IT’S ALL IN THE MIND
Eddie Jones is bringing in a psychologist to conquer his side’s frailties — and Maro Itoje admits...
FOR Maro Itoje, the pursuit of physical supremacy has had to take a back seat in recent weeks. Instead, the Saracens and England powerhouse has used the longest injury lay-off of his career to work on the few inches below his flopping locks.
Itoje has been out since injuring his knee in England’s Six Nations opener against Ireland. He suffered another setback a month later and will miss Saracens’ clash with Harlequins today.
But the frustration that comes with recovery and rehabilitation has been matched by a thirst for discovery.
The 24-year-old forward recently began listening to Finding
Mastery, a podcast which explores the psychology of elite performance, how stars of all fields — sport, music, business — train their minds to push the boundaries of human potential.
‘Your mindset and the way you think is crucial to performing at the top level and to really being the best you can be,’ he explains.
‘I feel as if your outlook on life, let alone your sport, is very important and it has a strong correlation to you succeeding or not.’
It is a timely addition to Itoje’s playlist.
Following England’s collapse against Scotland, when they surrendered a 31-0 lead to draw 38-38 at Twickenham, head coach Eddie Jones revealed his plan to recruit a sports psychologist before this year’s World Cup.
The aim? To tackle the apparent mental frailty that has seen England fail to press home an advantage in four Tests in the past year.
‘Eddie knows best on all those kind of things,’ says Itoje. ‘He knows the team and I don’t think there are many coaches who can match his World Cup record. So if he suggests that, I’m sure it’ll be for the good of the team.
‘We’ve been very successful in the past with England. The things we’ve won speak for themselves but in all top sports, with all top athletes, the mental side is just as important as the physical.’
At only 24, Itoje already possesses a wise head on very wide shoulders. He distinguishes between Maro the player and Maro the person — the politics graduate and the fierce competitor who terrorises opposing teams.
But he’s not expecting to appear on his new podcast any time soon. ‘I don’t know if I’ve mastered mental separation. As with everything there is still evolution.’
He wants to keep learning and, even at 6ft 6in, there is ‘still room for growth’.
Itoje is an admirer of heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, who knows a bit about performing under pressure. So could he teach England anything? ‘If you have his number I’ll call him and ask him!’
For now, though, Itoje has enough on his plate. He is back in full training and is set to play in Saracens’ Champions Cup quarter-final against Glasgow next
week. Owen Farrell should return alongside him, at a time when there are calls for Itoje to replace his team-mate as England captain in time for the World Cup.
Every winning skipper since 1995 has come from the pack but Itoje insists: ‘I fully support Owen, I have the pleasure of playing alongside him for club and country and he’s doing a fantastic job.
‘When he’s captain I think he actually improves as a player. He communicates better, he plays better as well. He lives and breathes rugby and I don’t know anyone who has more rugby intellect than him.’
But it’s been a trying week for Farrell. The fly-half was substituted against Scotland, having carried the responsibility of captaincy, kicking and playmaking throughout the championship.
‘He’s a true competitor, he knows the game inside and out, he lives and breathes rugby. A lot of people love rugby but he loves rugby,’ laughs Itoje.
England’s failure to hold on to leads against Wales and Scotland has punctured some of the momentum they had generated. Itoje, Farrell and Co now turn their attention to another bruising club campaign. But looming on the horizon remains the biggest prize.
Despite Wales’ Grand Slam, England are second favourites behind New Zealand to win in Japan and Jones’s squad will be built around a core of Saracens, with Itoje, Farrell, George Kruis and the Vunipola brothers among their ranks.
Success has come readily for them in recent years. But soon they must deliver when the stakes are ever higher.
‘We’ve won together at club level, we’ve won together at international level so it’s just about us doing what we do for longer periods of time,’ admits Itoje.
‘England are going in the right direction, I think the important thing is not peaking in the autumn, not peaking now, it’s about making sure we peak together during the World Cup.’ l ALUN WYN JONES has been named Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship after leading Wales to the third Grand Slam of the Warren Gatland era.
Watch Saracens v Harlequins today from 2.30pm, exclusively live on BT Sport 1 and their app bt.com/sport
‘The way you think is crucial at the top level’