The Gregan verdict on Itoje's behaviour, comparing him to Bok great

British & Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje may not have won over many Australia fans with the way that he conducted himself with referee Andrea Piardi at the MCG on Saturday.

The lock was frequently talking to the referee throughout the Test, as all good referees should, but things came to a boil in the final seconds when Australia captain Harry Wilson asked if the now-infamous clear-out from Jac Morgan could be checked. Itoje swiftly emerged on the scene, standing between the referee and his counterpart, and trying to usher the No.8 away. This behaviour did not go down well with fans online.

Former Wallabies captain George Gregan has no problem with sort of behaviour, though, and believes Itoje had every right to try and stop his opponent from influencing the referee.

As a guest on RugbyPass TV’s Kick Offs and Kick Ons, the scrum-half, who was not afraid of getting in the referee’s ear during his playing career, compared Maro Itoje to South Africa’s 2007 World Cup captain John Smit.

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“He’s in his right to do that, he’s got every right to do that,” Gregan said of Wilson’s remonstrations to Piardi.

“I think Maro, as a captain, has every right to say ‘leave it to the referee’. There’s a bit of a push and shove, everyone’s trying to get the rub of the green.

“I remember when John Smit in 2004, I think we played them in Perth, he went up and was querying the referee and John Smit – he’s a big piece of flesh, a bit like Maro and Johnno [Martin Johnson], they use their presence, I’m not the same size or height as those guys – and he goes ‘ref you must check this,’ and I said ‘Smitty, you’re not wearing TNT uniform, you don’t have a whistle, you’re not the referee, you’re the captain, so just let him referee.’

“He didn’t like that, Smitty, and told me to go forth and multiply. The referee had a smirk on his face, but I get it, it’s that sort of theatre, but also, leave it to the referee, leave it to the officials. Everyone wants a decision to go their way, Maro wanted it to go his way and Harry wanted to have it checked out to see if there was something.”