Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Brad Barritt: Maro Itoje can lead England for years to come

BARNET, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Maro Itoje of Saracens looks on as he walks through a guard of honour formed by players of Vodacom Bulls after Saracens defeat Vodacom Bulls during the Investec Champions Cup match between Saracens and Vodacom Bulls at StoneX Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Barnet, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Brad Barritt has full confidence that Maro Itoje is the right pick as captain for England, and potentially the British & Irish Lions.

ADVERTISEMENT

Even though their England careers never quite overlapped – Barritt won the last of his 26 caps at Rugby World Cup 2015 and Itoje debuted the following year – the pair played together for several years at Saracens.

Barritt, a three-time Champions Cup winner, saw Itoje grow into a leader and always had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before he was given the ultimate honour of captaining his country.

Video Spacer

Investec Champions Cup Moments of the Week | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:56
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:56
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Investec Champions Cup Moments of the Week | RPTV

    The Boks Office boys name their best moments from the latest round of action. Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV

    Watch now

    “I don’t think it was ever a case of if, it was probably when. He has always had fantastic leadership potential. and it is probably the perfect time in his career,” Barritt said.

    “He is starting to evolve, he has always had great attributes but now he is ready to be all-encompassing and focus on the task at hand.

    “Maro will be a fantastic leader for England and Saracens, today, and many years ahead.

    “I think the best leaders lead by example, and Maro leads by his actions and is diligent in how he goes about his work.

    “Then, when the big moments come, he stands up and stands tall.

    “He is a super-intelligent guy, a great guy and well-liked amongst the team but also hugely respected.”

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Maro Itoje, <a href=
    Brad Barritt, Saracens” width=”3886″ height=”3197″ /> Saracens’ lock Maro Itoje (L) and Saracens’ Brad Barritt (R) tackle Wasps’ lock Joe Launchbury (C) during the European Rugby Champions Cup semi-final rugby union match between Saracens and Wasps at Madejski Stadium in Reading, on April 23, 2016. / AFP / OLLY GREENWOOD (Photo credit should read OLLY GREENWOOD/AFP via Getty Images)

    Itoje, 30, has succeeded Saracens team-mate Jamie George as England captain and Barritt is in no doubt that the dethroned hooker will offer his unswerving support.

    “Jamie, I think he has probably been a fantastic mentor and supporting arm and he’ll continue that role I guess in both a Saracens and England capacity, because in any rugby team it is never reliant on one person, there is always a core of leaders that help any team be successful,” he pointed out.

    “Maro knows he must do it his way. No two leaders are the same and I think you have to learn from leaders around you but then put your own stamp on how you intend to do it.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “He will keep a close group amongst them and have a few voices speaking in that huddle, but I think Maro is most impactful when he is by leading from the front and leading by example in everything he does, to disrupt the game and influence the game.”

    Captaining his club and country and then the British and Irish Lions in one season would be some achievement but Barritt believes Itoje is firmly in the running to wear the armband in Australia this summer.

    “With Lions selection, I guess, it always consists of that person being a guaranteed selection in the team and I think Maro is one of the very few who could be pencilling his name into that squad.

    “I think the Six Nation acts as a great showcase for those prospective Lions leaders.

    “If England have a very successful campaign and Maro is at the forefront of leading the charge, it does give you great momentum to be that leader.

    “Andy Farrell will be well aware that dictating and deciding on a leader now is irrelevant, let’s see what happens in the Six Nations. Maro is poised to be that person.”

    Barritt was talking to RugbyPass, on behalf of Premier Sports, from his home in Cape Town before travelling to England to work on the channel’s coverage of the crucial Saracens v Castres Investec Champions Cup match at the StoineX Stadium.

    The winners of the Pool 3 clash will be guaranteed a spot in the Round of 16 and, most likely, a home tie.

    The importance of playing at the StoneX is not lost on Barritt considering all eight Round of 16 ties were won by the home side last season, except for the Stormers’ one-point loss against La Rochelle.

    “It’s huge, especially in the context that South African teams are involved and there is even further travel,” he agreed.

    “I was at that Stormers v La Rochelle game and it was a last-minute robbery. How the Stormers lost it from that position will still haunt them.

    “It shows you need to play yourself into position to give yourselves the best opportunity to proceed in the coming rounds.

    “Saracens have had a fantastic record at the StoneX. Teams typically struggle there, and we’ve got a good home record against French teams.

    “It’s usually quite windy and the wind makes a huge difference in terms of how you play between the first and second halves.

    “Saracens have had the rub of the green there so it would be a huge upset to expect Castres to go there and win. But these things happen.”

    Only two points separate the top four teams in Pool 3, with Northampton top on 11, Munster and Saracens have 10 points apiece and Castres are a point further back.

    A mid-table Top 14 team at present, Castres turned on the style in round 3 of the Champions Cup, destroying the Bulls 49-10 at Stade Pierre-Fabre.

    However, Barritt believes that the way they play may play into Saracens’ hands this Sunday.

    “Castres, for me, were one of the most impressive teams of the last round with a fantastic performance against the Bulls,” he said.

    “I thought they played a lovely, enterprising game. I thought there was great interplay between forwards and backs.

    “I was highly compressed by their half-backs and the speed with which they moved the ball around the pitch. I guess that may play directly into Saracens’ hands, as they’ve gone to a really offensive defence which may force a lot of errors.

    “It’s so dangerous that they are coming with a lot to play for because if they had qualified already you could have expected something different. It makes for a mouthwatering contest.”

    Brad Barritt will join the Premier Sports team bringing every game live from the Investec Champions Cup this weekend as play-off places are decided. Brad joins Claire Thomas, Topsy Ojo, Chris Robshaw, Tom Shanklin and Martin Gillingham on Sunday at StoneX stadium for Saracens v Castres with live coverage from 3pm on Premier Sports 1.

    Related

    Top 100

    Rugby’s best of the best, ranked by experts. Check out our list of the Top 100 Men's Rugby Players and let us know what you think! 



    ADVERTISEMENT

    LIVE

    Saitama Wildknights vs Kubota Spears

    LIVE

    Japan vs Hong Kong China

    Boks Office | Episode 41 | Investec Champions Cup final preview

    Hong Kong China vs Kazakhstan | Asia Rugby Emirates Women's Championship | Match Highlights

    Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

    Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

    The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    S
    Solenn Bonnet 12 days ago
    Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

    My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

    CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

    EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    WhatsApp.. +15617263697

    website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    Telegram.. +15617263697

    0 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Fissler Confidential: The latest England international to snub Leicester Tigers Fissler Confidential: The latest England international to snub Tigers
    Search