Five moments that made England centurion Itoje

Captain Maro Itoje will become the ninth men’s player to play 100 times for England when they face Ireland on Saturday.

The 31-year-old, who made his international debut in 2016, will lead out his team at a packed Allianz Stadium to mark the milestone, although his path has not always been straightforward.

Having captained England Under-20s to a world title in 2014 and been part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup training squad, Itoje was as bright a young prospect as they come.

An inevitable England debut followed at the age of 21 against Italy in the 2016 Six Nations.

After an impactful appearance off the bench, the Saracens lock started the next game against Ireland.

“I thought I was ready in 2015 but there was probably still a gap and in hindsight not getting picked for the World Cup was the biggest blessing for me,” Itoje told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.

“It gave me the extra motivation to knuckle down and work. Slowly but surely I closed the gap.

“The summer of 2015 to January 2016 I came on heaps. Maybe I was ready, but by 2016 I was ready to go.”

Itoje went on to start the rest of the championship, winning player of the match against Wales in round four.

Itoje’s rise may have been expected, but it was also rapid.

At 22, he became the youngest player selected to tour New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions in 2017.

The chant of “oh, Maro Itoje” – a tune inspired by the White Stripes – echoed around stadiums, boosting his popularity throughout the tour.

A strong performance off the bench in the first Test defeat earned Itoje a starting place alongside Alun Wyn Jones for the must-win second Test in Wellington.

In one of the Lions’ greatest Test performances Itoje was named player of the match, and his chant rang out across Wellington.

Under-20 star, England debutant, Grand Slam winner, Test Lion.

Itoje’s career arc accelerated into stardom and, for a time, bordered on perfection.

But in 2018, a dip in form was attributed to “second-season syndrome” by England coach Eddie Jones, with the lock failing to live up to his own high standards during the Six Nations.

“It was crazy, as you get in and win everything straight away – so you think this is going to happen every year,” Itoje said.

“Rugby has a way of bringing you back down to earth.”

The only box left to tick on his CV was a Rugby World Cup, and he needed to rediscover his form quickly.

A standout 2019 World Cup campaign saw Itoje play every minute of the knockout stages, including the famous semi-final victory over New Zealand.

Flanker Sam Underhill was named player of the match, but Itoje also delivered a relentless performance.

Saracens were relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2019–20 season following persistent salary cap breaches, bringing more adversity for Itoje to contend with.

Having won three Champions Cups and four Premiership titles by the age of 25, his decision to remain loyal and help the club return to the top of English rugby could have affected his England career.

He was named in reports as one of the players whose business ventures with Saracens owner Nigel Wray fell foul of rules restricting spending on players – something he was not aware of.

He remained a regular for England in 2020–21, while also playing a key role in Saracens’ victories over Ealing Trailfinders to secure promotion from the Championship.

Despite playing considerably less rugby, Itoje was selected again for the Lions in 2021 and impressed, being named the team’s player of the series in a 2–1 defeat in South Africa. The risk had paid off.

In 2023, an underlying health issue during the Six Nations led to some below-par performances from Itoje.

“I had something structurally wrong and I didn’t know it was structurally wrong until I was quite deep into it,” he said.

“To be able to persevere through that period and finally get a fix for that was great.”

As he had four years earlier, Itoje rediscovered his form to help England finish third at the 2023 World Cup.

“I have had a silver and bronze medal, I am desperate for a gold and I think we are capable of achieving that,” he said.

Having captained England Under-20s to a world title and established himself as a central figure in the senior side, Itoje was long viewed as a future Test captain.

Yet it was not until 2024 that he took on the captaincy at Saracens, following Owen Farrell’s move to French side Racing 92.

Jones had questioned whether Itoje was suited to the role in a 2021 book, describing the second row as “very inward-looking” and suggesting he did not “usually influence people off the field”.

Itoje’s interests extend beyond rugby. They include philanthropy, politics – where he has launched a podcast – business and art, with his faith a significant influence on his life.

“I try to have a daily amount of time that I spend, whether that is reading the Bible or praying, ideally both,” he explained.

He succeeded Jamie George as England captain last year and ended the season by leading the Lions to a series victory in Australia.

Itoje has had a stop-start season in 2025-26, featuring in all four autumn internationals but sustaining an injury in the last of those, against Argentina.

He also missed the start of the Six Nations training camp in Girona to attend his mother Florence’s funeral in Nigeria, before coming off the bench in the opening win over Wales.

“We will miss my mother’s presence, she would have loved this, but she will be there in spirit, shouting from the heavens,” the England captain added.

Itoje has proven he can rediscover his form and fitness to deliver when it matters most.

Saturday’s must-win game against Ireland, to keep championship dreams alive, demands exactly that.