Maro Itoje is frontrunner to replace Jamie George as England captain for Six Nations as Steve Borthwick considers huge change in leadership
- Steve Borthwick will announce his selection for the Six Nations on Tuesday afternoon
- There has been talk of a change in leadership amid doubts over Jamie George
Maro Itoje wants to take over as England captain for the upcoming Six Nations campaign.
Steve Borthwick names his squad on Tuesday afternoon and there are understood to have been discussions about a change in leadership.
Experienced hooker Jamie George has led the side since the 2023 World Cup, but there are doubts over whether he is still a good starter in the XV.
George was regularly bowled out in the final quarter of the 2024 England Tests and watched from the sidelines as his side suffered late defeats.
Luke Cowan-Dickie has been the Premier League’s in-form hooker and could very well start against Ireland in Dublin.
Itoje is one of England’s most consistent players and has also taken on the role of captain for Saracens this season.
Maro Itoje is in the running to take over as England captain for the Six Nations campaign
Jamie George has led the team since the 2023 World Cup, but there are doubts about his place
Steve Borthwick will name his squad on Tuesday and there has been talk of a leadership change
Sir Clive Woodward has already called for a change in leadership in his Mail Sport column, saying: ‘George can still play a big role in this England side and is hugely respected within the England team, but he is not at the top . of his game.
‘I don’t think he should be captain. Why? Because he never plays 80 minutes.’
Itoje has never captained the England squad, but he has long been seen as one of the team’s biggest standard-bearers on the pitch.
England’s Six Nations campaign begins with a trip to Ireland on Saturday, February 1, before returning to Twickenham to face France a week later.
For all the progress England made in the Six Nations last year, culminating in a heartbreaking win over Ireland in the final kick, they fell away dramatically for the rest of the year.
The Borthwick side endured a disappointing Autumn Nations campaign with narrow defeats to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, before romping past Japan with a comprehensive 59-14 win.
Next week, England move to Girona for a warm-weather training camp ahead of the Six Nations, as they look to significantly improve on their recent form.
A change in leadership would mean a clean slate heading into their seismic Six Nations show at the Aviva Stadium.
After a disappointing Autumn Nations campaign, England need to improve their form quickly
Despite sailing past Japan, England were defeated by New Zealand, South Africa and Australia
England will now be hoping for a better Six Nations than last year, where they finished third
Itoje, 30, has 88 caps to his name during his England career, having represented his country at senior level for the first time against Italy during the 2016 Six Nations campaign.
Two years earlier, The Lock had led England’s under-20s to victory in the Junior World Championship final, showing leadership qualities from an early age.