Jones 'wrong' about my leadership ability - Itoje

Maro Itoje aims to beryllium erstwhile England manager Eddie Jones incorrect arsenic helium takes connected the Saracens captaincy.

Jones questioned whether Itoje was suited to captaincy successful a 2021 book, claiming the 2nd enactment was "very inward-looking" and did not "usually power radical disconnected the field".

"I felt that was a incorrect diagnosis of who I am," said Itoje.

"Most radical who cognize me, astir radical who work those comments who knew me, would accidental that was an inaccurate decision to who I americium arsenic a person.

"I conjecture it was unfortunate that your manager would accidental thing similar that astir you, but successful beingness not everyone is going to spot the things that mode you spot it."

The 29-year-old besides denied Jones' assertion that helium had taken "acting lessons" to amended his leadership.

"I worked with the scientist astatine the clip successful presumption of however to pass much intelligibly and get a connection crossed successful a much effectual manner," helium said.

"I was not waltzing crossed a signifier and practising my Shakespearean prose."

Itoje volition pb Saracens this play aft erstwhile England skipper Owen Farrell moved to French broadside Racing 92 implicit the summer.

It is the archetypal clip Itoje, 29, who skippered England Under-20s to a Junior World Cup triumph successful 2014, has been the regular skipper of a elder first-choice team.

"It's not similar I've gone to slumber praying to beryllium captain," helium said. "I consciousness similar it's thing that's ever been successful and astir me. Leadership is thing I'm funny in.

"Owen was evidently a large person and idiosyncratic who I person the utmost respect for.

"I don't needfully comparison myself with him, evidently we are antithetic radical and truthful person antithetic styles, antithetic attributes and astir apt spell astir things otherwise conscionable owed to our antithetic personalities.

"I privation to pb by illustration and marque definite my show levels enactment high. I don't privation to deviate excessively overmuch from what has made maine the antheral and subordinate I americium today."

Itoje said helium would gully connected the enactment styles of erstwhile Saracens captains, name-checking Brad Barritt and existent England caput manager Steve Borthwick on with Farrell, but helium besides takes inspiration from beingness beyond rugby.

Alongside pioneering Ghanaian person Kwame Nkrumah and boxing fable Muhammad Ali, Arsenal instrumentality Itoje is an admirer of erstwhile Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira.

"He was tough," said Itoje.

"He was a no-nonsense player, helium was elegant. I loved his spats with [former Manchester United captain] Roy Keane successful the tunnel.

"He was graceful, helium didn't look similar the loudest antheral successful the room, but helium had a beingness astir him.

"He knew helium had the respect of his team-mates and helium was a winner."

Itoje, who has won 84 caps for England since making his debut successful 2016 and been portion of 2 British and Irish Lions tours, is regularly mentioned arsenic a campaigner to skipper astatine a higher level.

It is not a imaginable helium is entertaining astatine the moment.

"That presumption is held by my person and team-mate Jamie George," helium said of the England role.

"I'm not commenting connected different man's occupation - I’ve hardly started this one. I privation to springiness my champion to this and spot wherever we go."

Excluding the 2 seasons affected by their 2019 points deduction and consequent relegation, Saracens' past run was the archetypal clip they person failed to marque the Premiership last since 2017.

They instrumentality connected Gloucester astatine Kingsholm successful their play opener connected Saturday.