In my series, Bakkies Botha has so far set the gold standard for a grinder lock in one complete match: 1.1 involvements per minute in the brutally physical Rugby World Cup final of 2007, a quantum leap up from the best of 2020’s tighthead locks playing in the Tri Nations.
His positive-to-neutral ratio was still sky high, even with a full 80 minutes of Bakkie-ness. He hit rucks with sickening force. He stole lineouts.
He was surprisingly quick. And he ran down Matthew Tait after a 40-metre sprint, about one yard from the try line. He also kept negatives to a minimum. He was never penalised and only one per cent of his involvements put his team in a worse position.
So what of modern-day superstar Maro Itoje? In a prior article, I pointed out his lack of passion and action in a crucial period of the 2019 final against the eventual 32-12 winners, South Africa, in stark contrast to the courageously manic game of lock mate Courtney Lawes.
But perhaps the semi-final emptied his tank (and Lawes was subbed off at 54 minutes)? I took a look at Itoje’s performance in the famous ouster of the All Blacks: the first match Sam Whitelock had ever lost in a World Cup.
The first few things I must point out as a caveat are: (a) I am not free of bias against England (I don’t like them); (b) I am not fan of Itoje’s antics; and (c) my review confirmed he gets a lot of free publicity from commentators he has not earned (not just being named as someone who claimed a lineout that Lawes actually did, or being featured more, but also that every single time he does do anything normal, his surname tends to be bellowed out as loud as a ship’s horn).
But I am confident I watched each action objectively, and you can trust this look.
He was great.
I am not sure he outplayed Lawes or Brodie Retallick, but he did completely outplay Sam Whitelock. He was not as busy as Botha, but more involved than hyperactive Matt Philip, athletic Guido Petti, and stodgy Rob Simmons.
Itoje had 72 total involvements in this game, at Yokohama, against the legendary lock mates Retallick and Whitelock, for a 0.9 actions per minute work rate.
(Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
He had big moments, but not as many as I remembered (only 21 per cent ranked as positive in my system, well below Botha, Petti, and Philip), and he does take a few minutes easy in the middle of chukkas, also more than I thought. Lawes out-chases and out-scrambles Itoje, as did George Kruis. But Itoje is a graceful big athlete, and sometimes his elegant actions look prettier than others do.
He sometimes switched off, as he did in the final, and during those times, he can seem petulant. His negatives (seven per cent) were more in the Scooter Barrett zone than the clean category of Simmons and Petti.
First chukka (11 involvements)
Positive: Itoje claimed a loose ball, ran a long way with it and recycled well, and also made a crucial seal of Jamie George on attack.
Neutral: He sealed a ruck, attended a ruck at 1:40 just before the English try, chased a kick to squeeze the angle, attended a couple more rucks, did a clean to keep a phase attack alive, and tackled Beauden Barrett.
Negative: He high-tackled Retallick and was pinged.
Second chukka (eight involvements)
Itoje stayed lively, but play did not come his way as much in these ten minutes.
Positives: He counter-rucked and stole a ball at 12:30. He swallowed the ball as he swam through an All Blacks maul at 18 minutes.
Neutral: He tried a couple more counter-rucks, tackled Retallick legally, lifted Lawes into the stratosphere at a lineout, and created a long frame for a box kick.
Third chukka (ten involvements)
Kiwis like Aaron Smith and Retallick were clearly breathing heavily by this point in the English barrage.
Positive: Itoje made a very strong carry over the gain line at 22:37, and stole a lineout off Kieran Read at 27:48.
Neutral: He took a couple of uncontested lineouts, joined three rucks in 13 seconds, contested a lineout and almost got it, tackled Jack Goodhue, and finished the chukka with another counter-ruck.
Fourth chukka (seven involvements)
A 2:07 scrum took a lot of time from this chukka.
Positive: Itoje cleaned Ardie Savea off a ball, when he had two hands on it at a breakdown.
