Maro Itoje hailed for ‘absolutely extraordinary’ job as Ugo Monye answers best ever Lions captain question
Ugo Monye praises British and Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje.
Former British & Irish Lions wing Ugo Monye has called Maro Itoje “extraordinary” as he stands on the verge of leading the tourists to a possible series whitewash.
Alongside Caelan Doris, Itoje was a serious pre-tour candidate to skipper the Lions before injury ruled out the Ireland captain, with the lock then the obvious pick.
It has been a job he has flourished in as the tourists have won all of their matches in Australia, including the first two Tests to take the series with one Test to play.
High praise for Itoje
Monye has been impressed by Itoje‘s form against the Wallabies and is enjoying watching him grow as a leader. He also singled out his most vital quality on tour.
“Performance,” the 2009 British and Irish Lions finisher declared boldly in an interview with Prime Casino. “It doesn’t matter what you say as captain if you’re not backing it up on the pitch.
“His performances for the Lions have been outstanding. That’s the single biggest thing, his consistency and standards. He contributes and affects his team.
“There is no drop off with Maro. He’s had line-out steals, won critical balls at the breakdown, but when you watch him back, it’s the whole body of work over the 80 minutes. There are loads of little big moments, I call them, that collectively has such an impact on the team.”
A series victory as a Lions captain sees Itoje join a very special club and Monye believes the lock must now be in the conversation as one of the best ever skippers.
“I think what Maro has done is absolutely extraordinary,” he praised.
Wallabies v British and Irish Lions third Test: How to watch, live stream and kick-off time
“I think he was man of the match in what proved to be the series decider.
“He’s someone who truly leads from the front. He’s Mr Dependable, plays every single minute. He throws everything into every moment.”
Monye added: “I think Itoje is at the heart of the discussion for the best ever Lions captain.
“To be a Lion is extraordinarily special. To be a Test match Lion is another level. To be captain of the Lions is another level again. To be a Test-winning Lion and captain, he’s operating on another level at the moment.
“He’s a world class player and he’s proven to be exceptional. He’s at the very highest level.”
The Lions are on the cusp of a 3-0 sweep against Australia if they can come out on top in Sydney and Monye believes achieving that feat is a big incentive for them.
“There’s a sense of job done – but not complete,” he said regarding leading 2-0 after last weekend.
Incredible opportunity
“They’ve got an incredible opportunity, the first time since 1927, to be in a position to whitewash a team and immortalise the heroics of what they’ve been able to do.
“It’s absolutely amazing, and they should be extremely proud of what they’ve done.
“This is a team that is highly motivated, will want to do everything they can to achieve something that hasn’t been done for almost a century, to go that one step further.
“Motivation will be high, I just hope the execution and application of game plan will be as high.”
