England rugby captain Maro Itoje to start the Six Nations on the bench

By Canadian Press on February 2, 2026.

LONDON (AP) — England rugby captain Maro Itoje will begin the Six Nations tournament as a reserve.

Itoje was named on the bench Monday for England’s opening game against Wales at Twickenham.

When he steps on the field on Saturday, the second-row forward will take over as captain. Hooker Jamie George will lead the team from the start.

Itoje, who led the British and Irish Lions on their test series-winning tour of Australia last year, has been grieving the death of his mother, Florence. She died in December at the age of 66.

England coach Steve Borthwick has been increasingly happy in some games to stack his bench with first-teamers who can enter in the second half and ensure the team’s performance levels do not dip.

Also among the reserves against Wales, for example, is Lions flanker Tom Curry.

England is expected to rival France and Ireland for the Six Nations title this year.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

The Associated Press

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