Maro Itoje - the greatest rugby player of all time, is he there already?

[The Jones Boy]

Having scaled the heights with nothing left to do I heard that the legend of Itoje was retiring...

 

[Goodey]

OP has no sense of fun. If we can't get excited about new rugby players then why are we even here.

Greatest rugby player of all time - Andy Goode.

Discussion over.

I like the cut of this guy's jib

 

[welshoptimist]

itoje is a great player but saying asking if he is the greatest of all time? the simple answer is no, not even close he isn't even the best player in the English side billy vunipola takes that by a country mile, one thing England Ireland and wales all share is their amazing ability to overate players, liam Williams is a good player, but his positioning and defensive work can be awful, I hope Saracens can sort that out,

zebo is so overrated as well, as a welsh fan and a blues fan I am quite relieved when I watch munster/Ireland and see that zebo is the full back, his pace as gone he cant kick and he is average in defence,

mike brown is another player who shouldn't be near an international team,

I think its time we all woke up and started playing young talented players and developing them, otherwise the gap between the NH and the SH will start to get bigger again

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

itoje is a great player but saying asking if he is the greatest of all time? the simple answer is no, not even close he isn't even the best player in the English side billy vunipola takes that by a country mile, one thing England Ireland and wales all share is their amazing ability to overate players, liam Williams is a good player, but his positioning and defensive work can be awful, I hope Saracens can sort that out,

zebo is so overrated as well, as a welsh fan and a blues fan I am quite relieved when I watch munster/Ireland and see that zebo is the full back, his pace as gone he cant kick and he is average in defence,

mike brown is another player who shouldn't be near an international team,

I think its time we all woke up and started playing young talented players and developing them, otherwise the gap between the NH and the SH will start to get bigger again

Change your username...

 

[welshoptimist]

Change your username...

hahah XD I am optimistic, the silver lining of it all is that all of these nations are blessed with a shedload of young talent, the strength in depth of the irish sides in the pro 12 is staggering, just look at leinster yesterday! these guys need a chance

 

[Maverick1987]

itoje is a great player but saying asking if he is the greatest of all time? the simple answer is no, not even close he isn't even the best player in the English side billy vunipola takes that by a country mile, one thing England Ireland and wales all share is their amazing ability to overate players, liam Williams is a good player, but his positioning and defensive work can be awful, I hope Saracens can sort that out,

zebo is so overrated as well, as a welsh fan and a blues fan I am quite relieved when I watch munster/Ireland and see that zebo is the full back, his pace as gone he cant kick and he is average in defence,

mike brown is another player who shouldn't be near an international team,

I think its time we all woke up and started playing young talented players and developing them, otherwise the gap between the NH and the SH will start to get bigger again

The gap between England and Ireland has closed with the SH . The gap between Wales and the SH is getting bigger .....

 

[welshoptimist]

The gap between England and Ireland has closed with the SH . The gap between Wales and the SH is getting bigger .....

I agree the gap has closed, and wales have remained stagnant, but it had closed when England won the world cup as well, they hung onto their team too long and the gap increased again, if you don't keep refreshing the team roster you soon fall behind, surely you have somebody better in the huge pool of players that England have at their disposal than mike brown at full back?

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I agree the gap has closed, and wales have remained stagnant, but it had closed when England won the world cup as well, they hung onto their team too long and the gap increased again, if you don't keep refreshing the team roster you soon fall behind, surely you have somebody better in the huge pool of players that England have at their disposal than mike brown at full back?

We do but as Brown's form isn't terrible, replacing his wasn't the priority. We want to ease in the changes not make a whole host of them. Brown also plays a role as vice captain. I think it's pretty much a certainty that over the next year Brown, Hartley, Cole and one of our SH's will be replaced.

 

[welshoptimist]

We do but as Brown's form isn't terrible, replacing his wasn't the priority. We want to ease in the changes not make a whole host of them. Brown also plays a role as vice captain. I think it's pretty much a certainty that over the next year Brown, Hartley, Cole and one of our SH's will be replaced.

that makes sense, id like to see daly tried out at fb, think he would be devastating. also I think underhill is worth looking at in the back row, hell of a prospect right there

 

[BraddersTheDog]

A year on from this thread being made he's not looking like a bad player.

 

[Reiser99]

Simple fact is he 22, he has won a grand slam and another 6N's ***le, potentially another. He has won the Aviva and Champions Cup in the same year, went 30-31 games unbeaten that he started. He established himself with Kruis last year in Englands second row. he's now playing out of position at 6 and getting better every game. His skills are top notch and his athleticism is unbelievable (the catch above and behind his head for example, or pick up from knock on in front of the try line.)

So yeah he is not the greatest player of all time, but if he keeps improving he has the potential to be. I just hope that's what the coaches are telling him, your not finished yet, you can get better.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Not quite sure what I made of Itoje's 6N campaign.

Did some good stuff, but gave away more pens than anyone else and was perhaps lucky to escape the odd yellow.

Torygraph scored him 6, 7, 7, 8, 6 which I reckon is probably about right. Good, but maybe not the heights of last year. Outshone by Launch and possibly Lawes, who are both more experienced, in a pack that was never really dominant.

I wonder what Gatland will make of him. Bench I reckon.

What do others think?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Not quite sure what I made of Itoje's 6N campaign.

Did some good stuff, but gave away more pens than anyone else and was perhaps lucky to escape the odd yellow.

Torygraph scored him 6, 7, 7, 8, 6 which I reckon is probably about right. Good, but maybe not the heights of last year. Outshone by Launch and possibly Lawes, who are both more experienced, in a pack that was never really dominant.

I wonder what Gatland will make of him. Bench I reckon.

What do others think?

A very good 6, a great lock, world class when matched with Kruis. I had my suspicions of this prior to the 6n but I think the last five games confirmed it, he'll only get better too although he might start losing a wee bit more than... never!

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Allowing for the acclimatisation period to playing 6 at international level, I was pretty happy with him. His penalty count should be very reducible; he currently goes high in the tackle out of an eagerness I guess, or a confidence that he's going to win the contact.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

As he gets older and matures I think he will cut out the silly penalties (or at least hide it better ahem McCaw). Still think he is more a lock than back row although that may be down to experience and the fact he was in a misfiring pack. He has a confrontational but not overly aggressive attitude and I can see him potentially being part of a stubborn squad that won't take nonsense from anyone. When looking at him it's important to remember just how young he is, 22 and already showing up some much more experienced players. To think barring career ending injuries or some absolutely phenomenal talent coming through, he could be with us for 2 world cup cycles, possibly 3.

 

[Five Meters Out]

Saying a boy this age is going to be the greatest of all time??? You might as well put a mill stone around his neck and throw him in the pond.