Heavyweight backing for Itoje to lead Lions
Sir Ian McGeechan says England lock Maro Itoje should captain the British and Irish Lions because Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones is ‘‘no longer a potential starter’’.
McGeechan, who played for the Lions and coached them on three tours, believes Jones should be the midweek captain on safari in South Africa in 2021.
‘‘Itoje is the likely skipper of this Lions party,’’ McGeechan wrote in his column.
‘‘He was outstandingly influential in [the drawn series with the All Blacks in] 2017, growing with every game and really asserting himself in the biggest games. His game involvement is very high, and his discipline is now excellent.
‘‘When you go to South Africa you have to match their forwards for physicality, and it’s no coincidence that every Lions side to tour South Africa in the past 50 years was captained by second rowers – Willie-John McBride in 1974, Bill Beaumont in 1980, Martin Johnson in 1997 and Paul O’Connell in 2009.’’
McGeechan said the ability of Itoje and ‘‘so many of the potential Lions locks’’ to play in the back row should encourage Lions coach Warren Gatland to take six second rowers.
‘‘James Ryan will go, and I really rate the versatile Iain Henderson so would definitely take him, as I would Courtney Lawes, who was brilliant in New
Sir Ian McGeechan
Zealand. I’m also a Joe Launchbury fan, while Jonny Gray, Johnny Hill, Scott Cummings, George Kruis and Quinton Roux are also in contention.’’
He said Jones, world rugby’s most capped test player who played alongside Itoje against the
All Blacks, should lead the midweek team.
‘‘He is a born winner and Lions legend, and on such a short tour Warren will desperately need players who can lead by example, especially in training as well as on the field.’’
McGeechan listed Itoje at the head of a list of six players who could have ‘‘a momentous 2021’’ with the Lions.
The others were Scotland flanker Jamie Ritchie, Ireland back rower Caelan Doris, Scotland No 10 Finn Russell, England centre Ollie Lawrence and Wales’ teenage wing Louis ReesZammit, who he said had the pace to excel on the hard, fast grounds in South Africa, just as another Welsh wing, J J Williams, did in 1974.
‘‘When you go to South Africa you have to match their forwards for physicality.’’