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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Warrior Itoje joins pantheon of Lions captains as McBride pays tribute
They were speaking hours apart and from different ends of the world but a few things united Maro Itoje in Sydney, New South Wales and Willie John McBride in Ballyclare, Antrim - both were/are locks and, as of last Saturday, both know how it feels to captain the Lions to a series win. McBride, 85 years young and leader of the immortals of 1974 in South Africa, is the oldest surviving victorious Lions captain. That merry band numbered just four before the weekend - Finlay Calder (1989 in Australia), Martin Johnson (1997 in South Africa) and Sam Warburton (2013 in Australia) being the others. Now there are five. "What message would I send to Maro?" says McBride. "I'd say well done, son. Well done. It's never easy to win a series in the southern hemisphere and they've achieved it. "I watched it at home on Saturday morning. I couldn't be doing with listening to all the rubbish down the club, all the experts giving their opinions. "The game was tremendous. The best I've seen in a very long time. There's lots about modern rugby that I don't understand. I don't understand line-outs any more. I haven't a clue why they bother having scrums because nobody knows what's going on. "We had 32 players, a coach and a manager when I was captain. They have more than 32 people in the backroom staff now. We had 22 matches. Everything is different, but I'd imagine something that hasn't changed much is the feeling of having won. "It's the biggest honour you can have in rugby - winning a series with the Lions." 'An honour to join such esteemed company' Generations divide them but in their own way they are deeply fascinating men with stories that transcend rugby. McBride played through The Troubles, an Ulster protestant and an Irish captain who used rugby to try to build bridges between two warring communities while others were trying to blow them up. The admiration for Itoje comes in a different form - in his work in giving severely disadvantaged kids from Nigeria, the land of his parents' birth, a proper education. Through his Pearl Fund, he is making a difference in the lives of orphaned, fatherless and poverty-stricken young people. McBride doesn't understand the game Itoje plays, but he knew how he would have felt on Saturday night. "I'm very grateful and it's obviously a tremendous honour to be in such esteemed company," says Itoje when asked about the select band of captains he's now joined. "When I'm old and grey these occasions and these tours are going to be the experiences I look back on with extreme fondness. "I would be surprised if you can find a British and Irish rugby player who says they don't want to be a Lion. It's something that each player holds dear to their heart. This is something the players want and the players will continue to want for decades and for as long as rugby is being played. "You don't have many shots at it. The next tour is never guaranteed. There's a rarity to it. If you miss one, you may never have another opportunity. "It's been said before but in many ways, it shouldn't really work. You have four different nations, four different ideologies, several different ways of how to play the game and how to think. "It is not a homogenous group at all, but people buy in and you forge great relationships and you build bonds. That's what makes it special." Rugby Union Weekly: Hooper, Itoje and Gilpin in Sydney 'Lions need whitewash to be lauded for decades' - Dawson column 'Finish on a high' - Russell seeks 3-0 Lions clean sweep 'Power, nous and strategic brilliance' Itoje is one of the greats now. He has played in eight straight Lions Tests (seven as a starter) and that will become nine on Saturday when the Lions face the Wallabies in the last dance in Sydney. His captaincy is low-key, almost gentle. When he wants some fire and brimstone in the dressing room he tends to call on others to deliver it. He once described himself as "deeply thoughtful, prone to overthinking, actually" - but that's part of what makes him interesting. He's a rugby player but also a Christian, a collector of African art - "it speaks to my soul" - a philanthropist, a strong voice on anti-racism - "it has happened so often in my life" - and a lover of politics. When asked what was the coolest message he's received since wrapping up the series last weekend, he says it was from foreign secretary David Lammy. Itoje is also in the pantheon - a lock who wreaks havoc with his power, his nous and his strategic brilliance. His durability is astounding. He's played every minute of every Six Nations game going back six years. In 37 of his past 38 games for England and the Lions he's gone the distance. Softly spoken, he's as hard as they come. A player who came to rugby late and to captaincy later still, but who's left his mark on the game and with years on his side - he's only 30 - to make that mark even bigger. What will he remember of this trip - the rugby or the people? "It's hard to differentiate it. Ultimately, it's going to be the people but the rugby makes it sweeter," says Itoje. "There is a verse that I can't quite remember what book it is from in the Bible [Mark 8:36], but it says 'What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?' If we won every game and we absolutely hated one another - I think life is more than that." Faith amid the fury - how Lion king Itoje keeps his peace 'He was taller than me at 10' - meet the man who inspired Itoje Willie John McBride at 80 Can the class of 2025 match 1974's Invincibles? There is one more step to take and that's turning 2-0 into 3-0, which would be the first time the Lions won three Tests in a row on tour since McBride's Lions of 1974. "We want to be part of something