What Andy Farrell’s captaincy decision means for Caelan Doris as Maro Itoje set to lead British and Irish Lions
Caelan Doris and Maro Itoje during the Ireland v England Six Nations clash in 2025, and British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell.
Andy Farrell is set to name Maro Itoje as his British and Irish Lions captain for the upcoming tour to Australia, which begins next month.
The England star has been one of the outstanding second-rows in the sport since making his international debut back in 2016, where he immediately became a key cog in Eddie Jones’ side.
Itoje featured in every Test during the 2017 and 2021 tours to New Zealand and South Africa respectively and is a certainty to head down under in 2025 after refinding his best form.
Despite only recently taking the captaincy for both Saracens and England, it looks like he will be going to Australia as the Lions skipper according to multiple sources.
Only became a captain in 2024
The 30-year-old took on the role at Sarries ahead of the 2024/25 Premiership season following the departure of Owen Farrell to Racing 92.
Although club team-mate Jamie George continued as England skipper for the Autumn Nations Series, Itoje replaced the front-rower for the Six Nations.
After helping the Red Rose to second place in that tournament, he looks likely to take on that leadership responsibility when the Lions face the Wallabies in July and early August.
He was in a battle with Ireland star Caelan Doris for the position but an untimely injury to the outstanding number eight has cleared the path for Itoje to be the touring skipper.
It suggests that the shoulder issue Doris sustained in Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup defeat to Northampton Saints is as bad as first feared and may rule him out of the whole series.
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Of course, Farrell could have simply chosen the lock ahead of the Ireland back-row, but the 27-year-old was very much seen as the leading candidate going into the Six Nations.
Itoje did close the gap slightly during that competition with Doris and his Irish team-mates failing to reach the lofty standards of previous years but, given that Farrell has worked closely with the number eight, the Leinster star was still seen by many as the frontrunner before his unfortunate injury.
Following in Martin Johnson’s footsteps
As a result, the Lions will be led by an Englishman for the first time since 2001. Coincidently, that honour was taken by a fellow second-row and for a tour to Australia as Martin Johnson was handed the role.
Six tours and 24 years have passed since then with the Sarries and England great now set to follow in Johnson’s footsteps.
It is understood that he will head a squad which totals 40 players as Farrell opts for a bigger group than Warren Gatland selected in 2021, where the head coach picked an initial 37 individuals.
