With Maro Itoje expected to be rested this summer, England needs to find a successor in the meantime and do so quickly.
Steve Borthwick’s side face South Africa in Johannesburg and then take on Fiji and Argentina respectively in the inaugural Nations Championship next month. This leads to several opportunities for some of English rugby’s biggest and brightest stars.
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When looking at contenders for replacing Itoje as captain, and with Borthwick selecting a 33-man training squad ahead of England XV’s clash with a France XV in Vannes on Friday, perhaps Leicester Tigers’ Ollie Chessum appears to be best suited.
The 25-year-old has slowly become one of England’s go-to players in recent times and, without doubt, is one of the first names on Borthwick’s teamsheet. And his versatility in the forward pack makes him even more selectable, as he can be deployed in the second row or as blind-side flanker.
Chessum has led Leicester well throughout the Gallagher PREM season, which saw them fall short of a final meeting with Exeter Chiefs at Allianz Stadium, but he is now one of England’s top players.
With the combination of his physicality, work rate, and leadership, should Itoje have a well-deserved hiatus this summer, it could be the perfect opportunity to try something new and experiment.
Injuries have stalled his career in some ways, but at times, that resilience has returned, allowing him to reach the heights of top performances. Arguably, he’s one of the PREM’s consistent performers, and that takes some doing with the injuries that he has sustained.
It’s a huge summer ahead for England, who had a dismal Six Nations campaign, and pressure is well and truly on Borthwick to deliver this summer, and with Chessum as captain, that may bring some much-needed freshness.
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POLL:
The role of captaincy comes with baggage and expectation, and in recent Tests, Chessum’s influence on matches has been remarkable, especially under pressure to deliver. Albeit selected on the blind-side for their meeting against France at the Stade de France, he showed his worth for England by claiming a brace.
With all that said, and with Itoje likely to be back involved for the autumn and the forthcoming Six Nations campaign, one thing that needs to be at the forefront of Borthwick’s mind is the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
It’s a World Cup that sees England have a favourable route to lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy, and Itoje should captain that England side. However, Borthwick needs leadership options, and that’s where developing further leaders comes into play.
That should be considered every bit as important as the development of outside-halves, loose-heads, and tight-heads, which Borthwick has plenty to choose from. Test match rugby is all about being triumphant continuously, but giving him the captaincy for a summer of matches would see him get the opportunity outside of the intense scrutiny that comes with Six Nations campaigns and home fixtures.
Itoje is one of England’s finest players, and his absence leads to a huge opportunity for Chessum, and he looks set to seize it. He’s 25, and it may be too early to do so, but will Borthwick have enough time to experiment with different options? That’s the real question here.
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NAME EVERY ENGLAND CAPTAIN OF THE PROFESSIONAL ERA:
Since rugby turned professional in 1995, England have had a host of captains lead the team through World Cups, Grand Slams, Lions tours and some of the biggest moments in the sport’s history.
From World Cup-winning legends to short-term stand-ins, how many England captains of the professional era can you name?
You have five minutes to name them all. Good luck!