Neutral: He took a lineout in two hands, steered a maul that got stopped, attended two rucks to build a box, and mauled.
Negative: He lost a lineout to Read, when he could have done better.
With 38 involvements in the first half, a dominant period for England, Itoje did a good job.
Fifth chukka (11 involvements)
This may have been his best period of play.
Positive: He pilfered a ball at 43:58, dampening All Blacks hopes. He made a half-break on a carry at 47:45. He won a bouncing loose ball in general play to end the chukka.
Neutral: He attended four rucks, took a no-contest lineout, steered a maul which led up to the near Ben Youngs non-try, contested a box kick, and counter-rucked before the 47:20 Tom Curry turnover.
Sixth chukka (ten involvements)
Lawes went off after four minutes in this period. Itoje seemed to change roles a bit, to carry more, and it did not go as well.
(Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)
Positive: None.
Neutral: He took two free lineouts, steered a maul, tackled Sam Cane twice, as well as a stationary Barrett, and made a short carry.
Negative: He got rocked in a negative carry, halting English momentum at 51:10, missed a cleanout on Savea, and missed the lineout on which Savea scored, because Read won the hand-fight with him.
Seventh chukka (nine involvements)
Positive: Itoje decimated Whitelock in a tackle at 65:03 and it spelled the beginning of the end for the old Kiwi warrior, and took a tough lineout ball in traffic.
Neutral: He attended rucks, made a tame cleanout, set up box kicks with his long leg, made a short carry, made a normal tackle, and helped drive a maul.
Eighth chukka (six involvements)
Itoje was running on fumes, but found one last burst to finish strong.
Positive: He made a great open field tackle on Sonny Bill Williams, made an athletic cleanout, and ankle-tackled Williams again.
Neutral: He cleaned, contested, and tackled properly.
The scary thing about Itoje is he has not yet found his ceiling. He may end up conquering his attention lapses, and add a bit of heft to help him clean and carry in the tight-loose better.
Just from this match, and knowing about his final performance the next weekend, we are looking at 85 per cent of what he can do.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Maybe I defend him a bit too much, but I have stated why I think this article and lots of comments are filled with bias and fluff. And I stand by that.
Phil
Guest
Neutral,I have only just managed to see this wonderful interplay between you and Harry.I always enjoy your comments but you do seem to be a bit over the top with your protection of MI.You used the same 3 minutes as Harry to prove your point. MI is a great player but I don't like him,which is normal for an Aussie to dislike an Englishman who smashes your team!But I also think he goes missing in games when he shouldn't,for a player with his ability.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
And finally, check your email, Harry. I just sent you something.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Very different sport to soccer, my friend. Not as different as you think. Not even close. Same mother. Same DNA. Explore space within a time limit.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
But Piru isn’t wrong, either. He’s a good rugby observer, and everyone on this site knows it. He is one of the best. I like him a lot. But nobody is perfect... as we all know...
Harry Jones
Expert
3 minutes in rugby is not a long time. Slade is tackled at 53:07. Itoje misses the cleanout for the next 3 seconds. The try is scored just after 56:00. During those 3 minutes or so, 1:23 is ball-not-in-play. (Lawes subbed off for Kruis, ABs getting ball across the field and set for the kick-for touch after Savea pilfer, set up two LOs, dead time before Nigel goes to TMO). The majority of the minute and a half of ball-in-play is AB phase ball which only happened because England lost possession inside the AB 22. Why did they lose the ball? Slade couldn't recycle because his cleaner failed. That's the reality. It was a set-piece and defend-the-lead match, and mostly that was good for Itoje, at times very good, and overall great. But my series takes each involvement as its own universe. Still, I am ok with watching it more normally, as a flow. Piru was spot on; he watched it correctly. England should have scored 3-5-7 from their foray into NZ 22 and put the game to bed ASAP and rested more starters for the final. The missed clean, the missed tackle, and the missed LO all helped NZ use 1:35 to score 7 and keep the match alive. I did not highlight that unduly. I just tabbed those as two negatives in an otherwise great and positive performance. I think my method is solid.
