The 31-year-old traveled to Nigeria for Florence's funeral and started against Wales on the bench after joining England's Six Nations camp late. 'It's been incredibly sad, incredibly emotional, but I'm OK and taking each day as it comes,' Itoje told Rugby Union Weekly.
His mother was a devoted rugby fan who attended matches across the globe. 'There's no tour that I've been on that she hasn't been on,' Itoje recalled. 'She will be sorely missed.' The lock praised the support from his teammates, saying 'being back with the team was probably the best thing that could have happened.'