Maro Itoje explains England sabbatical decision
The Lions captain says skipping England's South Africa tour was the right call, urging other top players to consider similar breaks before next year's World Cup.
Maro Itoje has explained why he chose to sit out England's summer fixtures against South Africa, opting for a mini sabbatical rather than adding the tour to an already heavy year.
The British & Irish Lions captain missed his country's three Nations Championship games in July after Steve Borthwick offered him the break. Itoje lost his mother last year and carried the captaincy load for both Saracens and England before the rest was arranged.
«In some respects it was a little bit weird being away from the team, especially whilst games were going on. But at the same time I felt like it was the right thing to do. Mentally it was a busy year, both personally and professionally, so it was nice to have a bit of time to take a breath».
Itoje happened to run into the England squad at Heathrow on the day they flew back from South Africa, but otherwise kept his distance from the tour. He chose not to watch the matches live, saying the emotional pull of following every tackle would have undone the point of stepping away.
«When you watch a game live, you’re in every nook and cranny, every tackle. But that also probably has a hidden emotional kind of weight. I felt it would have defeated the purpose of what I was trying to achieve».
He turns 32 next month and has just completed his first full pre-season at Saracens since 2014. With the World Cup a year away, he said other leading players should consider the same kind of break to extend their careers, pointing to South Africa and New Zealand's long-standing practice of resting senior players.
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