'I'm a big fan of his but is he better than Owen Farrell?' - RugbyPass Offload on whether Maro Itoje will captain the 2021 Lions
Last Saturday’s stellar performance of England’s Maro Itoje in their dominant Autumn Nations Cup win over Ireland has added fresh momentum to the campaign that the Saracens second row should captain the 2020 Lions in South Africa.
Itoje has long been talked about as a possible leader for the July trip to the home of the reigning world champions, but that speculation jumped a few levels on the back of his contribution to the 18-7 Twickenham win for the English over a very subdued Irish side last weekend.
However, RugbyPass Offload co-hosts Dylan Hartley, the ex-England captain, and Ryan Wilson, the Scotland flanker, have not been swayed by the recent praise for Itoje and the pair don’t see him leading Warren Gatland’s Lions squad in the southern hemisphere next year.
Asked if the latest efforts by Itoje with England had made him a certainty to succeed 2013 and 2017 tour captain Sam Warburton as Lions skipper in 2021, Hartley said: “No. I like Maro. He’s a hell of a player. He’s hitting his straps, he’s playing really well.
“But all this chat about him being a Lions captain and stuff like that, I suppose I have got to make some sort of comment on it. I have known Maro since 2016. I roomed with him as a young player and he is a great professional, great leader, but what you’re suggesting is he is better than Owen Farrell at captaining that England team.
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Ryan is fresh off another dust-up with Munster, Dylan gives us his take on England v Ireland, we add another couple of tourists to our squad and lots more?
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“There are so many things to consider. He has never captained an international team, so to chuck him into a Lions, it would help if he had national experience or club. I know at Junior World Cups he did that but it’s a slightly different beast to captaining the Lions team. You have got to remember who is coaching the Lions, Warren Gatland. Is there any sort of relationship there? Have they ever spoke? How do they communicate? There is so much more to consider.”
Taking his Itoje-for-Lions-captain cue from retired the ex-England and Northampton captain, Wilson, the current Glasgow skipper, chipped in: “On the captaincy stuff, it doesn’t matter what sort of player, whether you’re playing well or a brilliant player or a standout player, there is so much more to being a captain than what you see on the field. It’s everything off it.
“What I have learned the last four years at Glasgow is probably ten per cent is onfield, 90 per cent is off it and it’s all the crap that comes with it and it’s constant. The way I see Maro, I don’t know him personally but the way I have seen him in interviews and stuff, he is quite quiet.
“He is one of these guys who is the epitome of having a split personality of off the field he is this nice guy and then on the field, he becomes a completely different animal. He is out there, he is cheering above people’s heads, you see that little clip of him dancing and stuff.
“You see that of him on the field and it almost like an act. Then off the field, I see him timid, quiet, one of those guys who is in the background. I don’t know what he is like in the environment but it takes a hell of a lot more than being a good player on the field to be a captain. What I have noticed is everything off the field, that is the main thing.”
Hartley replied: “Without calling him timid, that is pretty good, he comes to life on the field. The one thing is he is really studious and I know Steve Borthwick invested a lot of time in coaching and developing his lineout ability.
“You have got to think if you’re going for a Lions tour or even an international game, you kind of want to delegate roles and if he is going to be a bang-on starter for the Lions, that means he will potentially be calling the lineout as well.
“Do you want him to go and be that competitive animal that he is and focus 100 per cent on himself, and then part of that is running that lineout and being in charge of that? As soon as you chuck in captaincy duties and management, it draws his attention and focus away from running that lineout.
“I don’t know. I’d just like to see it at international level first before you chuck him into that. Basically, I’m a big fan of his but is he better than Owen Farrell? At the moment, no, because Owen is very successful with what he is doing with England and if I had a Lions captain at the moment and a bang-on starter it would be Owen Farrell.”
Wilson added: “I reckon Maro Itoje is a locked-in Test starter, definitely. I reckon he is on there starting but as you said, you have got to have captained at international level to be going in doing that over at the Lions.
“Like what you say about Owen Farrell, everything that I have heard about him through guys that I have played with at Glasgow and Scotland who have played with him down at Sarries, he is one of these guys that demands that excellence all the time, at training, off-field, onfield.
“There is a big old job to be Lions captain but you have to bring everything together. You have got your little groups, your social groups and stuff like that when you come together, but the captain is at the front of that, he is the one driving a lot of it.
“You have got to be quite personable, someone who can talk to anyone. Again, I don’t know what Owen Farrell is like with that but I’d say leave Maro to control the lineout and do his job and be that impact player he is rather than put too much on his shoulders.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
He’s a dominant personality. That might be both a good and bad thing in team dynamics. Certainly it ruined Smith’s first crack at 10 with Owen at 12. BTW, Bristol flatter to deceive. When things really matter, they tend to deliver less rather than more. Farrell would have been good for them
35 Go to commentsGot a lot of over the top abuse from Crusader fans, in particular, who thought every 7 they had was miles better. Now we will see if anyone is better? Laid his body on the line every game so finishing early makes sense. A lot of life left after rugby.