very special," said Itoje. "Winning a Lions Test series is obviously extremely special, but what would be an absolute dream would be to go out there and perform to the level that we think we can perform and win the third game. "While the first two games have been great because we got two wins, there's still a feeling that we haven't put it together in a way we know that we can. That's the exciting thing for us - we want to chase down the performance we've been searching for." That would make it an unbeaten tour in Australia, again a first since 1974. You put this potential slice of history to McBride and he can't help but pull you up. "Unbeaten? They were beaten in Dublin [against the Pumas], weren't they? That was part of the tour, wasn't it?" More than half a century on and the great man is still protective of his boys and their place in Lions history. Once a warrior, always a warrior. Itoje has now joined that class. "I think we owe it to ourselves," Itoje said about the need the finish the series 3-0. "The squad has worked incredibly hard for coming up to the last two months. We owe it to ourselves to give the best account of ourselves. We owe it to each other to give the best account of ourselves. Part of that is going for the win. This will already be a memorable tour, but we want it to live really long in the memory." Get the latest updates from the Lions tour How did the British and Irish Lions begin? British and Irish Lions fixtures & results for tour of Australia
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Warrior Itoje joins pantheon of Lions captains as McBride pays tribute
They were speaking hours apart and from different ends of the world but a few things united Maro Itoje in Sydney, New South Wales and Willie John McBride in Ballyclare, Antrim - both were/are locks and, as of last Saturday, both know how it feels to captain the Lions to a series 85 years young and leader of the immortals of 1974 in South Africa, is the oldest surviving victorious Lions captain. That merry band numbered just four before the weekend - Finlay Calder (1989 in Australia), Martin Johnson (1997 in South Africa) and Sam Warburton (2013 in Australia) being the others. Now there are five."What message would I send to Maro?" says McBride. "I'd say well done, son. Well done. It's never easy to win a series in the southern hemisphere and they've achieved it."I watched it at home on Saturday morning. I couldn't be doing with listening to all the rubbish down the club, all the experts giving their opinions."The game was tremendous. The best I've seen in a very long time. There's lots about modern rugby that I don't understand. I don't understand line-outs any more. I haven't a clue why they bother having scrums because nobody knows what's going on."We had 32 players, a coach and a manager when I was captain. They have more than 32 people in the backroom staff now. We had 22 matches. Everything is different, but I'd imagine something that hasn't changed much is the feeling of having won."It's the biggest honour you can have in rugby - winning a series with the Lions." 'An honour to join such esteemed company' Generations divide them but in their own way they are deeply fascinating men with stories that transcend rugby. McBride played through The Troubles, an Ulster protestant and an Irish captain who used rugby to try to build bridges between two warring communities while others were trying to blow them admiration for Itoje comes in a different form - in his work in giving severely disadvantaged kids from Nigeria, the land of his parents' birth, a proper education. Through his Pearl Fund, he is making a difference in the lives of orphaned, fatherless and poverty-stricken young doesn't understand the game Itoje plays, but he knew how he would have felt on Saturday night. "I'm very grateful and it's obviously a tremendous honour to be in such esteemed company," says Itoje when asked about the select band of captains he's now joined."When I'm old and grey these occasions and these tours are going to be the experiences I look back on with extreme fondness."I would be surprised if you can find a British and Irish rugby player who says they don't want to be a Lion. It's something that each player holds dear to their heart. This is something the players want and the players will continue to want for decades and for as long as rugby is being played."You don't have many shots at it. The next tour is never guaranteed. There's a rarity to it. If you miss one, you may never have another opportunity. "It's been said before but in many ways, it shouldn't really work. You have four different nations, four different ideologies, several different ways of how to play the game and how to think."It is not a homogenous group at all, but people buy in and you forge great relationships and you build bonds. That's what makes it special." 'Power, nous and strategic brilliance' Itoje is one of the greats now. He has played in eight straight Lions Tests (seven as a starter) and that will become nine on Saturday when the Lions face the Wallabies in the last dance in captaincy is low-key, almost gentle. When he wants some fire and brimstone in the dressing room he tends to call on others to deliver it. He once described himself as "deeply thoughtful, prone to overthinking, actually" - but that's part of what makes him a rugby player but also a Christian, a collector of African art - "it speaks to my soul" - a philanthropist, a strong voice on anti-racism - "it has happened so often in my life" - and a lover of politics. When asked what was the coolest message he's received since wrapping up the series last weekend, he says it was from foreign secretary David is also in the pantheon - a lock who wreaks havoc with his power, his nous and his strategic brilliance. His durability is astounding. He's played every minute