England lock and Saracens captain Maro Itoje expressed disappointment over former head coach Eddie Jones’ remarks regarding his leadership capabilities, stating that Jones described him as an “inward-looking” individual who is more self-motivated than influential.
In his 2021 book ‘Leadership: Lessons from My Life in Rugby,’ Jones, who coached the England team from 2015 to 2022, expressed doubts about Itoje’s potential to become a future England captain while Itoje was still part of the national team. “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,” wrote Jones. He further admitted uncertainty about Itoje’s prospects for captaincy.
Itoje, who previously co-captained England to victory in the U-20 World Championship in 2014 and became Saracens captain in August, countered that Jones misjudged his character. “It was unfortunate that your coach would say something like that about you, but not everyone will perceive things the way you do,” Itoje remarked in statements reported by British media. He emphasized the importance of staying true to oneself despite differing opinions.
At 29 years old, Itoje has made 84 test appearances for England since his debut in 2016, contributing six tries and five try assists. So far, he has not captained the national team, as his friend and Saracens teammate Jamie George has taken on the leadership role at this year’s Six Nations, following Owen Farrell’s exit 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 stated.
After resigning from his position as head coach of Australia last year, Jones has taken on the role of head coach for Japan, who are set to face England in November.