Maro Itoye has been an England regular for several years now. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Steele
It wasn't like that. Maro Itohe's script should have worked. Multiple trophy winner with the Saracens, test lock for the British and Irish Lions at age 22, hardened after coming out on the wrong side in the Rugby World Cup final; By the time England landed in France for the start of the 2023 tournament, Itoje, who entered his prime at around 20 years of age, should have been part of England's title-challenging team.
29th birthday It also falls on the same day as this year's final on 28 October, although with England preparing for the tournament, there's no need to worry about the timing mismatch between the Stade de France performance and the birthday celebration. cake.
As England's form has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, it's safe to assume that Itohe must have dealt with it as well. And describing Itohe as one of England's best players is not to be confused with praise: it's a low bar to be overcome. Yes, he scored England's winning try against Wales at Twickenham, but that active player who played a few years ago, who won passes, tackled tackles and had an impact on possession, was not there yet. Or did he do it?
Ian Peel, Saracen forward coach, has been with Itoje since the second-row player turned 15.
“When looking at some of the recent England games, you notice his work in the contact zone and his work off the ball,” says Peel. “You need to look closely, and perhaps because of cases in the past, people are looking for and waiting for important moments. At test level, it's getting harder to see those moments because the teams are so good these days.
“Magic moments when people say 'wow!' don't happen often at test level. All the little things are done very, very well. For me, when I watched the last few games, Maro was just that.”
Looking closely at Itohe's stats as an England player this year, looking at his 80-minute averages, interesting trends emerge. If you feel like you're seeing fewer «wow» moments, it's because there are fewer of them happening. Compared to his peak offensive years between 2017 and 2019, his number of carries, meters scored, defenders defeated, and line breaks are all small.
However, there is one important area: dominant carries. On average, three carries per winline per 80 minutes is close to Total's best result, suggesting that when he does carry he is more productive.
0809 Stats Total
In what area does he set personal records? Cancer attacks. As a result, this year it shows high rates in the number of attacking and defensive cancers, as well as in cancer efficiency. His role has changed a little: he is less involved in transfers and losses, Itoyya has more responsibility for slowing down the opponent's jackals, and in the attack — for quickly eliminating crayfish behind. . . England will box. In fact, among all the “level one” blockers that have played at least 160 minutes this year, Itoje ranks first in one area: attacking rucks have joined. He is also the second most lost in the selection.
0809 Final rating
Directing Itoje mainly to clearing crayfish seems like a waste of a lot of talent. Judging by the results of this year, England needs the old Maro. Peel knows better than anyone how to succeed at Itoje.
“He was always teachable, open to ideas, ready to take on anything. It's not just about his intelligence, it's also about his work ethic. He walks away and has some rather furious thoughts: «Here's what I'm going to do, and I'm going to make it work,» Peel explains.
“If you keep challenging his game by seeing areas where he can improve and get better, that's where he really thrives. If he sees that the team will grow, and not just himself, then he will buy into it and go for it.”
Kelly Brown, former captain of the Scottish team, who played alongside and coached Itohe. , noted that Itoje assumed the role of leader of the Saracens squad, with Itoje «essentially in charge of the session» ahead of the club's final victory in the Gallagher Premier League earlier this summer.
It would be remiss not to discuss the big celebrations of Itoje because of seemingly insignificant moments. These whoops and screams seem to annoy everyone, from fans to world championship-winning coaches. For Brown, outbursts of rage are a sign that Itoje is on fire.
“When you see him on the field, full of energy and incessant nausea, then you know he is at his best. Brown adds. “I know some people get annoyed and annoyed by this, but when he celebrates small victories, he does it for himself and the team. He doesn't even think about the opposition, he tries to stimulate and build energy in the team.
Let's be honest, England need something to lift them up. However, their campaign in France is moving forward after terrible preparations, Peel is sure of one thing.
“It's hard to say without having been in the camp, but obviously it was not the best month or six months. But one thing we all know: Maro is a world-class player. Knowing him, I understand that he is now on such a world stage, when everyone is against him — if there was ever a time for this to come out, then this is probably it. ”
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