The Rugby Pod's burning question: 'What does it do to Maro's brand by playing in the Championship?'
It’s still unclear whether Championship-bound Saracens will have Maro Itoje to call on in 2020/21. The London club have been automatically relegated to the English second tier, but is that level of rugby sufficient for a player who could potentially captain the Lions on their 2021 tour to South Africa?
Itoje had a possible loan switch to Racing scuppered because Premiership rivals were against the prospect of Eddie Jones selected a player for England who wasn’t based in the country.
Speculation that he might also switch to Leicester, who have Steve Borthwick coming on board as head coach, was also dismissed by Geordan Murphy, the Tigers director of rugby insisting there was nothing in the link that Itoje could play at Welford Road under the forwards coach he had worked with at England and the Lions.
This current limbo points towards Itoje sticking with Saracens as they prepare to embark on a discovery trip around the Championship, the unglamorous English league that even the RFU recently halved its grant funding to.
Jim Hamilton, Itoje’s ex-Allianz Park team-mate, just can’t see it happening, the potential Lions skipper turning up at places like Cornish Pirates and Coventry over the winter. Pondering this curious situation on the latest edition of The Rugby Pod, Hamilton reckoned playing in the Championship would damage Brand Maro and put the skids on him potentially becoming a sports megastar known around the world outside rugby.
“The big one is Maro Itoje. He has not come out (and said) – neither has Mako Vunipola – in terms of what they are doing next season,” said Hamilton on the show he fronts with Andy Goode. “I texted Maro actually last week having watched The Last Dance documentary.
“I’m not saying that I see completely parallels with Michael Jordan and Maro Itoje, but I do see some similar opportunities for Maro being the kind of player that he is and the standing he has in the game. I just wonder what that will do.
“Unfortunately what I’m about to say now hasn’t been bandied about in rugby before in the public domain and probably around team environments, but what does it do to Maro’s brand by playing in the Championship?
“There is talks of Maro potentially being the Lions captain. Does playing a season in the Championship in the lead-up to that put him in a good position to do the Lions? But also the brand – Adidas who sponsor him, all the other sponsors – it’s a big decision for him to make and he has not come out yet and said he is definitely staying at Saracens.
“He hasn’t got a lot to gain by playing in the Championship. He doesn’t need rest, he needs exposure, he needs his profile to stay where ever it is. Unfortunately some people might disagree with me. They might not like him, they might not like that side of rugby, but I love it.
“Maro has got a real opportunity in rugby to be the first megastar that we have seen and I just don’t know if playing in the Championship, even if there are exhibition games (as well), even if there are different training programmes for England, whether that will suit someone like Maro in the position he is in who needs to play a lot.”
Having announced earlier this week they would be keeping up-and-coming lock Joel Kpoku, Saracens revealed on Wednesday they had signed Aled Davies on a three-year deal, the scrum-half opting to come to London and sacrifice his Wales selection prospects.
Ex-England international Goode believes other signings will follow as Saracens will aim to keep stars suxh as Itoje off their feet as much as possible in the Championship. “When you look at it, what are they preparing for now because who knows when the (current) season is going to restart again?
“They are making noises around some signings because they know they are going have to balance their squad around having superstars like Maro Itoje, Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell, all the guys that won’t be running out at Ampthill I very much doubt or Doncaster or whatever other grounds they will be playing at in the Championship.
“But also at the minute we are sat there going, do they make signings to get them through? They have let certain players leave the club on loan. What would happen to those players if it [the Premiership] did get ring fenced?
“There is noises around Juan Pablo Soccino going to Saracens to be a kind of filler for Owen Farrell because ultimately Owen Farrell will be driven by playing some big games for Saracens if there are any, England internationals and building up towheads the Lions tour, and then I’m hearing about Matt Garvey to Saracens as well.
“It’s difficult to know what is going in the world. There is a lot of players out of contract at the minute around the world who are probably looking and nervously waiting to see how long this takes to get back to playing to see if any clubs have got any money to make some signings.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments