Itoje replaces George as England captain

LONDON : England coach Steve Borthwick has made lock Maro Itoje his new captain in place of Jamie George, though the hooker was still included in the 36-man training squad he named for the Six Nations on Tuesday.

George took over the captaincy from Owen Farrell after the 2023 World Cup but has routinely been taken off early in recent matches, with Itoje taking over the captaincy duties.

In the November internationals George was replaced after 52 minutes against New Zealand, 50 against Australia, 48 against South Africa and 47 against Japan.

George has 97 caps and remains a vice-captain.

Itoje, 30, has 88 caps and has long been touted as captaincy material after leading the under-20s team to their Junior World Cup triumph in 2014.

"He is a calm, influential leader, renowned for his commitment to upholding high standards and his ability to motivate those around him," Borthwick said of the Saracens second row.

"His strong rapport with the squad and coaches, combined with his leadership experience at Saracens, makes him ideally placed to take on this responsibility.

"I’d like to recognise the outstanding leadership of Jamie George, whose contributions as captain have been significant and will continue to play an important role as a vice-captain."

Itoje said: "I am incredibly humbled and honoured to have been asked by Steve to be England captain. It’s a truly incredible privilege for both me and my family, and I feel grateful to have been given this opportunity.

"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."

Uncapped Harlequins backs Oscar Beard and Cadan Murley were