Maro Itoje aims to curb ill-discipline but not his aggression against All Blacks

The last time Maro Itoje beat the All Blacks thousands of people stood chanting his name at the final whistle. The eventful second Test in Wellington was the standout occasion of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour but, in Eddie Jones’s opinion, Itoje’s best days are still to come.

Even Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock, the world’s premier second-row duo, will find the going tough at Twickenham against Itoje if Jones’s instincts are to be believed. “That boy is going to be one of the best players in the world,” insisted England’s head coach this week. “His development over the last two years has been outstanding... he’s an amazing competitor.”

The only caveat is that he cannot continue to stray repeatedly over the line separating competitiveness and sporting legality. Against South Africa an otherwise influential display was tarnished by the three penalties and the yellow card awarded against him by the Australian referee Angus Gardner. Saturday’s referee, Jérôme Garcès, has been suitably forewarned.

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The 24-year-old Saracen freely admits he needs to be smarter against a New Zealand side who will punish such ill-discipline more reliably than the Springboks did. “I need to adapt to the referee. Being the type of player I am, I need to be competitive and abrasive but I need to adapt to the situation quicker than I did last weekend. I just have to understand what he is and isn’t going to let go. If it was easy we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Under Jones the only player to have conceded more penalties is Dan Cole, not a member of England’s squad for these November internationals. The head coach, though, is clearly grateful for Itoje’s other multiple qualities and believes a slight tweak in approach is all that is required. “There’s a fine edge between being super-competitive and giving away penalties,” stressed Jones. “He’s learning that all the time and it’s just another part of his learning process.

When it comes to facing the haka, though, Itoje is something of an old hand. While the Lions tour taught him plenty about the differences between northern and southern hemisphere rugby, it was not his first prolonged exposure to Kiwi rugby. “It was the second time I’d spent a long period of time in New Zealand after the Under-20 World Cup in 2014. Rugby is part of the way of life over there. They live, eat and breathe rugby so when you go up against that you’re going up against a very passionate people. It gave me a good understanding of the culture, of how they try to play the game, their strengths – of which there are a lot – but also their weaknesses.”

If there is one England player that Oghenemaro Miles Itoje – his Nigerian first name translates as “God is great” – reckons the All Blacks should currently beware it is Chris Ashton, recalled to start on England’s wing for the first time in four years. “Ashy is one of the fittest players I have ever come across. If he weren’t a rugby player he’d be a marathon runner because he can run and run for days without getting tired. I wish I had his fitness.”

Up front, though, it is Itoje’s telescopic reach, strength and agility that will present the biggest threat to the All Blacks. In Jones’s view those “Ooh, Maro Itoje” chants being roared into last year’s Wellington night sky – “It was cool … that is definitely one memory that will stick with me” – were merely the start. New Zealand have definitely not heard the last of him.