Itoje building on Lions experience
As England prepare for another Six Nations campaign without Billy Vunipola, who has suffered a broken arm, Maro Itoje is set for a big campaign in the wake of his experience with the British & Irish Lions in New Zealand last year.
The Six Nations starts on February 3, with England travelling to Rome to play Italy on February 4.
Now recovered from a broken jaw, in two places, Itoje used his time out of action to look at ways of bettering his game.
He told City A.M., "Ultimately it is about getting better. I'm still quite young and I feel as if I still have a lot of growth left in me.
"My goal is to go to training every day with the mentality of getting better, improve my understanding of the game, improve my physical attributes and my skill set.
"If I do that then hopefully I will keep improving and keep pushing and putting my hand up for selection," he said.
Keeping pushing is a direct result of his exposure to England coach Eddie Jones.
"He keeps us on our toes, he's a great man-manager of players. He is very clear, there is no ambiguity as to his message or in what he is trying to get across.
"He is obviously a very intelligent coach and no matter what you have done or what you have achieved, he pushes you to get better. You can always be better. It doesn't matter if you are 23 or 33 you can always be better and he sets that agenda," Itoje said.
The Lions tour had helped that process and Itoje said it had been an 'eye-opener' for him.
"I got to see how different world-class players operate, how different players tick, how different coaches think. I got to see how those coaches operate in a different environment and certain things they like to do and certain things they don't.
"I think every experience, good or bad, makes you more rounded. This one definitely made me more rounded and more educated in terms of how different things are done," he said.
Itoje's recovery will be welcomed, not only by England but also his club Saracens who have not been so dominant in club play.
But England will go into the Six Nations well down on experience with not only Vunipola out of action but also wing Elliot Daly (ankle injury – out for three months), wing Semesa Rokoduguni (shoulder injury), prop Joe Marler (six week suspension) and Fijian-born tight-loose utility Nathan Hughes (knee injury).