'Your prime as a rugby player is now 25, 26': The Rugby Pod picks its 2021 Lions captain
The Rugby Pod believes that Maro Itoje is well-positioned to become captain of the Lions in 2021, continuing the tradition of the tourists appointing teak-tough second rows as their skippers whenever they tour South Africa.
Paul O’Connell, Martin Johnson, Bill Beaumont and Willie John McBride were all locks who respectively skippered the Lions on their 2009, 1997, 1980 and 1974 tours to the home of the Springboks – their last four visits there.
Now Jim Hamilton, a former colleague of Itoje at Saracens, believes the England engine room player is the perfect candidate to lead Warren Gatland’s squad next year even though there has been support elsewhere for rival Wales second row Alun Wyn Jones and current England skipper Owen Farrell.
On the latest edition of the chart-topping podcast, the identity of the next Lions skipper was raised by Hamilton’s co-presenter Andy Goode, the ex-English international, and it took a strong presentation by Hamilton to convince Goode that Itoje would be the best man to have in charge of the Lions.
“People are looking for things to talk about,” said Goode, broaching a topic that always get tongues wagging. “I know Martin Johnson mentioned it last week, they were talking about Lions captain and people have said Alun Wyn Jones, people have said Owen Farrell, people have said Maro Itoje all for various different reasons.
“My thing is, Maro Itoje has never captained a team to my knowledge at the top level. Jim, you have played with him, you know him particularly well, would he be suited to be a Lions captain?
“It’s easy to say that guy will be the most physical guy on the field because he will and that is a given, and he is a quality player. But captaincy is very different from being the guy that just goes around smashing people and being as effective as he is for Saracens and for England.”
Hamilton quickly responded, outlined numerous reasons why he feels the 25-year-old is ripe for the captaincy after 38 England caps and three for the Lions on their previous tour, the drawn 2017 Test series with New Zealand.
“You look at leadership and it’s very different now,” said the ex-Scotland international. “Everything is about leadership, right, and it looks different now in terms of professional sport. In our day you were in your prime in your 30s. You’re not now. Your prime as a rugby player is 25, 26.
“There are loads of different things that you look at. I don’t think Owen Farrell will suit as captain from a fly-half position. I’m still a bit old-school. Someone in the forwards should do that because they are closer to all the set-pieces, the breakdowns, the carrying, the tackling… a forward is more suited.
“We saw with Sam Warburton… I don’t think you need to be the very, very best player, I don’t think you need to be the most vocal player. I was chatting to Lawrence Dallaglio about that and you [Goode] will know more than anyone playing with Martin Johnson, it wasn’t what he said, it was when he spoke that really mattered. He wasn’t speaking the whole time.
“Someone like Maro leads by example but there is also a profile thing there, he is one of the most famous rugby players in the world but he also conducts himself in a really good manner, in a really positive way, the way that he trains, the way that he handles himself, the way that he speaks in the media.
“These are all plus things on top of the fact that he is a world-class player as well that would contribute to being a captain – and being a captain not for a season but for a Lions tour. I just think it would be quite a smart move. I’m not saying that because Maro is easy to market. He is one of the best players in the world, he leads by example, he knows he has got an opportunity. He captained the England U20s to a World Cup.
Geordan Murphy gives Maro Itoje a tongue-in-cheek mention in Leicester recruitment update https://t.co/PLa4GIqdO2
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 30, 2020
“Saracens, he is in the leadership group there. He captained the A team there, captained the LV= team. He is a leader in that group, he’s respected. He is one of the players now where if he speaks people listen, but he also leads by example. He is one of the fittest, one of the strongest, so I like that idea. He will be captain.”
Hamilton’s opinions swayed the view of the sceptical Goode. “Hearing you speak like that, you give a great case for it. My concern with it is because he is that good of a player you don’t want the captaincy to take away from his ability as a player and how he conducts himself on the field of play – you sometimes start thinking about other things.
“For some people, it works wonderfully well. Dylan Hartley, before he got made England captain, would have been seen in some circles as a liability, the discipline issues and all that stuff. But when he got made England captain that was the making of him as an England player and he improved himself on the field because of that captaincy and hopefully if that (Lions captaincy) does happen to Maro that can be a positive thing.”
Comments on RugbyPass
100% agree with your comment about Touch. I’ve been playing it competitively since Covid. It’s on a Wednesday night after work. It means the weekend is free for time with my family.
1 Go to commentsRodda back is massively important for the Wallabies. Kaitu at hooker important too coz he was very good a few years ago.
1 Go to commentsThe pink cabous might be eligible this year and the Boks don’t need him
7 Go to commentsNasser and kaitu are options for hooker. Especially Nasser. You forgot Rodda who touch wood will be fit at test time and if fit he’s number one. Great partner for the great Skelton and Oz best lineout caller. Third best lock is LSL whom I’d be inclined to sub on for Skelton around 60 minutes. Probably start valetini at 8 because I like a big body back there. Cale should play 6 at the brumbies. For Wallabies definitely cale in the squad but as an apprentice. Dunno who starts at 6 seru wright Swinton hanigan with Will Harris and Harry Wilson not far away. Seru and Swinton my front runners but Swinton is going. Still if we don’t cap seru then Fiji must coz they need his lineout skills and easily compensate for his lack of weight
7 Go to commentsYeah but who was it?
8 Go to commentsThink you might have written this just before the Brumbies got thrashed last weekend
7 Go to commentsI really do believe that Billy Proctor should be selected at least in the larger squad but also it would be my choice at 13, much more a center than Ioane who can still play at wing. Roigard if fit should play, otherwise it should be Perenara or Christie. Also, Iose could deserve a spot at blindside. Of course, being a Canes supporter I’m biased but I really believe that at least Billy P is deserving a chance and being Holland one of the Selectors, I’m having a little hope he could grab it.
12 Go to commentsI would not play Swinton I’d pick Wright or Hanigan. The rest are decent starters, but can’t agree on any subs except Tupou. My take on the subs: Gibbon, Ueslese, Tupou, LSL, Wilson, White, Will Harrison, and Petaia.
7 Go to commentsSBW the biggest moron to pull on a black jersey a park footy player at best
8 Go to commentsSBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
8 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
12 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
12 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
7 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
8 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
12 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
12 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
7 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
7 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
12 Go to comments