'I'm a lover, not a fighter... I'll stick to rugby' - Itoje won't ever follow Haskell into the cage
It was against Ireland at the start of this year’s Guinness Six Nations that Jamie George and Maro Itoje last started together for England, but the Saracens pair are now again ready to face Joe Schmidt’s Irish with the aim of despatching them in a similar style.
“This is our last game at Twickenham for a little while now so we are very excited to go out there and play ball again. It’s a great opportunity for the squad to show our development, show the direction we’re moving,” Itoje told RugbyPass in the build-up to Saturday’s match, the third game of England’s four-match World Cup warm-up programme.
Having both toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions in 2017, Itoje and George will be familiar with several of the faces in the Ireland line-up.
Speaking about his second row opponents, Itoje said: “I’m actually very familiar with both of those players. Iain Henderson – I’ve played with against him a number of times, played with him on tour. Kleyn – the monster lock, played against him in this recent European Champions Cup, so I’m quite familiar with both of them and both their locks on the bench as well.”
George added: “Whenever you play against Ireland you know you will be coming up against a very well-drilled and confident Irish pack. Their front row is pretty talismanic in their team so it will be a good challenge for us.
James Haskell's new career choice has stirred social media into action https://t.co/IlehxhnQeE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 22, 2019
“Obviously you know them personally, but we’re used to playing against people that we know nowadays. I’m sure there will be a little look but then that’s quickly forgotten when you’re in the heat of it.”
George was one of those to advise World Rugby – via the Rugby Players’ Association – regarding July’s recent scrum law amendment (19.10b) to address “issues around the loading of the hooker’s neck and pressure coming through the top of the head”.
With only a few international weekends gone since its introduction, teams have not had long to adapt before the World Cup kicks off.
‘If you start tweaking with it too much it will probably ruin what is already there’
– @gloucesterrugby prop @FraserBalmain tells @heagneyl he can’t see what difference the latest @WorldRugby scrum law tweak has made ? https://t.co/9Hkkhl9JsO— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 22, 2019
George observed: “The first round of the Rugby Championship (scrums) were probably still a bit of a mess while they were still getting an understanding of it. The law probably only came in about two days before that first game happened.
“Both of our scrums from both weeks (against Wales) have been pretty good so we have adapted pretty quickly. Ireland looked very dominant over Italy in their game, so it’s going to be a tough test for us.”
With news breaking of ex-England team-mate James Haskell’s transition from rugby to MMA, Itoje was fulsome in his praise of the former Wasps and Northampton forward.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1d8FiCotGH/
“James isn’t afraid of a challenge, so fair play to him. It shows his character, how brave and how courageous he is. It shows his competitive spirit to want to try his hand at something else.
“He could have picked the easier life, DJ-ing in Ibiza, but he has chosen to be a mixed martial arts artist. Fair play to him, I wish him every success.”
Would Itoje ever consider a similar career move? “I’m a lover, not a fighter. I’ll stick to rugby,” insisted the 24-year-old.
WATCH: Maro Itoje talks to RugbyPass before England’s World Cup warm-up match against Ireland
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments