Itoje to captain England in Six Nations shake-up

Maro Itoje has been promoted to England skipper for the Six Nations, replacing Saracens team-mate Jamie George successful the role.

Itoje, 30, led England to an age-grade satellite rubric successful 2014 but lone stepped up to skipper Saracens this play successful the aftermath of Owen Farrell's departure.

"I'm astatine a constituent successful my vocation wherever I consciousness acceptable to springiness my each to service the squad and the fans with the captaincy, and besides nutrient my champion connected the field," helium said.

Elsewhere successful manager Steve Borthwick's 36-strong squad, in-form fig 8 Tom Willis is called up portion Ben Spencer, who started the autumn arsenic first-choice scrum-half, drops retired of the squad to marque mode for Alex Mitchell's instrumentality from injury.

Leicester's Dan Cole, 37, is besides near retired with his clubmate Joe Heyes and Sale's Asher Opoku-Fordjour brought successful arsenic tighthead options.

Bath's Ted Hill is selected with his clubmate Sam Underhill acceptable to person country connected an ankle wounded portion Harlequins' Cadan Murley comes successful to regenerate Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is recovering from a enarthrosis complaint.

Oscar Beard and Fraser Dingwall are the alternate midfield options to the first-choice pairing of Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade, with nary spot for Alex Lozowski.

More to follow.

Forwards:

Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 6 caps)

Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)

Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 44 caps)

Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 11 caps)

Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 56 caps)

Theo Dan (Saracens, 16 caps)

Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 20 caps)

Ben Earl (Saracens, 37 caps)

Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 66 caps) – vice-captain

Jamie George (Saracens, 97 caps) – vice-captain

Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)

Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)

Maro Itoje (Saracens, 88 caps) – captain

George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 19 caps)

Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 1 cap)

Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 7 caps)

Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 45 caps)

Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)

Backs:

Oscar Beard (Harlequins, uncapped)

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 69 caps)

Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

George Ford (Sale Sharks, 98 caps)

Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 15 caps)

Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 31 caps)

Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 18 caps)

Cadan Murley (Harlequins, uncapped)

Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 11 caps)

Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 3 caps)

Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 69 caps)

Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)

Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)

Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 39 caps)

Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps)

Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)