'80-minute captain' Maro Itoje named England rugby skipper

England coach Steve Borthwick said having a captain who could last the whole match had been a factor in his decision to appoint Maro Itoje as skipper for the Six Nations in place of Jamie George.

Both Saracens forwards were included in a 36-man England squad for the tournament announced on Tuesday.

But second row Itoje, long tipped as an England captain, has been installed as skipper instead of George, who in his role as hooker has often found himself being replaced early in the second half when games have been in the balance.

"If you ask any coach, the preference would always be to have the captain on for 80 minutes," Borthwick told reporters at Twickenham.

"That's not always possible and there are plenty of exceptions to that case. But I generally think that would generally be most coaches' preference."

George, just three Tests shy of 100 caps for his country, has been England's skipper since the 2023 World Cup but has now been demoted to vice-captain.

Itoje has previously deputised for George when he has been off the field and his promotion is another leadership role for the 30-year-old lock, who took over as Saracens captain at the start of the season.

England won just five of their 12 Tests in 2024, a sequence that included five straight defeats and three losses in a row at Twickenham.

"With 88 England caps, Maro has been a central figure in this squad for many years, bringing a vast amount of experience both on and off the field," said Borthwick, himself a former England captain and lock.

"He's a calm, influential leader, renowned for his commitment to upholding high standards and his ability to motivate those around him."

Borthwick said "proud Englishman" George was disappointed to lose the captaincy.

"One of Jamie's great strengths as a leader, as a person, as a player, is that he's always put the team first," he said. "Having spoken to him, that's what his intent is."

'Responsibility'

At 34 years old, George faces a struggle to be involved at the next World Cup in 2027, and he is also fighting for his place as first-choice hooker, with competition from Luke Cowan-Dickie and Theo Dan.

Itoje said he was "humbled and honoured" to be named as skipper.

"With the role comes a great deal of responsibility, but I'm at a point in my career where I feel ready to give my all to serve the team and the fans with the captaincy, and also produce my best on the field," he said.

England, who have not won the Six Nations since 2020, have a tough start this year, away to Ireland, winners of the past two tournaments, on February 1.

Borthwick is well aware of the task facing his side in Dublin.

"You've seen a team that has grown together," he said of Ireland.

"You see that cohesion factor, we can all see that, and that's the way Irish rugby would be structured, clearly really well coached, really well organised and full of very good players.

"We know that will be a great challenge for us."

AFP