of every Six Nations game going back six years. In 37 of his past 38 games for England and the Lions he's gone the distance. Softly spoken, he's as hard as they come. A player who came to rugby late and to captaincy later still, but who's left his mark on the game and with years on his side - he's only 30 - to make that mark even will he remember of this trip - the rugby or the people? "It's hard to differentiate it. Ultimately, it's going to be the people but the rugby makes it sweeter," says Itoje."There is a verse that I can't quite remember what book it is from in the Bible [Mark 8:36], but it says 'What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?' If we won every game and we absolutely hated one another - I think life is more than that." Can the class of 2025 match 1974's Invincibles? There is one more step to take and that's turning 2-0 into 3-0, which would be the first time the Lions won three Tests in a row on tour since McBride's Lions of 1974."We want to be part of something very special," said Itoje. "Winning a Lions Test series is obviously extremely special, but what would be an absolute dream would be to go out there and perform to the level that we think we can perform and win the third game."While the first two games have been great because we got two wins, there's still a feeling that we haven't put it together in a way we know that we can. That's the exciting thing for us - we want to chase down the performance we've been searching for."That would make it an unbeaten tour in Australia, again a first since 1974. You put this potential slice of history to McBride and he can't help but pull you up. "Unbeaten? They were beaten in Dublin [against the Pumas], weren't they? That was part of the tour, wasn't it?"More than half a century on and the great man is still protective of his boys and their place in Lions history. Once a warrior, always a warrior. Itoje has now joined that class."I think we owe it to ourselves," Itoje said about the need the finish the series 3-0."The squad has worked incredibly hard for coming up to the last two months. We owe it to ourselves to give the best account of ourselves. We owe it to each other to give the best account of ourselves. Part of that is going for the win. This will already be a memorable tour, but we want it to live really long in the memory."
Perth Now
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Itoje keen to preserve 'history and tradition' of Lions
Maro Itoje insists long-haul travel must remain a feature of British and Irish Lions tours amid calls for new territories to be added to their list of destinations. The Lions currently visit Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on rotation, but there has been growing support for rugby-loving France to join them because of the strength of their Test team and club game, as well as the commercial opportunities. But three days after leading Andy Farrell's men to a series-clinching victory over the Wallabies, and with the prospect of a 3-0 sweep on in Sydney on Saturday, Itoje revealed his preference is for the Lions' heritage to be preserved. "I thought about this at the beginning of the tour. My answer is, with the three nations that the Lions tour, there's a strong sense of history and tradition," Itoje said. "Perhaps the Lions is the last of the traditional organisations in the modern era. Part of me is keen for it to continue to rotate among the three countries it does. But, that being said, you have to stay relatively open-minded. "As it stands, the three nations it tours is pretty good. Also it wouldn't feel the same if we took a short-haul flight. It needs a long-haul flight." The Lions' passage through Australia had been something of a procession until they reached Melbourne, where they were pushed to the brink first by the First Nations and Pasifika XV and then the Wallabies. The 29-26 triumph in the second Test, made possible by overturning an 18-point deficit, will go down as one of the greatest games in their history and has provided validation for the entire 2025 expedition. Furthermore, with a record crowd of more than 90,000 for a Lions match in attendance at Melbourne Cricket Ground, it was a reminder of their pulling power, with Itoje insisting the institution described by manager Ieuan Evans as a "glorious anachronism" is here to stay. "It's been without a shadow of a doubt one of the highlights of my career," said Itoje, who was also part of the 2017 and 2021 tours. "When I am old and grey these occasions and these tours are going to be one of the experiences I look back on with extreme fondness. "It's the aspiration of every British and Irish rugby player. I'd be surprised if you can find a British and Irish rugby player who says they don't want to be a Lion or they don't want to play for the Lions. "This is something the players want and the players will continue to want for decades and for as long as rugby is being played. And it's something world rugby wants. "It adds an extra bit of spice and intrigue to the Six Nations when it's Lions year. So I am struggling to see the negatives. It's a great occasion, it's a great event and long may it continue." If the Lions prevail at Accor Stadium on Saturday, they will become the first team to whitewash the hosts in a Test series since 1927. "We still have a job to do. We want to be part of something very special," Itoje said. "Winning a Lions series is obviously extremely special, but what would be an absolute dream would be to go out there and perform to the level that we think we can perform and win the third game. "That's the exciting for us - we want to chase down the performance we have been searching for." Making the Wallabies' task to avoid an unwanted place in history even greater is the fact they will be without injured key forwards Alan Alaalatoa and Rob Valetini.
