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New England captain Maro Itoje is a ‘world-class’ player but head coach Steve Borthwick says he’s OK ahead of 2025 Six Nations Become “better”.
The 30-year-old Saracens was announced as captain of the national team earlier this month, succeeding club team-mate Jamie George and will lead England in their Championship clash away to defending champions Ireland on Saturday 1 February .
talking sky sports Speaking at Tuesday’s Six Nations conference, Borthwick said:
“Maro is a world-class player but he can get better and add other elements to his game.
“He is a player who thinks deeply about the game but also plays it in a fiercely competitive way. That balance is a great example for all our players.
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Maro Itoje says he didn’t expect to be called up by the Six Nations captain and says Jamie George will be missed after news broke that he was ruled out of the opener against Ireland george
“In every great team I’ve been a part of, there’s always been a great group of leaders. With Maro stepping up and Ellis Genge as vice-captain, we’re developing great leaders.
“My expectations, the expectations of the players and the expectations of the supporters is that we go into every game with a plan to win games and a belief in winning games.
“We have a really good group of players and I have full trust, confidence and confidence in them.”
Itoje: Captain’s decision surprised me
Former England manager Eddie Jones described Itoje as too “introverted” to captain the team during his time in charge.
The second-row admitted Borthwick’s penalty caught him off guard, adding that the loss of George – who has been ruled out of England’s opener against Ireland with a hamstring injury – will be felt throughout the squad.
“I was definitely surprised,” Itoye told sky sports. “Jamie is a brilliant guy, so I really wasn’t expecting this.
Itoje replaces Saracens team-mate Jamie George as England captain and says he’s ‘absolutely surprised’
“I am incredibly honored, grateful and humbled to be asked to take on this role.
“Jamie is a quality player and person so whenever we don’t have someone like that in and around the team we will definitely miss him and we wish him a speedy recovery.”
2025 Six Nations fixtures: England
- February 1: Ireland(1)
- February 8: France (main)
- February 22: Scotland(h)
- March 9: Italy (main)
- March 15: Wales(1)
