from all the captains was: enjoy it, trust yourself, and remember to lean on the quality people you have around you.'
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