Maro Itoje named England captain for Six Nations in surprise leadership overhaul

Maro Itoje will captain England for the Guinness Six Nations in a surprise leadership overhaul by head coach Steve Borthwick.

Jamie George has been in charge since the 2023 World Cup but, after a disappointing year in which England won only five of their 12 Tests, he has been replaced by his Saracens team-mate.

It is the first time Itoje has been give the role, although he took over from George when the hooker was substituted in games, and the 30-year-old lock continues his rise as a leader having been installed as Saracens skipper at the start of the season.

“When you’re making a decision like that, there’s always a number of factors to consider – where the team’s at and what you feel it needs in this next spell.”

Borthwick’s predecessor as England boss Eddie Jones doubted Itoje would ever be captain, describing him as “very inward-looking”, but the two-time British and Irish Lions tourist has proved him wrong.

“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,” Itoje said.

“It’s reassuring to know there is a group of senior players to support me and help build on the achievements of Jamie, who has led the team brilliantly and who has been a great friend and leader for so many years.”

At 34 years old, George faces a battle to be involved in the next World Cup in 2027 and is fighting for his position as first-choice hooker with pressure coming from Luke Cowan-Dickie and Theo Dan.

The news he had been demoted to vice-captain alongside Ellis Genge came as a blow to George, a veteran of 97 caps who has been a cornerstone of England’s pack since late 2018.

“Jamie’s done a great job of captaining this side in the last 12 months. He’s disappointed, as anybody would be. He’s a very proud Englishman and he’s led the team with a great deal of pride,” Borthwick said.

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

Questions have been asked of George’s suitability for the captaincy given he went from being an ever-present throughout the 2023 World Cup to last year being substituted early in the second-half when matches were hanging in the balance.

England suffered a string of narrow defeats to France, New Zealand and Australia and his absence from the field at clutch points became a recurring talking point.

“It’s one of the factors, definitely,” Borthwick continued. “If you ask any coach, the preference would always be to have the captain on for 80 minutes.

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

Borthwick has picked a 36-man squad for the Six Nations that includes rampaging Saracens number eight Tom Willis, but is missing veteran prop Dan Cole and scrum-half Ben Spencer.