Maro Itoje, renowned for his relentless work ethic, exceptional aerial prowess, and formidable defensive skills, has undeniably emerged as a pivotal force within England’s rugby squad throughout the last two World Cup cycles.
His remarkable talents have not gone unnoticed, earning him selection for two Lions tours, where he distinguished himself as a standout performer in both New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021.
However, in the lead-up to the previous year’s World Cup, Itoje encountered a period of subpar performances, drawing criticism from certain pundits during the 2023 Six Nations tournament.
Nevertheless, shedding light on his situation, he disclosed that he had been contending with an undisclosed “underlying” health issue, which has since been resolved.
“I guess over the last year or so there have been things which have probably affected my conditioning, which has resulted in me being perhaps a little less energised,” the Saracens talisman told i.
“There have been injury bits, a few niggles, a few things that I’ve had ongoing which I didn’t know were ongoing.
“It was some health things behind, which I know have had an impact. Due to how I was feeling it probably wasn’t the quality of what I would expect for myself.
“All of that has kind of been resolved over the last three weeks. I’m now in, I think, a much better position.”
“I don’t think I’ve been terrible,” he added. “I don’t think I’ve gone on the pitch being, you know, a liability. I still think I’ve made an impact, I don’t think I’ve been a dud on the field.
“It was an underlying thing, which none of us knew was going on. Through doing some checks, we were able to ID it and then rectify it.”
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