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.
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?!"
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.'
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I am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
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