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England's Itoje to captain British and Irish Lions rugby team in Australia / Photo: © AFP
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England's Itoje to captain British and Irish Lions rugby team in Australia
England's Maro Itoje will captain the British and Irish Lions rugby union team on their upcoming tour of Australia, it was announced Thursday.
The 30-year-old lock only took over as England skipper ahead of this season's Six Nations and guided the side to a creditable second-placed finish behind champions France.
Now he has been chosen as skipper for a Lions tour including three Tests against the Wallabies by head coach, Andy Farrell, seconded from his day job as Ireland boss.
"It's hard to articulate," said Itoje after taking the stage at London's O2 Arena for a squad announcement where fans were present for the first time.
"It's a tremendous honour, it's a tremendous privilege. You think about the people who have held this position before and it's remarkable. It's an honour and I will do my very best to make sure I can contribute to a successful tour."
Itoje, a previous two-time tourist with the Lions -- a side made up of leading players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales -- is the first English player to lead the combined team since Martin Johnson in 2001.
A tour featuring three Tests with the Wallabies will in fact start with a fixture against Argentina in Dublin on June 20.
The first Test against Australia will be in Brisbane on July 19, with two more internationals in Melbourne (July 26) and Sydney (August 2).
Australia have long been regarded as the easiest side for the Lions, who only tour every four years, to beat.
The only other teams they have played series against in their 137-year history are New Zealand and South Africa, the traditional powerhouses of the 15-a-side code who have won seven World Cups between them.
Indeed the last time the Lions won a Test series was their 2-1 success against Australia back in 2013.
But the Wallabies have been making significant progress since Joe Schmidt took charge shortly after a woeful 2023 World Cup in France, where they failed to reach the knockout stage for the first time.
The Kiwi coach also has the added advantage of knowing several Lions players, and indeed Andy Farrell, well following his six-year stint as Ireland boss.
M. Taylor--BTZ
