England lock and Saracens captain Maro Itoje expressed disappointment after former head coach Eddie Jones criticized his leadership abilities in a book. Jones described Itoje as an “inward-looking” player who focuses on self-drive rather than influencing others. In his 2021 publication, ‘Leadership: Lessons from My Life in Rugby’, Jones questioned Itoje’s prospects as a future England captain during his tenure from 2015 to 2022.
Jones stated, “He is going to be one of the great players, but Maro is very inward-looking… he doesn’t usually influence people off the field,” adding that he wasn’t convinced Itoje would captain England in the future.
Itoje, who co-captained England to victory in the U-20 World Championship in 2014 and was appointed Saracens captain in August, disagreed with Jones’ assessment of his character. Speaking to the media, Itoje said, “It was unfortunate that your coach would say something like that about you… not everyone is going to see things the same way.” He emphasized the importance of staying true to himself despite differing opinions.
Since debuting for England in 2016, Itoje has accumulated 84 test caps, scoring six tries and assisting five. Although he has not yet captained the national team, his Saracens teammate Jamie George is leading England in this year’s Six Nations while Owen Farrell has stepped back from international rugby.
“I’m not commenting on another man’s job. I have barely started this one. I want to give my best to this and see where we go,” Itoje remarked.
Following his exit from the Australian coaching position, Jones took the reins as head coach for Japan, who are scheduled to compete against England in November.