Harry Jones
Expert
Very different sport to soccer, my friend. His team needed him to be a cleaner. Getting pinged in the red zone, giving a foe as dangerous as NZ a LO at halfway, and then losing a LO on your 5: that's definitely negative. But again, in my method, which does not weight it unduly for what happens next, it just goes down as a couple of minuses. But Piru isn't wrong, either. He's a good rugby observer, and everyone on this site knows it.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Going back over three minutes in play to try and prove something… Come on, Harry, you know a lot better than that.
Harry Jones
Expert
To go from a red zone attack at 53:00, up 13-0, with the champs on the ropes, to a 5 m defensive LO (which leaks the only NZ try) at 56:00, you have to find some involvements which go wrong. A minute or so is chewed up walking to two LOs. There are a few tacklepoints. There is the penalty (Itoje's miss on Savea), the LO at midfield, the SWB break and pass, and the TMO look at Slade. Not many moments separate Itoje failing to cleanout Savea at the BD and Brodie keeping Itoje from extending at the try-LO. But see, this wasn't how I rated MI. I did not feature those two moments (or the miss in the middle that I actually ignored, because I was being fair to MI). I rated MI as "great." My headline used the word "masterpiece." I found him to be extremely good on defence. He was not the best player on the pitch, that day, nor even the best forward in his pack. I am now responding to defend my series, my method, my ethics, and my future looks (which may or may not agree with how anyone thinks). I like examining my biases. I try to reduce them, by being objective. So, now, 53:00 to 56:00 is more examined, and any fair-minded person would see the BD miss, the tackle miss (which I left out bc it looked inconsequential), and the LO miss as things Itoje can improve on, and must improve on if he wants to beat the Boks in SA, where set piece excellence is a rock solid must. Gats would have a much harder marking than me on that stuff.
Harry Jones
Expert
Retallick did him. Simply put, the commentators dinged George and they were wrong. He had to throw it that high to get Itoje over Retallick. Brodie did what he does very well. Interfered. Itoje didn’t bust through early; and leaned away. Ball sailed through. Watched it a lot to check. So, MISSED cleanout turned ball over; then, not much involvement until the second LO, which he MISSED. Itoje would tell you the same, because his coaches would have shown him how to improve. He can. Probably will, dammit.
Harry Jones
Expert
From 55 on to the LO that leaks the try (the NZ attack having been caused by the miss on Savea), Itoje does very little. At one point commentators mention his name, but it was for lying in a ruck. He is kneeling out of the action and has to duck a Smith pass on one occasion. Then we get to the LO where he didn’t extend properly bc NZ did to him what he did to Read earlier. No problem: just 2 negatives in a match where he was overwhelmingly positive.
Harry Jones
Expert
From that 54 lineout in midfield, I had Itoje missing Coles around the corner on a set move, but decided not to assign any rating to it even though he waved lazily, because in truth just by walking up into the space, it made it easier for his teammates to tackle Coles after.
Harry Jones
Expert
Take a breath, man. Watch 53:14. England carrier into NZ 22. Savea limpets. See who is the England player who has the first and only chance to dislodge (clean) him. Itoje. What does he do? Legs not bent. Tries to dead lift Ardie off the floor. Can’t. So he does the crocodile roll. Loses his grip. Penalty. Ref allows advantage; nothing comes of it. This allows NZ to kick for attacking LO. What should he have done? Squat, blast, with single underhook, and “take off” the plane instead of “landing” plane. Price he pays in my system: just one negative. I don’t load it up with extra just because it was a turnover.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Ahh, of course it was Itoje’s fault all along… Not only the LO, but everything before it too. I believe you have a pretty open relationship to the truth now, Harry. Anyone who wants to watch, watch from 54.20 (match clock – the try is scored around 56.20) and see that Itoje is not even close to miss a clean out on Savea (or any other NZ player). He is actually not involved at all in what leads to the LO. And the LO, it is pretty obvious it is an overthrown ball, but hey, since we bash Itoje, let us put it on him, especially since it really support my bias. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em0cfhGE5HM&t=741s Not in any way saying he is the perfect player. But the overambitious knit-picking (combined with a hefty bias) of everything Itoje could – possibly – have done slightly wrong, is presented as proof that he is all hype. And it really stinks when the “proof” is completely made up. It really gets ridiculous when one remembers the countless hero-worship love letters you and several other Roarers delivers on a regular basis when one of your countrymen (or someone who at least not is English) has a decent game.
