Maro Itoje accuses Bundee Aki that he ‘messed me around’ as British and Irish Lions tour footage emerges
Lions skipper Maro Itoje with Bundee Aki
Footage has emerged of British and Irish Lions skipper Maro Itoje giving out to Bundee Aki for the way he has been treated by the tour squad’s fines committee.
The incident, which took place while Aki was in an ice bath with Itoje walking around, was included in the last episode of The Ultimate Test, the behind-the-scenes documentary series that is being filmed about the 2025 trip to Australia.
Tour captain Itoje took umbrage at the fine he received for only changing into his Lions suit while on the team bus, and he also accused Aki of messing him around with a previous penalty.
Aki, who is part of the four-man fines committee, defended himself, claiming someone had to deliver the bad news, and it was nothing personal. Here is how the light-hearted ice-bath exchange unfolded:
“Taking the ***”
Aki: Maro is claiming that I am taking the **** out of these fines and making up rules as we go along.
Ollie Chessum: No, Bundee, I think you are doing a great job, mate. Great job.
Aki: I’m just the bearer of bad news, and Maro is taking his anger out on me, and I am just one of the four on our committee. Someone has to give the bad news… I don’t know who the judge and the executioner is tonight, but it sounds like he is going to be very ruthless.
Itoje: I wore my suit on the bus.
Aki: You wore your clothes on the bus but put your suit on.
Itoje: Other people were changing as well.
Aki: I only saw you walking on the bus.
Itoje: What I mean is there were other people changing as well… You messed me around on the last one as well. You messed me around.
Aki: I’m just the bearer of bad news.
Itoje: You messed me around. Also, you messed me around with the fine.
Aki: No, I gave you and option, I gave you an option.
Itoje: You gave me an option and then told me I had no option.
Aki: That was after I brought it to the committee. Committee was like, ‘no’.
Itoje: To be fair, we actually need to add someone because Elliot’s left. I might add myself. I’m a little bit idle on the standards committee. I want to add myself.
Aki: I’m just the bearer of bad news, you know how it is. There is always going to be the guy who has to tell people the bad news.
Josh van der Flier: Bundee’s dictatorship.
Aki: No, no, I’ve got no dictatorship on this.
Itoje: When I add myself, it will balance out… little do they know I am part of the standards committee, and I will be exercising my power here. I think the standards committee trump the fines committee.
The exchange ended with Itoje leaving the room and the filming resumed later in the evening with the Lions squad gathered for a court session that began with Aki admonishing himself for giving away a jacket to his uncle that belonged to Dan Sheehan.
Aki managed to get it back and was seen presenting it to Sheehan. He added that he would roll the dice to determine his punishment, but viewers don’t get to learn what Aki’s punishment was. Instead, the camera cut to the cases that Will Stuart, Henry Pollock and Marcus Smith had to answer.
