Steve Borthwick's England captain Owen Farrell has stepped aside for the time being, Courtney Lawes has retired and Tom Curry is out injured for the rest of the season; we look at four of the likely candidates to take over as skipper in Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge, George Ford and Jamie George
Tuesday 16 January 2024 10:41, UK
England enter into the 2024 Six Nations with skipper Owen Farrell having stepped aside to prioritise his and his family's mental wellbeing. Who are Steve Borthwick's likely candidates to replace him?
Since 2019 under Eddie Jones, Farrell has led England as full-time captain, with Borthwick unequivocally picking his former Saracens team-mate as skipper and fly-half when taking over in December 2022.
Farrell's captaincy under the current head coach has proven a rollercoaster, however, filled with patchy form - both personally and from the team - goalkicking struggles, red cards, suspensions and scrutiny into his interaction with referees.
In the aftermath of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, a number of experienced England players have retired from international rugby. Among them is Courtney Lawes who, in the absence of Farrell, captained England in the autumn of 2021, on the 2022 summer tour to Australia and at the World Cup.
All-action back-row Tom Curry is out for the rest of season with a hip injury, so who might Borthwick turn to next?
England's menacing second row has never captained England at Test level, and after breaking onto the scene in sensational fashion in 2016 under Jones, England's former head coach wrote in his 2021 book Leadership: Lessons from my life in Rugby that Itoje was too "inward-looking" to become England skipper.
A couple of months later, Jones changed his opinion of Itoje, saying: "I've never seen a guy mature as much as he has in the last six months so it's been a really good period for him.
"I'm going to contradict myself - and contradiction's a big part of life - but I've got no doubt in the future he will captain England. Whether that's in my time or someone else's time."
Jones was sacked in December 2022, and Itoje never captained England under him, but there is little doubt the 29-year-old is an automatic starter for Borthwick and regularly has a major influence on his team-mates and within games.
That is not to gloss over the fact Itoje's form over the years has fluctuated from being among the best in the world to a near-liability, particularly in terms of penalties conceded.
The second row has matured in recent years, though, with his form returning to near its best levels at the World Cup, and with a host of experience having departed the England scene - Farrell, Lawes, Jonny May, Ben Youngs - Itoje is, now more than ever, a key leader within the group.
Itoje captained England's U20 side to Junior World Cup glory in 2014, and has since gone on to become a Test British and Irish Lion on two tours in 2017 and 2021, while also winning 76 England caps, a Six Nations Grand Slam and two further titles, three European Cups and five Premiership crowns.
He is also the right age profile to lead England through to the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and as a forward in the middle of the action, would seem an ideal fit.
One potential sting in the tale comes in the form of his contract situation with Saracens. From next season, the Premiership is reducing the amount of 'marquee players' (who fall outside of the salary cap) per club from two to one.
With both Farrell and Itoje at the same club, there may be a scenario in which Sarries choose to retain Farrell, which would reportedly see Itoje's club salary reduced from £800,000-a-year to £400,000-a-year. With the money on offer from French clubs, might Itoje depart? Would the England captaincy convince him to remain?
Until recently, it appeared as if loosehead prop Genge's hamstring injury was going to keep him out of the start of the Six Nations. But on Friday, Bristol head coach Pat Lam revealed: "Ellis has a chance of starting the Six Nations. He is right on track.
"He has started running and will probably join us in training next week. The medical team and Ellis have done a great job. He is ready to go for England."
Genge's fitness is a major boost for Borthwick, both because England are enduring something of a loosehead injury crisis, and because the England head coach feels the prop is one of the main leaders within his squad.
Indeed, Genge has been named as a vice-captain to Farrell since Borthwick's arrival, and even captained England vs France at Twickenham in the Six Nations last year when Farrell was dropped to the bench, before the latter was recalled after a hideous 53-10 defeat.
He also captained England in Cardiff vs Wales in August, while when Borthwick led Leicester Tigers to the Premiership title in 2022 as head coach, dragging them from potential relegation to the trophy in two years, he did so with Genge as his captain.
Before his injury at the start of December, Genge was hot favourite to land the England captaincy for the upcoming Six Nations, and it remains a distinct possibility.
His injury and being match-ready will come into sharp focus, while there is also a school of thought front-row players as captains aren't the best choice, owing to the fact they are always replaced during the second half in the modern game.
Borthwick has proven he doesn't feel this is an issue before now, and could very well go with Genge as his full-time man.
What a Test journey Ford has been on in recent years.
Having been an important player between 2016 and 2020, captaining England in a Test in 2018, March 2021 was the last time Ford started in a Test match for England prior to the build-up to the 2023 World Cup. Some brief cameos in the 2022 Six Nations aside, Ford had seemingly been kicked to the curb by his country under Jones.
Borthwick had clinched the Premiership title with Leicester having picked Ford as his 10, and once the fly-half was fit and available, the England head coach immediately had him back in squad.
Yet, with Farrell as Borthwick's skipper and fly-half, not to mention the potential and quality of Marcus Smith around too, Ford's route back into the team appeared blocked.
Farrell's red card vs Wales in August and subsequent suspension saw Borthwick pick Ford from the start for England's World Cup opener vs Argentina - a Test in Marseille which will go down as one of the high points in the 30-year-old's career.
Ford kicked flawlessly, and did so to such an extent that 14-player England registered 27 points without ever troubling Argentina in their 22, registering three exquisite drop-goals and six penalties in a match-winning performance.
Ford started again in World Cup victories over Japan and Samoa, but found himself back onto the bench for England's final three games vs Fiji (quarter-final), South Africa (semi-final) and Argentina again (third-place playoff), playing a grand total of just 28 minutes.
Farrell has departed the scene, but has Ford done enough to convince Borthwick he is the man to start at fly-half over Smith? Naming Ford skipper would almost certainly necessitate his place in every Test.
Smith did end up starting at full-back during the World Cup, but his lack of high-ball fielding experience means Freddie Steward is very likely to return there.
The final man who has been mentioned in relation to the England captaincy is hooker George.
Perhaps the most unlikely of our candidates discussed, the 33-year-old would be a short-term option to lead the side, and is vastly experienced with 85 England caps and three Lions Tests.
Like Itoje and Farrell, George has enjoyed a trophy-laden career with Saracens and England, and emerged as Borthwick's first-choice hooker.
The presence of the talented Theo Dan behind the affable George at club and country may muddy the waters, but George - unlike Itoje - has captained Saracens numerous times, while he also captained the British and Irish Lions to a tour match victory over the Sharks in 2021, becoming the first Englishman since Phil Vickey in 2009 to do so.
"I'm hugely flattered to be in the conversation," George said recently. "Obviously I've played with Owen my entire life, so captaincy is something that has always fallen to him and rightly so because he's incredible.
"But to be in the conversation, that would be something that I'd be hugely honoured to do if I was asked.
"If I was asked, I do feel like I have led teams before, obviously I have done it with the Lions so it is something that I would really embrace and really enjoy, but regardless of who it's given to, they will have my full support. I don't see it changing who I am or how I am in and around camp, regardless."
