Rugby star Maro Itoje has defended himself amid criticism concerning a dip in form and revealed his drop-off in performance was likely impacted by an 'underlying' health condition.
Itoje made his England debut in 2016 at just 21 years of age and has since cemented his spot as a bedrock of the national team's pack. It should come as no surprise that his own slump has coincided with England losing their way somewhat over the past year or so, suffering defeat in seven of their 13 games over the course of 2022.
That led to criticism from journalists and figures like 2003 Rugby World Cup-winner Lawrence Dallaglio, the ex-England captain who recently said his countryman was performing at a "six out of 10." While it's true Itoje hasn't been immune to the drowse that's overcome just about every England international of recent times, details of a health issue that was only recently cleared up give some explanation as to why.
