Leicester Tigers legend Martin Corry is convinced Saracen Maro Itoje has the world at his feet after a breakthrough season that has seen him sparkle for club and country. 

After making his international debut for Eddie Jones’ newlook England against Italy in the Six Nations in February; Itoje was named man-of-the-match against Wales at Twickenham.

After captaining England at U20 level and representing the Saxons, Itoje went on to form a fearsome second row pairing with fellow Saracen George Kruis at senior level as Jones’ men lifted the Grand Slam.

It’s not just his performances at international level that has caught the eye; Itoje has been instrumental for Saracens in both the Aviva Premiership and also in Europe.

Itoje was this week shortlisted for the Green Flag Forward of the Season and his latest accolade is just the beginning of what is going to be another stellar year with a tour of Australia to come this summer with England; that’s according to Corry. 

Corry headed a judging panel consisting of Emma Thurston from Out On The Full, Andrew McKenna of TalkSport and Neale Harvey of the Rugby Paper to run the rule over Aviva Premiership Rugby’s most consistent performers. The panel was chaired by Premiership Rugby’s Communications Director Paul Morgan.

Itoje, who will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2014 winner Nick Easter and 2015 winner Nathan Hughes, was joined on the shortlist by Billy Vunipola, Nili Latu, George Smith, Teimana Harrison and George Kruis for the Green Flag Forward of the Season.

“There was so much talk about him and there was a lot of hype coming into this season – especially before his first cap – he was being marked as a future England captain before he had won his first cap,” said Corry.

“But he has come in and just looked an absolute natural. His work-rate is phenomenal, he is another back-rower playing in the second-row, he is all over the park, and he is all-encompassing.

“Importantly, he has got the physical game as well. For a young guy to come in and exert that much physicality on a game is huge.

“Especially in his first season around all that hype, I have seen it a lot, where guys come in with a lot of hype and it takes them a couple of years to live up to it.

“But he has come in and he has grasped it and he has played his game from the off and it is just a continuation of the way he was playing in the U20s. It is great to see.

“It is just the way he plays the game, he is always there in the action and that is what you want, especially from a second-rower.

“Whenever there is something positive, he is there right at the start of the performance. Whether it is the first phase, or it is with the rucks and mauls, he is there hitting them and his work-rate.”

The winner will rub shoulders with the biggest names in English rugby at the glittering sold out Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards ceremony at the London Hilton, Park Lane presented by BT Sport's Craig Doyle.


Along with the winner of the Green Flag Forward of the Season – on 18 May – the winners for Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season, Aviva Community Player of the Season, BT Sport Dream Team, Citizen Try of the Season, Gilbert Golden Boot, Women's Premiership Players’ Player of the Year, Guinness Director of Rugby of the Season, Land Rover Discovery of the Season, Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Player of the Series and Trivento Top Try Scorer of the Season will also be presented.

And Corry believes the next step for Itoje is consistency of performance and has challenged the Saracen to forget about talk of the England captaincy and to just concentrate on his rugby.

“His durability, he is constant it seems like he has played every single second for Saracens because he just stays there and doesn’t get injured,” added Corry. “He is always there, a bit like Kruis. His standards stay at such a high level.

“The second-half against Wasps and how he was in the internationals was outstanding. That is where you see real quality players, when they perform at a high level and then they can raise their game depending on the quality of the opposition.

“That is when you know what a genuine international, world-class player is – one that can raise their game at international level and he has done that at such a young age. You’re looking forward to next season now.

“A lot gets said on what’s the future is going to be, but just let the guy play and give him the freedom to play his way.

“We’ve already talked about the quality second-rows we’ve got and now he is in the mix. He is looking great, we don’t need to give him any labels, just let him go out and play.

“His natural style is a leadership style, regardless of whatever tag you put on him he has got this great leadership quality about him.

“He absolutely has the quality, but too much gets talked about who should be the next England Captain, we just need to get 15 quality players on the field and he is definitely part of that.

“This is down to Eddie, the style in which he wants to play and the players available. I think Maro is a second-row, but he is a very mobile second-row.

“With the mouth-watering combinations we could be having the back-row – If you look at Billy Vunipola, we don’t want him smashing every ruck because that is going to detract from his fundamental strength, which is ball-carrying, so you need someone else to be doing that job.

“That is where the second-rows we have are able to step up and do that job.”

The Green Flag Forward of the Season  will be announced first on Twitter via the @premrugby account on the evening of 18 May. To find out more about the Green Flag rugby sponsorship visit: https://www.greenflag.com/about-us/sponsorship/rugby or follow @GreenFlagUK #rugbytribe​