MARO ITOJE plans to rip into Euro rivals Ospreys like a raging bull tonight after a broken jaw stopped him scoffing steak.
Beefcake Itoje made a remarkable comeback for Saracens last weekend just five weeks after surgeons fixed his face with two steel pins.
The England giant, 23, bids to keep alive Sarries’ hopes of a third successive Champions League crown in their must-win Pool 2 clash at the Liberty.
But eating dinner has been a tougher challenge than playing rugby.
He said: “I tried steak maybe two weeks after breaking my jaw.
“It was like chewing a mixture of toffee and chewing gum. It just wouldn’t go. It still feels a bit funny eating on my left side, I think the nerve is still kicking in… but it’s fine now.
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“They said unless it gets infected — and it hasn’t yet — there’s no real point in taking the metal plates out.
“You’d just put yourself through another operation, which would probably put you out for another two weeks. So unless it gets infected there’s no real need.”
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Two defeats by last year’s runners-up Clermont has left Mark McCall’s men scrambling to reach the quarter-finals as one of three best runners-up.
And Itoje is licking his lips at going head-to-head with Lions pal Ospreys lock Alun Wyn Jones at the Liberty tonight.
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He added: “The next two weeks are big for the club. It sets up our European destiny.
“We need a result this week and I was very eager to get back to play a part in helping the club hopefully getting to where we want to get to.
“If we stick to our guns and perform like we know we can then we will be OK.”
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