Steve Borthwick: England captain Maro Itoje world class but can get even better during Six Nations | Rugby Union News
New England captain Maro Itoje is “world class” but can get “even better”, according to head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of the start of the 2025 Six Nations.
The 30-year-old Saracens lock was announced as club-mate Jamie George’s replacement as national team captain earlier this month and will lead England when they open their league campaign away to defending champions Ireland on Saturday, February 1.
Speaking with Sky Sports at the Six Nations launch on Tuesday, Borthwick said:
“Maro is a world-class player, but he can get even better and add other elements to his game.
“He’s a player who thinks deeply about the game, but also plays in a fiercely competitive way. And that balance is a great example for all our players.
“In every big team I’ve been a part of, there’s always a great group of leaders. With Maro stepping up, Ellis Genge as co-captain, we’re developing great leaders.
“My expectations, the expectations of the players and the expectations of the fans are that we go into every match with a plan to win and believe that we will win.
“We have a really good group of players that I have confidence, faith and trust in.”
Itoje: The decision about the captain surprised me
Previous England manager Eddie Jones described Itoje as too “inward-looking” to captain when he was in charge.
The second-row admits he was caught off guard by Borthwick’s call-up and adds that the team will feel the loss of George – who has since suffered a hamstring injury and has been ruled out of England’s opener against Ireland.
“I was definitely surprised,” Itoje said Sky Sports. “Jamie is a brilliant person so I didn’t expect that.
“I am incredibly honored, grateful and humbled to be asked to play this role.
“Jamie is a quality player and person, so whenever you don’t have someone like that in and around the group, we will definitely miss him and we wish him a speedy recovery.”
Six Nations 2025 fixtures: England
- February 1: Ireland (a)
- February 8: France (h)
- February 22: Scotland (h)
- March 9: Italy (h)
- March 15: Wales (a)