Harry Jones
Expert
See, that’s where it’s weird. He was not quick to rucks, and if there was one flaw, it was the clean out quality. RugbyPass: did they really watch it play by play, or do a vague memory of whose name the commentators said the most. On the LOs, Itoje pinched one from Read that I found to be very good hands by Itoje (not a bad throw by Coles), but then, definitely on the miss that led to the Savea try it was Itoje who had to do better. Yes, it’s not always the case in LOs, but that was Read bettering him in the arm/hand fight. And the LO was caused by Itoje missing a clean out on Savea (one that the elite locks don’t miss). Good example of really needing to watch each play.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
it was actually him being spoiled in the lineout by Retallick that caused NZ’s only try, so… This goes to show what I have been talking about in this thread. Pretty hilarious to blame that on Itoje solely. And to top it off, some false throw away lines that on the scribes in NH hailed Itoje's performance. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup/rwc-2019-japan/116949556/all-blacks-v-england-england-player-ratings-in-rugby-world-cup-semifinal-win-over-nz Maro Itoje 9: Everywhere and carries so well while being a constant menace around the breakdown. A formidable physical presence who was superb in winning lineouts and coming up with big tackles at key moments. https://www.rugbypass.com/news/england-player-ratings-vs-new-zealand-2/ Maro Itoje – 9 The lock called an excellent lineout against the All Blacks and in addition to being an efficient attacking option, he was a persistent pest in defence. He won four turnovers at a combination of the lineout, maul and breakdown, while his quickness to the ruck helped deliver safe ball for England. He also took a game-high eight lineouts catches.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I hate that he’s pumped up consistently by fan boys in the English press so that it’s impossible to concede he might deliver lesser performances (the recent Wales game being a case in point). I hate that part of the reason some have pushed for him to be Lions’ captain is that he’s black. I hate that we even mention his colour in a rugby article. There, I do hate some things related to Itoje. I feel better having come clean.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
I've covered most of this already, but it should be obvious. In short, incomplete context (i.e. nature of game, preceding games, venues, overall teams and players performances, any specific coach assigned role etc. etc.), insignificant data samples, and incomplete data (for example, it's not Harry's fault he doesn't have access to any given players physical condition, injury status and particularly gps or tackle data, which is relied upon heavily by coaches when assessing performance). Then of course there is always the inescapable potential for subjectivity and bias in Harry's approach. Apart from that, fine. Btw, I've never attacked Harry in any way for what he's doing, simply pointed out what I see as weaknesses, and have expressed how much I've enjoyed reading these pieces. I think you're the only person taking offence, as you do so easily with me.
piru
Roar Rookie
I was playing gridiron at the time of the match so didn't see it live (then a team mate accidentally spoiled the result for me) so it was a few days before I watched it. Player ratings by the NH scribes were through the roof for Itoje, so I was expecting to see him in everything. I mean yes, he had a very good game, but then so did most of the team - it was actually him being spoiled in the lineout by Retallick that caused NZ's only try, so...
Harry Jones
Expert
I watched the 2019 SF because I expected to see a tour de force by Itoje. It was a great match, for sure, but I came away with more admiration for Lawes than Itoje on that particular day (and the final). Lawes: a bit of an unsung hero, with Jamie George.