England Six Nations squad in full as huge captaincy change announced

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Maro Itoje will captain England in the upcoming Guinness Six Nations, taking over from Jamie George.

George, who has been at the helm since the 2023 World Cup, will now serve as vice-captain alongside Ellis Genge. This marks the first time that Saracens’ Itoje will permanently hold the captaincy role, having previously stepped in for George during matches.

Steve Borthwick has selected a 36-man squad for the Six Nations, which includes Saracens’ No. 8 Tom Willis but omits veteran prop Dan Cole and scrum-half Ben Spencer.

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“With 88 England caps, Maro has been a central figure in this squad for many years, bringing a vast amount of experience both on and off the field,” said Borthwick.

“He’s a calm, influential leader, renowned for his commitment to upholding high standards and his ability to motivate those around him.

“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.”

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At 34, George is contending for his spot in the next World Cup in 2027 and is vying to maintain his position as the first-choice hooker amidst competition from Luke Cowan-Dickie and Theo Dan. His role as captain has been questioned due to his tendency to be substituted early in the second half of games that were finely poised.

England secured only five victories out of 12 Tests in 2024, with close losses to France, New Zealand, and Australia. Itoje expressed his gratitude upon being named the new England captain: “I’m incredibly humbled and honoured to have been asked by Steve to be England captain,” he said.

“It’s a truly-incredible privilege for both me and my family and I feel grateful to have been given this opportunity.”

He acknowledged the weight of the role, adding: “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.”

Itoje also highlighted the support system within the team, saying: “It’s reassuring to know there is a group of senior players to support me and help build on the achievements of Jamie, who has led the team brilliantly and who has been a great friend and leader for so many years.”

In other news from Borthwick’s team, Saracens’ in-form No. 8 Willis has been called up, while Spencer, who began the autumn as the first-choice scrum-half, is dropped to make room for Alex Mitchell’s return from injury.

Leicester tighthead prop Cole is also omitted. His clubmate Joe Heyes and Sale’s Asher Opoku-Fordjour are brought in as tighthead options.

Oscar Beard and Fraser Dingwall are the alternative midfield options to the first-choice pairing of Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade, with no place for Alex Lozowski.

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Forwards: Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 6 caps), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 7 caps), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 44 caps), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 11 caps), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 6 caps), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 56 caps), Theo Dan (Saracens, 16 caps), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 20 caps), Ben Earl (Saracens, 37 caps), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 66 caps) – vice-captain, Jamie George (Saracens, 97 caps) – vice-captain, Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps), Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 2 caps), Maro Itoje (Saracens, 88 caps) – captain, George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 19 caps), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 1 cap), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 7 caps), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 45 caps), Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)

Backs: Oscar Beard (Harlequins, uncapped), Elliot Daly (Saracens, 69 caps), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 2 caps), George Ford (Sale Sharks, 98 caps), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 15 caps), Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 31 caps), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 18 caps), Cadan Murley (Harlequins, uncapped), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 11 caps), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 3 caps), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 69 caps), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 5 caps), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 6 caps), Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 39 caps), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)

Image Credits and Reference: https://uk.yahoo.com/sports/news/england-six-nations-squad-full-120126453.html