Borthwick has left the door open on whether Itoje tours this summer, citing workload concerns after the lock exceeded RFU welfare guidelines for the second consecutive season. With Tests against the Springboks, Fiji and Argentina on the horizon, Planet Rugby ranks the captaincy candidates should Itoje be rested. Chessum is the front-runner — his form and leadership at Leicester make this a logical moment to accelerate his trajectory toward a long-term role. George and Genge are the safe, experienced fallbacks as incumbent vice-captains with prior captaincy experience. Ford, despite leading last summer's Americas tour, faces a starting spot battle that counts against him, while Earl and Curry are considered outside options — though Curry's injury history makes a rest-and-reset approach the more likely outcome.
Who leads England if Itoje sits out the Springbok Tests?
With Itoje's availability for the Springbok Tests in doubt, Planet Rugby ranks England's captaincy options — Chessum emerges as the front-runner ahead of George, Genge, and a cluster of outside bets.
Janse van Rensburg at the top of England's centre pecking order — and what it means for the Boks
Borthwick's centre headache has a new frontrunner: Janse van Rensburg is rated the likely starter at 12 for England's Tests against Fiji and Argentina, though he's ineligible for the opener against the Springboks. The piece ranks all options at 12 and 13, with Freeman locked in outside and Slade unlucky to be on the fringes.
England should steal Rassie's two-squad playbook for their impossible summer schedule
Nick Easter argues England must adopt Rassie's split-squad model to survive a brutal summer window, and backs it up with a detailed first-choice XV for Ellis Park — with Fiji, not South Africa, flagged as the most dangerous fixture.
Mitchell hamstring blow leaves England short at scrumhalf ahead of Springbok test
Alex Mitchell is doubtful for England's Nations Championship campaign, including the Springbok test in Johannesburg, after pulling a hamstring in a squad training camp.
Rassie's Nations Championship reckoning: the July squads that will shape RWC 2027
A demographic deep-dive into the seven leading RWC 2027 contenders argues the Nations Championship compresses the selection cycle by a year, placing Erasmus at the sharpest decision point: defend the title with the 2023 spine or finally acknowledge the cost of carrying an ageing pack into Australian conditions.
Springboks Through Irish Eyes: Gráinne Seoige on Loftus, Rassie, and Why SA Rugby Is Unlike Anything Else
Irish TV personality Gráinne Seoige tells the Lekker Rugby Pod that walking into Loftus for the 2024 Ireland test was the most intimidating rugby atmosphere she has ever experienced, and argues that Rassie Erasmus's cultural transformation of Springbok rugby is a bigger achievement than the World Cup wins.