Scottish international takes social media shot at Maro Itoje over trolling

Maro Itoje’s behaviour during Saracens win over Glasgow in Scotstoun yesterday has split rugby fans, pundits and player right down the middle.

Itoje celebrated a non-try scored by Glasgow Warriors after the PRO14 side failed to hear referee’s whistle. Itoje (and Billy Vunipola) could be seen jumping up and down ironically as the Glasgow players celebrated.

The England forward’s nose was later broken during what was a feisty encounter.

Ultimately Saracens ground out a 13-3 Pool 3 victory, but the backrow’s behaviour gained plenty of attention online, both positive and negative. Some saw it as a hilarious jape and good gamesmanship, while others felt the Londoner traversed some invisible line of appropriateness.

Glasgow and Scotland scrumhalf Ali Price was very much in the latter camp, at least going on his tweet today. Price wrote ‘Humble bloke’ as he retweeted a video of Itoje’s trolling.

https://twitter.com/AlistairPrice/status/1051756915871674368

It wasn’t all negative. RugbyPass columnist Andy Goode saw the funny side, tweeting: “Is it me or am I the only one that finds Maro Itoje celebrating the Glasgow non try hilarious?!”

https://twitter.com/AndyGoode10/status/1051568906631110656

Itoje is no stranger to such behaviour, and what’s more, he makes no apology for it.

‘I am not really concerned about the feelings of people I play against,’ Maro Itoje told the Daily Mail’s Will Kelleher last week. ‘I try my best not to do anything to actively aggravate someone, but I know some people find the way I play annoying from speaking to them.

‘That is neither here nor there for me – I can live with that very, very easily. My main thing when I go out and play is doing whatever I can to make my team win, and everything else secondary to that.’