1 Go to commentsA poor decision to appoint Carley as not only is Pearce a better referee but also importantly speaks French.
2 Go to commentsHe is 100 % on the mark. Malicious arrogance with a lack of respect for the other teams mostly the south. they must learn from True rugby nations like the Boks and Kiwis
119 Go to commentsThis Outiniqua boy has played sublime rugby and deserves a spot in BI LIONS team. Well played son
4 Go to commentsI don’t like to see players miss big matches but this ban looks to be tailored to allow him to compete in the final. In principle a suspension for a very dangerous tackle in a semi should warrant missing the relevant final. Done now. One the flip side having both teams with very strong squads/teams available for the final will add to the occassion hopefully.
1 Go to commentsTalent to burn and a huge engine..hope he gets a shot at higher honours
2 Go to commentsIf anything like his dad he has a bright future, Soane was the best ball carrying props ive ever seen using a combination of pace power and footwork.
1 Go to commentsThose who saw Sharks vs Clermont and Ox N'Che vs Rabah Slimani should have a good idea of the best scrumagers… May be not the best props…
2 Go to commentsIt's been an unusual era of unpopular, highly competitive, domineering, fairly big fly halves in the home nations with Farrell, Sexton and Biggar. Russell is different in personality and player I think. I'd rank Sexton first of the three because he is just as good a game controller but also has a great passing game. And his competitiveness never seems to cause problems with refs.
35 Go to commentsThank goodness he wasn't born in Scotland, he'd have been a great candidate for the Scottish Barbarians. I wouldn't put it past them to push for a “where the player was conceived” rule 😂
2 Go to commentsOwen Farrell is one of the most polarising figures in the game. His entire attitude on the field (and sometimes off of it) smacks of arrogance and he is about as brash as Donald Trump in a political debate. Yet behind that facade is a calculating, determined and powerful leader who drives any team forward with an Iron will. You are right in that he gets better in the heat of battle and in the face of overwhelming odds. He develops a narrow focus and he delivers his best in a way that few others can. He is one of Englands great performers who sacrificed alot for the team and who often bears the weight of responsibility of leadership alone on the field and in front of the media. Despite what many think of him he is a fantastic game manager with a good rugby brain. He will be sorely missed from the international stage
35 Go to commentsAlways proud of the effort, Sam. The All blacks never stop fighting, never just roll over. He didn’t get anywhere near the respect he earned, but that’s due to results, not commitment to the cause. Have fun dominating in Japan!
1 Go to commentsNot sure why Papali’i thinks Scott Robertson needs his help to select the next All Black Captain. In my view, Papali’i would be well advised to have a good hard look at his own game, and to reflect on how fortunate he is to even wear the black jersey. Rather than shouting at his team mates at every set piece, standing in the mid-field pointing and holding his arms out and flopping to the ground at the back of every second or third ruck, may I suggest he would be far better employed actually doing something on the field. Seriously, watch him for 10 minutes during a game - not much happens. When was the last time he was first to a breakdown, or actually made a turnover? If Robertson is half the Coach I think he is, Papali’i will not be anywhere near the AB’s this season.
11 Go to commentsHiding coming up for Saders.
1 Go to commentsDagg really does go down some rabbit holes doesnt he? In the name I guess.
6 Go to commentsHey Brett I’m one who is looking forward to seeing JS back on the rugby field. I was under the impression that a large portion of his contract was via a third party so RA isn’t having to foot the bill My big concern is around the Tahs and what is happening there, why are so many players bailing. Is it the program, the coaches or the culture. Joe Schmidt recently said he had been at the Tahs all week and DC is a good coach. Something doesn’t gel , 10 front row forwards in a season that’s not bad luck
16 Go to commentsIncorrect title. He hasn’t said Furlong is one of the best scrummagers. He said he is one of the best props.
2 Go to comments“_It seems like a crazy thing that he was counting them_“ Are you stupid, mate? Anyone with more than half a brain understands that he meant “a lot” or something similar. Do you really think he was counting? “*Goode*: Told you, Jim!“ No, you banana. You said, explicitly, that the Irish players didn’t say what EE said they did. Even though you weren’t there. Even though you didn’t hear a word they said. M0r0n.
119 Go to commentsI am sure that Scott Robertson did do the courtesy of telling Sam Cane that he was not in his All Black plans and NZR would support him if he wished to sign a lucrative pension playing out his career in the cream puff rugby that is Japan’s Top League. I fail to see this as a negative as Israel Dagg is trying to spin it. Razor allowed Cane to leave with dignity rather than being unceremoniously dumped as was Buck Shelford.
6 Go to comments