South Wales Guardian
14 hours ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Maro Itoje eager to preserve ‘history and tradition' of Lions tours
The Lions currently visit Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on rotation, but there has been growing support for rugby-loving France to join them because of the strength of their Test team and club game, as well as the commercial opportunities. But three days after leading Andy Farrell's men to a series-clinching victory over the Wallabies, with Saturday's final Test in Sydney still to play, Itoje revealed his preference is for the Lions' heritage to be preserved. 'I thought about this at the beginning of the tour. My answer is, with the three nations that the Lions tour, there's a strong sense of history and tradition,' Itoje said. 'Perhaps the Lions is the last of the traditional organisations in the modern era. Part of me is keen for it to continue to rotate among the three countries it does. But, that being said, you have to stay relatively open-minded. 'As it stands, the three nations it tours is pretty good. Also it wouldn't feel the same if we took a short-haul flight. It needs a long-haul flight.' The Lions' passage through Australia had been something of a procession until they reached Melbourne, where they were pushed to the brink first by the First Nations and Pasifika XV and then the Wallabies. The 29-26 triumph in the second Test, made possible by overturning an 18-point deficit, will go down as one of the greatest games in their history and has provided validation for the entire 2025 expedition. Furthermore, with a record crowd for a Lions match in attendance at Melbourne Cricket Ground, it was a reminder of their pulling power, with Itoje insisting the institution described by manager Ieuan Evans as a 'glorious anachronism' is here to stay. What a night! 🙌🦁#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 28, 2025 'It's been without a shadow of a doubt one of the highlights of my career,' said Itoje, who was also part of the 2017 and 2021 tours. 'When I am old and grey these occasions and these tours are going to be one of the experiences I look back on with extreme fondness. 'It's the aspiration of every British and Irish rugby player. I'd be surprised if you can find a British and Irish rugby player who says they don't want to be a Lion or they don't want to play for the Lions. 'This is something the players want and the players will continue to want for decades and for as long as rugby is being played. And it's something world rugby wants. 'It adds an extra bit of spice and intrigue to the Six Nations when it's Lions year. So I am struggling to see the negatives. It's a great occasion, it's a great event and long may it continue.' If the Lions prevail at Accor Stadium on Saturday, they will become the first team to whitewash the hosts in a Test series since 1927. 'We still have a job to do. We want to be part of something very special,' Itoje said. 'Winning a Lions series is obviously extremely special, but what would be an absolute dream would be to go out there and perform to the level that we think we can perform and win the third game. 'That's the exciting for us – we want to chase down the performance we have been searching for.'
Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Times
Maro Itoje on understated people skills that underpin his Lions captaincy
In a parallel universe, under a different captaincy, you wonder how different this British & Irish Lions tour might have looked. It still seems likely that, had Caelan Doris, the Ireland captain, not been injured days before the tour squad was announced, then he would have got the job for the Lions too. Maybe we'll never know for sure. And if these had been Caelan's Lions, and not Maro's, then the Test match results would probably look little different. Maro Itoje himself would probably have slipped selflessly into the role of leading footsoldier. The leadership dynamic would, of course, have felt different, not worse, though maybe it has helped a squad with a preponderance of Irishmen to have had a skipper from outside their group. Again, we can but guess; and Doris is a democrat, just as Itoje is. Itoje doesn't crave the limelight. When offered the opportunity on Tuesday to bask in the glory of his success, he said: 'It's never been about me. It's never been about who the captain is.' And you could imagine those same words from Doris too. What you probably wouldn't imagine from Doris is a similar answer to this question: from whom has come the coolest congratulations message you've had since winning the series on Saturday night? When Itoje paused to ponder his answer, you were expecting a Mick Jagger, say, or a Daniel Craig. His answer, though, was David Lammy, and not only did he pick a politician, he said that the foreign secretary was someone 'I have a bit of a relationship with'. Nevertheless, like Itoje, Doris is also cerebral. The son of two psychotherapists, how could he not be? Yet he probably wouldn't be quoting the Bible in his press conferences, like Itoje did here. When Itoje was asked which he would treasure more from the tour, the people or the rugby, he quoted Mark 8:36. (Actually he very marginally misquoted him, but let's not split hairs.) His line was: 'For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' And his explanation was what if 'we won every game and we absolutely hated one another … I think life is more than that'. There is so much contained in that one answer. When Itoje was made the England captain, barely seven months ago, it seemed a big call from Steve Borthwick, the head coach, largely because Itoje would be replacing Jamie George, whose people skills were always so good. Itoje was always going to be a big leader from the front in the field of play, but lacked the same empathy. It wasn't that he was selfish, just that he was slightly more caught up in his own world. That, at least, was how it had seemed, an impression that had been encouraged by Eddie Jones, the previous England coach. As it turned out, Borthwick judged perfectly Itoje's growth as a leader. These few weeks in Australia have only served to accelerate further his education as a captain and that is good for Itoje, good for Saracens and most certainly good for England. It's a reasonable guess that where the experience here has improved him, in particular, is his people skills. When he talks about his team-mates, he can sound somewhat avuncular, as if he is the grown-up on the sideline, enjoying watching the kids have fun. This is Itoje on Jamie Osborne, the Irish back nicknamed 'Showbiz': 'I have built relationships with people I really did not know well. Someone like Showbiz. I never thought I would have a relationship with him. I wouldn't mind the nickname Showbiz, if you want to start it … I know now whenever I play against him in the future I can call him Showbiz and he will have that little smirk on his face.' Or Finlay Bealham: 'Another one — I never thought we would have a good relationship. But he's absolutely hilarious, funny; he's a very endearing person.' Yet he has thought hard and intelligently about how these relationships should be conducted. 'What I've been conscious of,' he explained, 'is it's a higher level of player here. So you don't try to treat certain players of a certain level and calibre the same way that you would if it was a much younger or inexperienced group. They are the type of things I've thought about.' He is also conscious of what he is as a captain and what he isn't. He knows that he isn't the Mr Motivator kind who can naturally bring his team-mates to an emotional peak, so the last changing-room address before heading on to the Test match pitch is one he has passed on to Ellis Genge. 'I didn't discuss it with Ellis beforehand,' he explained. 'I asked him to do it ahead of the first Test. My thing is it's about trying to get the best out of the group. Ellis is very emotional, he knows how to get himself going and get people around him going. 'I want to use the talents of the group. It's never been about me, about me having the final word or sticking my chest out as captain. It's about us getting to where we need to be. For Ellis, that's a role he's quite familiar and comfortable with. I guess it's a judgment call from myself of who would be best placed to have the final message before we go out. It need not always be the captain.' He is aware himself that he's grown from the experience. 'You perhaps learn about the style of how I want to be and my approach to things,' was how he explained it. 'As always, when you start a new role, you have to work your way through a few things. As this tour has gone on, I've definitely felt more comfortable in the role.' That is certainly how it has looked and you wonder if Itoje would have had this same development had he been given the role four years ago. Again, maybe he wasn't ready, even though he was considered a leading contender. That, at least, was the conclusion of Warren Gatland, who appointed Alun Wyn Jones instead. 'The answer is I don't know,' he said, 'because it's a hypothetical. I definitely feel like I was ready to do the job when I was asked to. I didn't feel like it was a step too far for me or it was going to be something I wasn't able to do. 'So I'd like to think I come back as a better player and part of that is hopefully being a better captain as well.' Yes, Maro, it seems highly likely that you will.
