I knew on 2017 tour Maro Itoje was special -- now he's a rugby icon

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I thought I'd take a look at the highlights. He has won the Premiership five times, the Champions Cup three times, the Under-20 World Cup with England and three Six Nations titles, including a grand slam. He has also finished runner-up and third at the World Cup, on three occasions he has been nominated for world player of the year, he was World Rugby's breakthrough player of the year in 2016, he has been in World Rugby's "dream team of the year", he was player of the series in the British & Irish Lions' tour to South Africa in 2021, and has passed 100 Test caps on this tour. Now, he is a Lions' series-winning captain, with the chance of making further history on Saturday if they complete a 3-0 clean sweep against Australia.

Oh my God! You read that and it is simply incredible. All I can say is that I got nowhere near that. Probably only Martin Johnson has been greater than Maro in the English game. He is at least the second most-decorated English player of all time.

I first met him on the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand. He was very calm, very measured and very respectful of everyone around him. We were doing bench presses in the gym together and, without wishing to brag, I am strong -- but he was lifting more than me. "Not bad for a 22-year-old," I was thinking. It was obvious immediately that he was an exceptional athlete.

Soon we were doing a lineout session, with Steve Borthwick running it along with England's George Kruis and Maro. As the tour wore on he became more and more influential in those sessions, telling people what the triggers were and calling them out on the quality of the lifts. I couldn't believe he wasn't England captain, and I remember thinking: "He will be a Lions captain at some stage." It was just so obvious and I was a little surprised that he wasn't captain of the 2021 tour to South Africa. There are very few players in the game who demonstrate that sort of natural leadership.

For Sky Sports' coverage for the third Test, I have watched the whole second Test and kept my eye on Maro throughout to see how he interacted with the referee, Andrea Piardi. It was something I always prided myself on as captain, and I was very impressed with how he went about this. He was so mature.

When the Lions were under the pump on their own tryline and had given away two or three consecutive penalties, Piardi warned Maro that if there was another offence there would be a yellow card. In that instance it is easy just to try to defend your own team but Maro simply nodded, apologised and asked if he could speak to his team. His respect shone through.

Often when there was a break in play, Maro just walked up and stood beside the referee, not talking to him but offering himself without being in his face.

There was also one instance where Maro conceded a penalty and he just got up and ran back without saying anything. Australia kicked for a lineout and Piardi made the effort to go to Maro and explain what had happened at the penalty. Respect is a two-way street, and that showed that.

There was another occasion when he behaved a little bit differently from how I might have, running in to shout at Piardi. It was on Australia's line and the Lions had been turned over. Maro was furious because he felt Tadhg Beirne had been taken out. Piardi ushered him away but Maro was as emotional as he had been all game and screamed: "Six was taken out off the ball."

Piardi just said to go away and that the TMO would look at it if needs be, so Maro nodded and walked away. As he did so, Piardi touched his arm and said: "What did you see, Maro?" He told him about Beirne. Piardi then asked the TMO to have a look without Maro knowing, and Maro had got what he wanted.

He is doing a superb job as captain. Eddie Jones, the former England head coach, famously said that he did not think Maro would be an international captain but that is just down to personal preference. There is not necessarily one obvious contender to captain any team. Jones preferred Dylan Hartley, and that was fair enough.

My good friend George North played for Northampton Saints alongside Hartley and he would always tell me that Hartley was a brilliant captain, but he would always say how different he was from me as Wales captain. Hartley was much more vocal and out there, and that was what Eddie wanted.

Maro is well educated, intelligent, speaks eloquently and has lots of interests outside rugby. Maybe Eddie felt that Maro was not on the same level as some other players. However, he has proved that he can interact with everyone.

The captains I have always resonated with are those that speak sense, lead by example with their performances and treat everyone with respect. To me, that is what leadership is. I remember once having a deep conversation with Paul O'Connell about this and he said that Andy Farrell always says that leadership is how you make people feel.

It doesn't have to be someone who rules with an iron fist and is always screaming at the players. It is not about being on a power trip. Can you make the team feel good? Can you make them feel confident? Those are the key questions. Maro clearly answers those questions very well, and you can see why Farrell wanted him as captain.

Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth consecutive Lions Test on Saturday in Sydney and Maro may well feel he should be doing the same, but he was on the bench alongside me for the first Test against New Zealand in 2017, so it will be his eighth consecutive start, which is still pretty remarkable. I do remember thinking: "What is Maro doing here?" when I was sitting there alongside him and Johnny Sexton on the bench.

It would have been controversial but Warren Gatland could easily have started Maro instead of Alun Wyn Jones for that match. As it was, Kruis and Jones started but Maro started the second Test instead of Kruis and the "Oh Maro Itoje" chants began.

Maro is only 30. He can do another Lions tour as captain. Imagine what else he can achieve in the next four years. Imagine if he wins the series in New Zealand too. There are greats and then there are total icons of the game. Maro has already entered the latter sphere.

Australia Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; Tom Lynagh, Nic White; James Slipper, David Porecki, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt). Replacements Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggoor, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.