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British & Irish Lions

'That is a trait that not a lot of people have': All Access Special Ep2 with Maro Itoje

In the latest RugbyPass All Access Special, Jim Hamilton is joined by Vitality ambassador Maro Itoje, his former Saracens teammate and British and Irish Lions tourist. Episode two of the three-part series takes a look back at Itoje’s career so far with Saracens, England and the Lions, discussing the players and coaches that have had the biggest impact on the 26-year-old’s stellar career.

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One person in particular singled out by the Englishman was long-serving Saracens boss Mark McCall. Since making his Saracens debut in 2013, Itoje has solely worked under the former Ireland international, the pair winning multiple Gallagher Premierships, Heineken Champions Cups and even the Greene King IPA Championship last weekend with their two-legged final win over Ealing.

“He [McCall] is one of the most selfless men that I have ever met,” said Itoje about his Saracens mentor. “He has achieved such success and he wants no praise. All he wants is success for his team and success for the players and the coaches and the fans as well. That is a trait that not a lot of people have.

“But in terms of Saracens, they treat their people unbelievably well and the people care deeply about the club from the top to the bottom. It’s the culture, it’s the people that make that place special.”

Having featured in all three matches in the drawn series with the All Blacks in 2017, starting the second and third Tests, Itoje is now poised to go on his second Lions tour when Warren Gatland and his squad fly to South Africa on Sunday. The lock was aged 22 for that trip to New Zealand, the youngest Lion in the squad, and he was given the task of looking after BIL, the team’s mascot. Given that experience and what it meant he now had some words of wisdom to impart to this year’s youngest player, Louis Rees-Zammit. “Keep hold of that Lion.”

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Comments on RugbyPass

N
NB 1 minute ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

James Lowe is a great example. He may have some Irish ancestors, but he was born, raised, and developed in NZ, and for all intents and purposes is a Kiwi. However, when he was ignored by selectors, he moved to Ireland and only had to wait 5 years before he could play for a different nation. If thats not ridiculous, I don't know what is.

On very thin ice there. I can still recall Frank Bunce , Alama Ieremia, Tuigamala and the Bachops playing for both PI's and NZ in their Test careers! They were interchangeable.


Most guys at this level now are multi-qualified.


And much of Lowe's development as a player occurred at Leinster, so why wouldn't Ireland profit from it?

164 Go to comments
N
NB 7 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

One of OJohn's Kiwi coaching 'moles'!

164 Go to comments
N
NB 9 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Stop talking nonsense JW.

164 Go to comments
N
NB 11 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

👍

164 Go to comments
N
NB 12 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Thanks G, read your illuminatin post above!

164 Go to comments
N
NB 17 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Excellent comment G.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

There is a continued murmur in local circles about reciprocal bi annual tours between SA and Argentine. Whether it's full blooded test tours or development tours or a mixture - ie touring with a "test" 20 and a development 20 the cream of which will be used in tests. We actually really enjoy playing the Argies and I believe they enjoy playing us. It goes back seventy years to the Junior Bok tours to Argentine involving Isaac van Heerden.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

164 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

164 Go to comments
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