Steve Borthwick has backed Maro Itoje to guide England into the 2027 Rugby World Cup and mentioned it’s his functionality to be calm within the face of stress which has seen him elevated to captain of the group.
Borthwick supplied Itoje, 30, the England captaincy on Monday. Borthwick solely thought of altering the captaincy after the autumn internationals, switching the honour from Jamie George to Itoje.
George, 34, had captained England because the begin of final 12 months’s Six Nations, however Borthwick mentioned there have been a number of elements behind the choice to switch the captaincy over to his Saracens teammate.
One issue was Itoje’s capability to play 80 minutes, whereas the competitors at hooker meant George’s place within the group was now not assured. One other consideration was Borthwick’s perception that Itoje may carry the captaincy by means of to the subsequent World Cup.
Borthwick mentioned when he instructed Itoje he was going to captain England, “the smile that unfold throughout his face may have lit up the entire of England.”
Borthwick believes Itoje is a “actually world-class participant.”
“Once I got here again into the England squad as head coach two years in the past it struck me with Maro that he thinks very well below stress,” Borthwick mentioned. “He stays calm below stress. He is a man who’s diligent and the best way he goes about his work each single day is firstclass.
“Everyone will captain in their very own distinctive method. That is an necessary component. Once I chatted to Maro, I mentioned I wished him to captain his method. Each England supporter sees the dedication with which he performs. When you may have someone that fights that arduous for the shirt and for his group, it is someone everybody can relate to. It is ‘I would need to be led by that man.’ That is the character with which he performs the sport.
“He additionally has this stability, the place he thinks the sport by means of very well. He is a wonderful chief of the lineout, and within the ahead pack.”
Itoje’s promotion meant Borthwick wanted to have a tricky chat with George. George was Borthwick’s second England captain, following on from Owen Farrell who led England into the 2023 World Cup. George skippered England by means of final 12 months’s Six Nations, the tour of Japan and New Zealand, after which the autumn nations sequence. However George’s place is in query amid spectacular type from each Luke Cowan-Dickie and Theo Dan.
“Jamie is someone I’ve identified for a really very long time, and he is an exquisite rugby participant and I believe for such a very long time now, he is been central on this England group and such an unbelievable affect in English rugby,” Borthwick mentioned.
“It was a difficult dialog. He was clearly dissatisfied however on the similar cut-off date, he is additionally all the time placing the group first. So we spoke plenty of occasions, and yeah, I would say he is dissatisfied as a result of he is a proud Englishman who was very proud to be captain of this group.”
One different powerful determination can be who England choose at fly-half, with Marcus Smith, Fin Smith and George Ford all within the combine. Marcus Smith has been used as each at fly-half and fullback by Borthwick, however the England coach sees the Quins playmaker as a No. 10 firstly.
“I believe Marcus is a ten who can play 15. And I believe that that is a dialog I had with Marcus,” Borthwick mentioned. “I believe he sees that the identical method. I do know his most popular place is 10. I additionally see, we mentioned this at size, is a participant who in area is extremely harmful. Having that versatility is basically necessary.”
Elsewhere within the squad, there is not any place for Dan Cole, however Borthwick insisted the door isn’t shut on the 37-year-old veteran tight-head.
“I’ve had plenty of conversations with Dan and after I spoke to him yesterday and had the dialog with him, it was ‘make certain your cellphone is on and you’re in good situation, as a result of I want you to be prepared,'” Borthwick mentioned. “He has completely assured me that he can be able to go.”
On the different finish of Take a look at expertise, Harlequins duo Cadan Murley, 25, and Oscar Beard, 23, are included within the squad and will win their debuts within the Six Nations. “Cadan’s a younger man who had a tricky interval of a number of knocks, again to again, and now being match and wholesome, you see the best way he is taking part in… you see that tempo and evasiveness he has coming to the fore once more,” Borthwick mentioned.
“Oscar Beard is a powerful, highly effective ball provider, he is received a very good kicking recreation as nicely.”
After which there’s Tom Willis. He has been one of many standout back-rowers within the Gallagher Premiership this season and whereas there is not any Sam Underhill — who will miss the Six Nations by means of damage — Willis is more likely to be given his probability to impress.
“Tom is a participant I’ve revered for a very long time,” Borthwick mentioned. “I believe he is come again to England and I talked to him in regards to the pace of Take a look at rugby and the motion required of Take a look at rugby and he is gone away and each report I get from him at Saracens is how a lot work he has put in to creating that pace, creating that motion, creating that agility.
“He is all the time been a formidable ball provider and, and a tricky tackling participant. Gamers with that degree of starvation, that degree of want is strictly the sort participant I would like on this, on this England squad.”
Will probably be evolution fairly than revolution for England on this Six Nations. Count on to see some tweaks to their defensive system, however there’ll nonetheless be some parts of the blitz tactic they used final 12 months. “If we have been characterised in 2024 as a group with line pace, I would like us to be a group with line pace as we proceed,” Borthwick mentioned. “Clearly, there are bits in each space of the sport that you just amend and evolve to enhance and I anticipate that to be the case as quickly as we get the gamers into camp subsequent week.”
And he needs England to proceed attacking with intent, saying he feels the backline is “coming collectively” and one which has “received tempo.”
“I’ve talked in regards to the nature of the group altering, and England traditionally are a group with an enormous ahead pack,” Borthwick mentioned. “I believe that has modified slightly bit. We have got a quick, athletic backrow, quick, athletic backs and we’ll play accordingly.”
