Maro Itoje was recently announced as one of the 17 players, to receive Enhanced England Player Squad contracts from head coach Steve Borthwick. The Saracen has previously been at the forefront of the debate regarding player welfare, as his fixture tally racked up a staggering total of 33 matches throughout the 2023/24 season.
Commencing in the warm-up Summer series ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the lock only sat out of England’s pool stage win against Chile, on the run up to their Bronze Final victory over Argentina. Itoje was then immediately back into Saracens duties, as he ran out to start against Leicester Tigers, just eight days after England’s tournament ended in France.
Itoje would appear 17 times for Saracens last season, with his breaks to deal with an aggravated knee issue only enforced by the Londoners’ early exit from the Champions Cup. The second row would push on through England’s 2024 Six Nations campaign and subsequent Summer tour of Japan and New Zealand, to bring about an end to his exhaustive season some 13 months later.
Speaking in an England media session ahead of their Autumn Nations Series opener against the All Blacks, Itoje expressed how the new Enhanced EPS (England Player Squad) contracts could well be the answer to his intense schedule. Whilst the 30-year-old will always want to play in the biggest matches, he appreciates that sometimes the decision needs to be taken out of his hands if he wants to fully recover from injuries.
“I guess the point of the enhanced contracts is so they can get their best players available for England. I probably don’t foresee a world where, if selected, I would bow out. It wouldn’t even be my choice, whether I am not selected because of that. I wouldn’t necessarily see a world where that would happen.
“This is where you have to take the decision out of the players’ hands. I don’t think anyone is suggesting you miss a knockout game for your club, or you miss a pivotal game where it is the difference between you qualifying for the playoffs or not qualifying for the playoffs. I don’t think they are the games that are in question. It would probably be the games early in the season, perhaps early Premiership games or Premiership games here or there, if you are to hit the 30 game limit.”
The newly introduced 30 game limit for the Enhanced EPS players, means that their respective Premiership clubs have to look into the future to ensure they maximise the minutes of their England stars. Itoje understands that this will be even more difficult in Rugby World Cup or British & Irish Lions tour years, which add an assortment of extra on-field appearances to their tally for the season.
“It is very difficult. The years where it is a stress are World Cup years and, without being presumptuous about anything, Lions years. They are the two years, especially if your club is competitive and getting further down the line. And with the further squeezing of squads, that also doesn’t help.
“It is difficult and they are the two years when it is likely to go over. I guess the important thing, which these enhanced contracts will do, is to look at things in its totality so that in years when it not a World Cup year or a Lions year, you can manage the players which this new infrastructure will allow the clubs and the union to do.”
“This is year one of this and it is going to take some working out. There are smart people both on the club side and the union side so I think it will be collaborative effort and I think that is the brilliant thing about this new enhanced deal. It is the most collaboration I have seen. I have played for England since 2016 and it is the most collaboration I have seen between the coaches here and the coaches at my club.
“Early in the season I had a meeting with all my club coaches and all of my international coaches, in one room, discussing my Individual Development Plan, which has never been done before. That collaboration and this synching of ideas, everyone working to the same goal, is going to be very beneficial for both parties.”
Itoje will be surpassing a legendary former England lock, as he takes to the Allianz for this Saturday’s upcoming game against New Zealand. The Saracens captain will accrue his 86th England cap this weekend, and overtake 2003 Rugby World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson in all-time England appearances. Itoje was not aware that he was set to overtake the legendary lock, in what will move him up to 12th in the rankings for the England men’s senior team.
“I didn’t know that. It wasn’t something that I’ve given much thought to, but all things being well I’m going to get a few more caps, and the big thing is not just about racking up caps, racking up appearances for England. What Martin Johnson did was win. He won Six Nations, these big games against southern hemisphere teams, and whilst I’ve also done that in my career there’s more.
“Him and some of the other guys in yesteryear set the standard in terms of winning. As a team that’s what we want to build towards, we want to win. I don’t want to just get to a high number of caps and for it to look good on my rugby cv. I want to be part of winning England teams.”
Itoje has long been a reliable star to rise to the occasion when taking on the All Blacks. The lock got his first taste of battling New Zealand with the 2017 British & Irish Lions, and despite being just 22-years-old, the second row was considered amongst the top performers of Warren Gatland’s touring squad.
Itoje’s efforts were once again recognised in the latest Summer tour, with the likes of All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, and second-most capped New Zealand lock Ian Jones, name-checking Itoje amongst England’s most dangerous threats. Itoje expressed how the challenge of the All Blacks requires a strong performance, and expects this weekend’s battle at the re-christened Allianz Stadium to be nothing less than another blockbuster occasion.
“Whenever you play the All Blacks, it’s an incredible opportunity. We know it’s a big challenge but what comes with that is an incredible opportunity. That heightens the focus, the mind, brings intensity, and a little bit of bite. Intensity, bite and focus to how we prepare throughout the week.
“It’s one of the great games to be a part of. Every time I’ve played the All Blacks it’s been a big game, a big occasion. Saturday I have no doubt will be any different. I’m ready, the team is ready to take that next step.”
Taking a look back to the missed opportunities of the Summer, and Itoje shared the feelings of disappointment of the two defeats to the All Blacks. Steve Borthwick’s side were desperately close to achieving England’s first win against the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2003. Itoje understands how England will learn from the defeats in Dunedin and Auckland, to iron out the creases for a memorable Autumn victory.
“We reflect back on the summer, and whilst we made big strides forward and had big things we can hang our hat on, we feel that particularly in the last quarter we did things we hope not to do again. We hope to be a bit smarter to change that. The growth of this team is to change those narrow defeats into narrow wins, then big wins down the line.”
