England’s official confirmation on Monday that they have rested captain Maro Itoje for their summer’s Nations Championship campaign must be welcomed.
It is entirely the right decision, yet it also only serves to rubberstamp the fact the game’s top international stars are being pushed to their physical limits by the brutal demands that come with playing at rugby’s highest level.
Last season, Itoje and Northampton back Tommy Freeman both overstepped English rugby’s 30-game-a-season limit after helping the Lions to victory in Australia. It was no surprise that it caught up with Itoje – who plays in the demanding position of lock – during England’s awful Six Nations campaign.
The grief following the tragic loss of his mother Florence must also be acknowledged as a factor for Itoje not being at his best in this year’s Championship.
A summer off should allow the 31-year-old to recharge his batteries for the final chapter of what has been a glittering career and Itoje has rightly already taken advantage, posting pictures from his holiday in Mauritius on social media. His break is also a rare example of rugby backing up with meaningful action its claim that player welfare is its No 1 priority.
For Freeman and England’s other leading lights, things are different, however. They must somehow muster the energy to go again. On Saturday – in mid-June, let’s not forget – Northampton lifted the PREM Rugby title with victory over Exeter.
Maro Itoje will be rested for England’s summer’s Nations Championship campaign after a gruelling run of fixtures stretching back to last season and a summer Lions tour
Jamie George (centre) will take the captaincy in Itoje’s absence as England play a tough run of fixtures starting with South Africa away
Saints’ England stars Freeman, Fin Smith, Henry Pollock, Alex Coles and Alex Mitchell were all involved. Just two weeks later, England will begin their summer matches with the most daunting of starts. Double world champions South Africa are the opposition.
You have to wonder whether England’s star men who toured with the Lions in the summer of 2025 and have since had a long, hard campaign, have enough gas left in the tank to be successful.
It would be no surprise if they didn’t. Nor would it be their fault, either. ‘It’s been a tough season,’ said England’s premier No 10 Smith, after leading Northampton to a second league title in three years.
‘I probably just lost a bit of confidence and had to really try to get myself up for games at times. I was probably feeling like I had to fake it a little bit, but that’s the job of being a sportsman.
‘You have highs and lows and I’ve had to really dive deep into that emotional store I’ve had this season. I’ve probably enjoyed my rugby slightly more (in the past) than I have this year. But I won’t dwell on it too much.’
At 24, Smith is in the prime of his career. So, his hinting that he found the campaign hard due to the stresses being placed on him is another cause for concern. It is impossible to escape the feeling there is already too much elite rugby being played at a time when its brutality is the highest it’s ever been.
And that’s without the introduction of the new Nations Championship and its significant travel demands.
On July 4, England will face Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks in Johannesburg and then meet Fiji at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and Argentina in Santiago del Estero on the next two Saturdays.
Three matches on three successive weekends on three different continents. Bonkers.
England head coach Steve Borthwick survived an RFU review after a poor Six Nations but now faces the toughest of challenges in demanding environments
The uncapped Noah Caluori of Sarries, seen here scoring for an England XV against a France XV last week, is in the England squad for the Nations Championship
Even national head coach, Steve Borthwick, made the point his team is in for the toughest of challenges when confirming his 36-player squad. ‘We will face strong opposition in demanding environments, with extensive travel and changes in climate all testing the squad throughout the tournament,’ the England boss said.
While that might sound like an excuse, Borthwick is not wrong. England and Test rugby’s other leading nations will be tested like never before in the coming weeks. Wales also travel to South Africa and Argentina.
One hopes England’s players can summon the energy to return to winning ways. They will need to do so to release the pressure on Borthwick after he survived an RFU review after overseeing just one win in the Six Nations.
England’s squad will be led by Jamie George in Itoje’s absence. It also includes five uncapped players, led by Noah Caluori and South African convert Benhard Janse van Rensburg. There can be no doubt it is a party packed with talent, even with Itoje relaxing on a sun lounger. But you need more than that to win at Test level. You need cohesion and a squad firing on all cylinders.
You have to say it is doubtful at best that England tick both those two boxes.
