Itoje’s character and consistency shine through as he joins England’s 100 club | Ugo Monye

The captain’s moment must be celebrated at Twickenham on Saturday, as should Edwin Edogbo’s first Ireland cap

I was struck by Tommy Freeman’s comments this week when he said he had struggled mentally on the back of the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia last summer. It struck me because it was a very similar sentiment to that expressed by Maro Itoje earlier in the season, and it was a feeling with which I could sympathise. After the 2009 tour of South Africa, I was wrecked.

All but one of the England lads who went on that tour needed major surgery within a year of it finishing but, even if the body is holding up, you just don’t quite feel right. You’re back at your club, expected to be one of the best performers and don’t want to admit you’re tired, but sometimes you need someone to intervene and tell you to take a breather. There’s endless data these days but, for all that, mental fatigue can be hard to quantify and there can be no doubt that is something the Ireland squad is wrestling with at the moment.

It is also an issue confronting England. It’s very individual: you look at someone such as Ben Earl, who went through a dip with Saracens earlier in the season but is now firing on all cylinders, and then there is Itoje, who is dealing with a lot at the moment but it is not often that we see him taken off, as was the case at Murrayfield.

Steve Borthwick has reacted to that performance and picked a team that looks much more like what you’d expect when you look over his wider squad. Ollie Lawrence coming back into the side at outside-centre is the right decision. He offers some punch and it is an extremely dynamic back row that Borthwick has selected. In short, it feels like a team that will focus on their own strengths and identity and not get bogged down worrying about what the opposition will do, which appeared to be the case last week.

Spearheading that is Maro, who wins his 100th England cap on Saturday, and I’m expecting a momentous performance to cap a moment that should be celebrated. He will become the ninth England men’s player to reach that landmark and I’m so incredibly proud of him. He’s a master of his craft and his consistency is just ridiculous. He was anointed as a future England captain before he had even made his debut, it took a little while to get there but the consistency of his performances in the decade since he first represented his country is astonishing. His leadership style is so impressive, he talks of being a servant to the cause and I just hope he gets the warm recognition he deserves.

At the other end of the spectrum is Ireland’s Edwin Edogbo, who won his first Ireland cap last weekend and was subjected to racist online abuse afterwards. Unfortunately I’m not very surprised when this kind of thing happens but I’m so incredibly frustrated. I just cannot understand the psyche of people who feel the need to abuse someone and why making a debut for your country, a momentous achievement that 0.0001% of the population manages, is so triggering.

Why should we be surprised, when last week we had Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, airing views that the UK is being colonised by immigrants? When we have people in power spouting such opinions, then making a half-hearted apology for the specific language used rather than the sentiment he was expressing, there is a direct correlation.

Edwin is someone who contributes to his community, he contributes to society and he has battled back from a serious injury to represent his country. Who are these abusers to tell him whether he is Irish or not? It should go without saying but there simply should not be a debate. There is a meritocracy when it comes to your race, however. You need constant positive actions and contributions for acceptance.

It is another sad and exposing example of something that is a prevalent issue. Yes, it is a positive step that the Irish Rugby Football Union quickly came out and condemned the abuse but there is so much more that the social media companies can do. Idiots on social media are the minority but they can be amplified when they do not have a fear of consequences.

I hope Edwin was able to celebrate what was a momentous day for him and I was pleased to hear he mentioned the warm reception that he received in the stadium. I simply cannot understand how some people feel they can tell someone like Edwin who he is, rather than accept him, but humanity will always trump nationality in my eyes.