Forget Six Nations form, Itoje can rattle the Boks

WHEN you think of must-go Test Lions for the 2021 series against South Africa, the first forward that comes to mind is Maro Itoje. He will be a cornerstone of the Lions in South Africa, despite not having the best Six Nations in a disappointing England side.

- JEREMY GUSCOTT

Throughout his career, Itoje has had a tendency to give away penalties because sometimes he pushes the envelope a little too much. Until this season he had usually been on the right side of the decisions, and usually, it is a question of very small margins.

There have been other players who have done the same, with Richie McCaw an expert at treading the fine line between disrupting the opposition and giving away penalties. One of McCaw’s great advantages was that he knew the laws inside out, and, like a good golfer, he used to get the rugby equivalent of free drops, using the rule-book legitimately to get an advantage.

There were always questions after matches about McCaw getting away with murder, and it was the same with Martin Johnson, but because they were both great players they would be given the benefit of the doubt and got the majority of refereeing calls in their favour.

Itoje is one of those who, like McCaw and Johnson, is inspirational through what he does on the field. There is no one better at making a difference when the pressure is at a peak. Whether it is lineout steals, jackalling at the breakdown, tackling, or carrying, you could put a 6, 7, or 8 on his back as easily as a 4 or 5, and he could make enough of a difference to swing a game your way.

Itoje is one of those exceptional players who are as good in defence as they are in attack, and it gives him an edge in Lions selection. For example, his England teammate Sam Underhill is seen as a great defender, but as an openside flanker he does not do enough in attack to be seen as an all-rounder – and he needs more runs like the one that saw him come so close to scoring a spectacular try against New Zealand in 2018.