The words were spoken softly, but the message from Maro Itoje was firm. Tough. As England captain, he will be demanding. He wants greater effort from the team. He expects higher standards and better results.
For so many years, this coveted role had appeared to be his destiny and now he has been given the responsibility at last; at the age of 30. Itoje was in the Eternal City on Tuesday to outline his vision and his mission, at the official Six Nations launch. Before dashing off to catch a train to Naples, on a circuitous route to England’s training camp in northern Spain, the Saracens lock made it abundantly clear that an enhanced collective effort can end the national team’s recent slump.
In 2024, Steve Borthwick’s side lost seven of their 12 Tests. In response, the head coach opted for a leadership change; promoting Itoje to take over from his club-mate, Jamie George. There is a sense that the new figurehead has been charged with adding a hard edge to the spirit of unity which was selflessly driven by his popular predecessor.
Having settled into club captaincy this season, he set his stall out for the international role, saying: ‘From a team point of view, we need to work harder. We need to run harder. We need to be more together and, I guess I’m the captain, but it’s not just me. Who is going to be the catalyst of change? It’s all the senior guys. We need to, as a collective, work harder for the team, to get the right results.
‘We’ve fallen short over the last year, in the final stages of games. Whilst I think we are on a positive trajectory; it requires more to get the outcomes you want and the results you want. I don’t think it is good enough to say, “Do what you did yesterday and expect a different result today”.
‘We need to work harder in almost all aspects because we are not where we want to be. We need to work harder in the final stages of the game, we need to work harder in the gym, we need to work harder with our capacity, we need to work harder with our knowledge, we need to work harder in our relationships. To get to where we want to get to, we need to do more.’
Maro Itoje spoke softly in his first outing as England captain but his message was a firm one
The 30-year-old was handed the armband on the heels of a troubling year for the national side
Itoje paid tribute to his former captain and club-mate Jamie George as a ‘top-class human’
Itoje is widely recognised as one of England’s few world-class assets. At his peak, he has been one of the great forwards of the modern era, armed with formidable self-belief. He has long occupied a sporting pedestal, but he can achieve humility too. So, when he was first asked about being named captain, he spoke about wanting to ‘serve’ the squad, the country, the staff, the fans. Such a tone will encourage support and perhaps some patience, despite the trying circumstances.
He paid tribute to the man he has succeeded and acknowledged his influence, saying: ‘Jamie is a top-class human being. He is very articulate, he understands people and he understands the game really well. I have learned a lot from him. But the key thing with leadership is learning and acknowledging the good in others, but forging a path for yourself. That is what I have got to try and do.’
The primary objective for Itoje will be to lead by stirring example, which should be well within his scope. ‘The most important thing is that you play well,’ he said. ‘That’s more important than any speech you make, than any interview that I could give, or how I walk, how I talk. The most important thing is that I play well. That is the best form of leadership. People listen to your words, but they follow your actions.
‘I believe I’m able to articulate myself in such a way that my team-mates understand what it is that I’m asking of them. But I need to be the one doing it. I need to be the one throwing myself at the task at hand. I need to be the one setting an example.’
Of course, the captaincy does not allow for being insular. Itoje has to do more than just perform at his best. He has to find other ways to inspire the men around him. He will need the right words as well as the right deeds. Asked about the concept of leaders’ rousing speeches, he acknowledged that they still ‘definitely have a place’.
England head coach Steve Borthwick will hope that Itoje leads by sterling example at this year’s Six Nations
‘Part of being a leader is having the capacity to motivate your team-mates,’ he said. ‘But it’s different from person to person, player to player. Humans are incredibly fascinating. No two people are the same. How you speak to certain players is different to how you speak to another player, if you want to get the best out of them.
‘Some players prefer the stick. Some players prefer the carrot. It is about understanding when and where the carrot or the stick is more appropriate, in order to achieve your goal.’
It may not matter to him now, but what awaits is an opportunity for Itoje to make a mockery of the claims by Eddie Jones back in 2021 that he does not have what it takes to be a captain. The former England head coach felt that his pack talisman was too inward-looking to act as a true rallying point for his team-mates.
‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion,’ said Itoje, treading a diplomatic tightrope. ‘But in my humble opinion, that that wasn’t the right conclusion.’ In the weeks ahead, he can prove as much.
