World-class Maro on par with All Blacks - Skivington

MARO Itoje’s performances for England on last month’s tour of Australia have propelled him to the same level as New Zealand masters Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock, says London Irish forwards coach George Skivington.

Skivington reckons Red Rose lock stocks have never been higher and believes 21-year-old Itoje is in the same class as the World Cup-winning duo.

Skivington told The Rugby Paper: “It’s amazing to watch players like Maro Itoje and he must think rugby’s a walk in the park because he doesn’t lose a game.

“The difference in the way the game is played Down Under is always going to produce a slightly different style of player and Retallick and Whitelock are obviously world-class, which I saw at first hand when I was coaching Samoa last summer.

“But if you look at Itoje now, he’s probably a bit different but with the amount of ball steels he gets, the carries he makes and the work he does around the field, it’s like having a back-rower on the pitch who also does all the work of a second-row.

“Any team would struggle not to put Itoje in their side the way he’s playing right now and he’s right up there in that worldclass bracket.”

He added: “There’s real depth in that second-row now and it’s amazing what England have done. Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick have sparked something really good.

“Sometimes people like to pretend everyone’s enjoying what they’re doing, but with this England team now they really look to be having fun.

“If you get boys who enjoy playing rugby, work hard together and are smiling, you’re 90 per cent of the way towards creating a consistent winning team. That’s what I see with England now and Eddie must be given huge credit for that.”