Why Maro Itoje Has the Tools to Be a Superstar for England

England coach Eddie Jones finds himself blessed with a substantial influx of new and emerging talent in the national team, but perhaps none currently display more promise than potential superstar Maro Itoje.

The 21-year-old has steadily built a reputation at Saracens since debuting as a teenager, and now the multi-faceted forward is ready to apply those skills at the international level.

Or perhaps that should read Itoje already is, considering it was his blossoming lock partnership alongside club-mate George Kruis that helped guide the Red Rose to this year's Six Nations Grand Slam triumph.

Itoje's club achievements are also numerous, as Sarries find themselves at the head of the Aviva Premiership with a Champions Cup final against Racing 92 also to plan for. The BBC's Chris Jones rightly questioned how the star was omitted from the shortlist for RPA Player of the Year:

But end-of-the-season accolades are hardly needed for a player who so clearly has silverware in his future—if not of the team variety, often a fickle testament of player ability, then at least at the individual level.

The Modern Athlete

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As rugby grows and transforms, so too does the average person taking part in the sport, and Itoje sits at the crest of its new breed, built to be stronger and faster than those who came before.

The Saracens star often lines up at blindside for his club, but England can afford to be pickier with their selection, and rugby writer Alex Shaw has tipped him to settle in the second row:

At 6'5" and 116 kilograms, it's easy to see why one would come to such an assumption, but just the fact Itoje has the ability and combination of traits needed to play in the back row is evidence to his unique powers.

Itoje made his England debut off the bench against Italy earlier this year, and it wasn't long before the nation knew what it had its hands on, with the youngster unsurprisingly earning starts in every game after that.

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A terrific gene pool and a thriving background in numerous sport disciplines has crafted a wrecking ball of a player who also happens to be technically adept—a rare asset in any terms.

Itoje has even earned the praise of former New Zealand lock Ali Williams, who even went so far as to compare the player to former team-mate and 2014 World Rugby Player of the Year Brodie Retallick, per the Mirror's Alex Spink:

"

He’s going to be a superstar that kid, he’s got it all. I definitely think he’s the real deal. He’s so good he could ­probably play at six as well. 

I think he will be outstanding for years to come. His fate is in his own hands because he is good enough for sure.

He’s similar to Brodie in terms of his ability, for a big man, to get over the ball and in his energy around the field.

Second-row is a unique ­position in that you get better with age. You can come in all guns blazing to start with and then you realise there is actually an art to the second-row – it’s not just headless-chicken stuff.

So Maro could plateau — stay at this level. I don’t see that. I’ve heard only good things about the guy. But let’s let him play. He’s got the attributes to be a great English player but he’s going to have struggles along the way. 

That’s part of the process of going from potential to good to great. You’ve got to handle all those things.

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Perhaps not since former England captain and coach Martin Johnson have England had a lock leader so accomplished both in the playing aspect and in his potential to marshal troops.

Talent is almost a given at this level of sport. Starlets come and go, but there are other aspects to this baby behemoth that ensure he's on the road to glory.

The Man Behind the Machine

Young and talented players pass through rugby's halls on a regular basis, but it's in seeing how the players deal with that pressure and expectation that really makes the man.

Itoje has a deep-rooted belief in his Catholic faith, which, combined with a close-knit family background, has produced a player willing to put in the work to realise his potential.

Speaking to Charlie Morgan of Sport Magazine in April, he said:

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I think it has come from various aspects of my life. Part of it is innate. That’s who I am. Another reason is the culture at Saracens.

Work rate is one of our key principles and one of the values we try to adhere to at all time. The final thing is how I was raised, my upbringing.

My parents always instilled that working hard towards achieving what you want to achieve was very important.

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Itoje added that he "thanks God" that he "has some good genes as well," but there's a mental fortitude that's only likely to enhance any physical gifts the player might possess.

Harlequins No. 8 Nick Easter is another who has come out in support of the Red Rose youngster, and he picked up on Itoje's mental attributes as being among his strongest, per Jack de Menezes of the Independent:

"

He’s got the genetics, he’s a powerful man and he’s fit. He’s got a very mature head on his shoulders and he’s a very very humble guy. He was in the World Cup camp with me and was very mild mannered. He got on with his own business but trained the house down, performed 100% every time, not leaving anything in the tank.

He is a young and very talented guy who has been in a very successful youth set-up, winning the World Cup in 2014 as well as being part of a very successful Saracens side. That sort of confidence and belief and being in successful teams is rubbing off on him along with his exceptional ability.

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That maturity will be a crucial component in enduring the constant waves of praise coming in his direction—and they are inevitable.

There's often no smoke without fire, and it can't be called coincidence that so many are happy to back a player who has only been on the professional circuit since 2014 and yet performs like a veteran.

As if it wasn't evident enough on the international stage of the Six Nations, Itoje continues to contribute tide-turning displays for Saracens, and his trophy cabinet looks set to grow later in May.

We speak of Itoje possessing the tools to one day become an England superstar, but the truth is caps and time are all that's truly missing—the rest is already there.