Maro Itoje’s place in the pantheon of British & Irish Lions greats was not in doubt before Saturday’s remarkable series-clinching victory, but after it you sense we may come to wonder whether there has ever been better. He joins Sam Warburton and Martin Johnson having led the Lions to a series victory in the professional era. Do not bet against him sticking around to tour New Zealand in four years’ time.
Itoje’s performance was not flawless on a wild night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when the Lions somehow came back from 18 points down. No one wearing red could lay claim to that. He made mistakes – plenty of them – in the first half.
