The Six Nations is now a family affair for Maro Itoje but, as he prepares to return to the scene of his England debut to face Italy on Sunday, he has revealed it was not always the case.
For one of Itoje’s most vivid memories of winning his first England cap – coming off the bench in Rome in February 2016 – is not his first touch of the ball nor the final words of wisdom from Eddie Jones but the joy it brought his father, Efe, in the crowd.
It lingers in his memory because Itoje grew up watching the Six Nations – the first he recalls is 2006 – at boarding school from the age of 11 to 18, first at St George’s in Harpenden, then at Harrow, rather than at home with his family, until that Sunday afternoon in Italy broke the mould.
“From the second I walked on that pitch I then became an England player, something I’d been working towards for quite a while,” Itoje said. “It was a surreal moment for me, a great day for myself and my family to enjoy. My dad came to that game and I remember seeing how happy he was. He was probably even more happy than me.”
These days, however, Efe and Maro’s mother, Florence, are fully fledged rugby converts. “They absolutely live for the away days, they live for the Twickenham days,” Itoje said. “Their weekends are now built around watching rugby and it has now got to a point where it doesn’t even matter if I am not playing. They go and watch Saracens if I am playing or not. They watch England even if I am not playing.”
That 40-9 win in Rome was Jones’s second game in charge of England; the coach had resisted the temptation to blood Itoje, then 21, at Murrayfield in his first. Indeed, back then, Jones repeatedly sought to temper expectations over Itoje, often bemoaning the lack of battle scars he wore, but two years on it is safe to say the Vauxhall Viva analogy has been sent to the scrapheap.
Itoje now has 14 England caps as well as three for the British & Irish Lions and he has lost only one Test he has started. A bruised hip has affected his preparations for this year’s Six Nations Championship and his training schedule during the national team’s Portugal camp last week was tailored accordingly. Provided Itoje comes through training this week as expected, however, there is little chance of him spending any time back on the Stadio Olimpico bench.
“I probably understand the game better now. I like to think I’ve improved as a player as well,” he said. “I think I’ve matured since then. This is my third Six Nations, that was my first cap. I’ve definitely matured as a player and a person since then. But I like to think I wasn’t submissive when I came on [in 2016]. Going out there it’s about imposing myself on the game as best I can.
“My attitude hasn’t really changed. For me it is always trying to push the boundaries, always try to get better and improve my own performances. It doesn’t matter if I have played my first game or whatever game, it is about getting better and trying to push your performances. It is unlikely that every game you will get better but as long as there is an upward trend you can live with it.”
Last year against Italy, England found themselves 10-5 down at half‑time at Twickenham, having been ambushed by their visitors’ “no ruck” tactics. Last week, though, the defence coach, Paul Gustard, challenged his side to adopt a “hunting mentality” as they seek a record‑breaking third Six Nations crown.
“We want to be the aggressors, we want to take the game by the scruff of the neck, we don’t want to be submissive in anything,” Itoje said. “There was a bit of frustration after the game [last year]. You live and you learn from it but you can’t dwell on it.”
