IT’S WIN OR BUST
Itoje: We’ll need to reach another level to turn over in-form Leinster
MARO ITOJE’S vision for his career involves a stint playing abroad, but his immediate goal is to help his home-town club with a high- stakes overseas mission and a shot at partial redemption.
In Dublin this afternoon, Itoje and his fellow Saracens face the defining occasion in their season of controversy and relegation.
The Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against near-invincible Leinster at the Aviva Stadium represents a win- or-bust fixture for Mark McCall’s side.
They have already lost half a team after being found guilty of salary- cap offences and condemned to a season in the Championship. They have also lost England fly-half Owen Farrell to a ban. But they have not lost their bloody-minded belief.
As they have prepared for a match which could mark the end of a dominant era, Saracens have been united by a conviction that they can deliver a seismic upset.
Next season, Saracens won’t be in the Premiership and they won’t have European competition to engage them either.
So this will be their last meaningful competitive encounter for a year unless they can overcome a Leinster side that haven’t lost since being beaten by Sarries in last year’s final.
Itoje is excited and bullish in equal measure.
‘I don’t have a fear of failure but this is obviously a hugely important game,’ says the England and Lions lock. ‘We don’t have next season for the Premiership or European Cup so it’s important to do well, but also enjoy the experience of playing European rugby because nothing is guaranteed.
‘We don’t know what tomorrow is going to hold so it’s about relishing the moment. It’s knockout rugby — you win or you go home. You win or you’re out of the European Cup for a while.’
Itoje rejects the suggestion they will be driven by angst about their predicament or by desire to make a point to their critics and rivals.
Instead, he insists Sarries will be inspired by the magnitude of the challenge. Leinster come into this encounter on a run of 25 consecutive wins in all competitions.
Last weekend, a line- up featuring several reserves clinched the Pro14 title. They are awash with Lions and have phenomenal squad depth.
‘There’s no doubt that Leinster are the form team at the moment,’ says Itoje. ‘They are leading the way but we have a special team here with some special individuals and big characters who love these types of games and relish these kind of opportunities.’
Asked if Leinster’s purple patch would create additional pressure for the Irish province, Itoje adds: ‘I don’t know what’s inside their heads. I don’t know what they’ll be thinking and where their minds are.
‘From our point of view, that (winning run) just highlights that we have to be really switched on and very good. We definitely have the capacity to win this game, but a different level is required.
‘We’ve got a talented group and a coaching staff that can do something special.’
It would be something special if they can ambush Leo Cullen’s side. Of the Saracens team which won last year’s trophy, Farrell is suspended, gone are Liam Williams, Alex Lozowski, Ben Spencer, Will Skelton, Nick Isiekwe and Nick Tompkins.
David Strettle has retired while Ben Earl, Max Malins and Jack Singleton are on loan at other clubs, to avoid a setback season in the Championship. So despite an
England core of Itoje, the Vunipola brothers, Jamie George and Elliot Daly, Saracens would appear to be outclassed.
A shock result would defer the end of a glorious but tainted era of success. It would leave Saracens facing a semi- final against a French super-power — either Clermont Auvergne or Racing 92 — and still on course to join Leinster and Toulouse at the summit of the continental honours board with four Champions Cup titles.
Such stakes appeal to Itoje. As it stands, he is committed to staying at Saracens next season, but a short-term deal abroad has been mentioned as a possibility and even if it doesn’t come to pass soon, the 25- year- old has a wanderlust which he intends to act upon one day.
‘At some stage I would love to play abroad,’ he says. ‘It would be great to experience something else further down the line. A different culture, style, vibe. Do they play rugby in Barbados?!
‘I’m fairly open to where the future takes me. I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself into a specific region but when the time is right I’d love to spend at least a year somewhere.’
Today, Itoje will play abroad for his local club — and strive to reach a towering peak at the end of this ruinous season.