Sing it out loud, Maro Itoje has a shot at the top
Not too long ago, the 6ft 5in powerhouse was a model student with an imposing shot put arm and an impressive singing voice.
More recently he was named man of the tournament at the U20 Six Nations and captained England to a Junior World Championship title in New Zealand.
It is fair to say Itoje, 19, has packed a fair amount into his teenage years but that has come as no surprise to his sixth-form mentor Jesse Coulson.
Director of sport and 1st XV coach at Harrow School – he can also boast Billy Vunipola and England cricketer Gary Ballance among his recent products – Coulson first linked up with a 16-year-old Itoje.
And the alarming impression made by the young all-rounder has not diminished to date.
“If you could bottle what you would like an aspiring professional to be like, he has it,” Coulson told TRP.
“If there was ever going to be someone who could potentially make it, regardless of their ability, it’s Maro. I definitely think he will play for England, without a doubt. He definitely has what it takes.
“In his last year he was a school monitor, which is a big deal. He got the balance very right and he got stuck into everything he did.
“He was a very good singer and he wasn’t shy to get out there and give it some. He was obviously a very talented athlete and he threw the shot put vast distances. And he was a bit of an imposing figure out on the Harrow football field.
“Skill set-wise we had a lot of work to do when he arrived but it is his attitude and he is very, very determined to be the best he can be to play for Saracens and to play for England.
“He is unbelievably driven to that cause. He would turn up very early for training sessions and gym sessions. He would go the extra mile just to maximise his potential.
“As a school we take a major interest in Old Harrovians and what they get up to, with Billy doing very well and Maro now as captain.
“Nothing gives you greater pride than when you see them put the white jersey on and run out. It is a very proud moment for me personally and as a coaching team.”
It is not just around the school campus that Itoje has demonstrated his versatility, equally impressive in the second row and on the flanks once the scrum cap is on.
Someone who knows that better than most is Wasps starlet and England teammate Gus Jones, who has seen both sides of the Saracens youngster – as ally and enemy.
The pair have been colleagues through the representative age groups and adversaries for their club sides, but it was at school when they first clashed heads.
Taking their place in one of England’s oldest school rivalries, Jones – formerly of Eton – harbours one or two memories of meeting his Harrovian counterpart on the pitch.
“I just remember how physical he was and how much of a nightmare he was to clear out at breakdowns,” recalled Jones, 20, who is a school year older than Itoje.
“We both had been in the system for quite a while and when I was playing in the England U17s he was playing in that a year early, so I knew what I was coming up against.
“He has come on massively since then and he is now able to use the physical gifts that he has got.
“I hope he goes far. He is a great lad. He influences a lot of things both on and off the pitch and he is a great player to be around. He is a great player to play with and a good guy for me to feed off.”
Next up for Itoje is the not insignificant task of cracking the Aviva Premiership – with just one appearance under his belt there is much to achieve. However, with a who’s who of senior pros to learn from at Allianz Park, the Saracens academy graduate is unlikely to get lost along the way.
And there is always former Sarries back-rower – and now academy director – Don Barrell to ensure Itoje is on the right track.
“I think he is a guy whose words carry weight and when he speaks it is something that is worth listening to,” said Barrell. “The impressive thing about him is he has been doing a sports science degree as well as training with Saracens and he manages to take it in his stride.
“His success comes down to his hard work and he is a good example of how people can do things.”
PADDY VIN BEHR
