Saracens captain Maro Itoje rejects Eddie Jones' negative leadership assessment

Itoje says he is 'comfortable' with his leadership style and will not change it

The England lock forward has been criticized by Jones for his lack of communication and 'alpha' personality

Saracens captain Maro Itoje has rejected Eddie Jones' negative assessment of his leadership style, saying he is "comfortable" with the way he leads and will not change it. Jones has criticized Itoje in the past for his lack of communication and his "alpha" personality, but the lock forward insists that he is a good leader and that he has the respect of his teammates. "I'm comfortable with my leadership style," Itoje said. "I'm not going to change it. I'm not going to try to be someone I'm not. "I'm not the most vocal leader, but I lead by example. I work hard, I train hard, and I always put the team first. "I think I have the respect of my teammates. I think they know that I'm always there for them and that I'll always fight for them. "I'm not perfect, but I'm always trying to improve. I'm always trying to learn and grow as a leader. "But I'm not going to change my style. I'm going to continue to lead by example and I'm going to continue to put the team first." Itoje's comments come after Jones said that he was "not sure" if the lock forward was a good leader. "Maro is a great player, but I'm not sure he's a good leader," Jones said. "He's not the most vocal leader, and he can be quite confrontational. "I think he needs to improve his communication skills and he needs to learn to be more of a team player." Jones' comments have been met with criticism from some quarters, with many people arguing that Itoje is a good leader and that he has the respect of his teammates. It remains to be seen whether Jones will change his mind about Itoje's leadership style, but the lock forward has made it clear that he is not going to change his ways.