Twelve gamers who’ve led the boys’s England rugby facet during the last three a long time
This information to the boys’s England rugby union captains seems to be fairly completely different to our collection of the greatest England rugby gamers of the skilled period. Lawrence Dallaglio, Owen Farrell and Martin Johnson seem on each lists, however main a rugby facet requires greater than power within the deal with and ability on the ball – certainly, many legends of the sport have by no means been close to a captain’s armband.
Not each participant who’s led the nationwide group during the last three a long time is on this record. Many England stars, corresponding to Jason Leonard, Jason Robinson and Mike Tindall, have deputised for the odd recreation right here and there. Jonny Wilkinson, in the meantime, was named skipper in 2004, just for a succession of accidents to maintain him out of motion.
The England rugby union captains under have all been appointed to steer the group for 5/Six Nations campaigns, abroad excursions or World Cups – to various levels of success…
Males’s England rugby union captains
Jamie George (2024-)
Jamie George is the present England rugby union captain (Getty Photographs)
Jamie George was appointed England rugby union captain for the 2024 Six Nations following Saracens teammate Owen Farrell’s resolution to take a break from worldwide rugby.
After Farrell subsequently dominated himself out of England competition by shifting to Racing 92, the 33-year-old hooker stored the armband for this summer season’s matches in opposition to Japan and New Zealand. The skilled British & Irish Lions ahead is predicted to steer the group into England’s autumn fixtures in opposition to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan.
Owen Farrell (2018-2023)
Solely Martin Johnson has captained England greater than Owen Farrell (Getty Photographs)
Owen Farrell could have damaged into the England group at a younger age, however his combative taking part in fashion and extremely attuned rugby mind ensured his management qualities stood out from the off.
Having been one in every of Dylan Hartley’s vice-captains, Farrell was full-time skipper by the point England made their run to the 2019 World Cup remaining. Questions have been requested about his manner when speaking to referees, however he’s the sort of chief different gamers like to observe into battle. His 48 matches as England rugby union captain put him second within the all-time record behind Will Carling.
Dylan Hartley (2016-2019)
Dylan Hartley’s win ratio is up there with the perfect (Bob Bradford – CameraSport by way of Getty Photographs )
A number of eyebrows have been raised when Eddie Jones appointed Dylan Hartley as his on-field lieutenant, however the England head coach’s resolution to look previous the hooker’s disciplinary file was shortly vindicated.
Hartley led the group to a record-equalling 18 consecutive victories, as England received a grand slam and a Six Nations title in Jones’ first two years in cost. He in the end missed out on England’s journey to the 2019 World Cup remaining however his win ratio as captain is second solely to Martin Johnson’s.
Chris Robshaw (2012-2015)
Robshaw’s time as captain was outlined by slender margins (Getty Photographs)
Remarkably, Harlequins’ Chris Robshaw had only one England cap when he was appointed England rugby union captain however, in hindsight, which will have been a part of his enchantment. Stuart Lancaster, appointed as interim head coach for the 2012 Six Nations, had the problem of rebuilding the group after a World Cup marketing campaign that had misfired each on and off the sector, and Robshaw was a key element of his thrilling younger facet.
Robshaw led the facet all through Lancaster’s time in cost, and went on to captain England 42 instances. It was a interval of close to misses, nonetheless, with 4 second locations within the Six Nations, and most (in)famously, that pool stage exit from a house World Cup.
Lewis Moody (2010-2011)
Lewis Moody (centre) went on to steer England on the 2011 Rugby World Cup (Getty Photographs)
Having performed in all seven video games of England’s run to the Rugby World Cup run and likewise a few British & Irish Lions checks, Lewis Moody was one of many star names in Martin Johnson’s England group.
He was an apparent option to step as much as the captaincy when Steve Borthwick was injured in opposition to Scotland through the 2010 Six Nations, and – other than being dominated out of the next yr’s championship – Moody was Johnson’s first alternative as skipper as much as the tip of the 2011 World Cup. Alas, England’s journey to the quarter-finals is remembered extra for what occurred off the sector than on it, and Moody retired from the sport after the event.
Steve Borthwick (2008-2010)
The present England head coach had beforehand captained the facet (Jamie McDonald/Getty Photographs)
Together with Martin Johnson (the person who gave him the armband), Steve Borthwick is one in every of two gamers on this record of England rugby union captains who’ve gone on to teach the nationwide group. Johnson was effectively conscious of the management qualities of a participant he’d briefly partnered in England’s second row, saying on the time that, “Steve is an effective chief who all the time prepares completely for matches at membership and worldwide stage.”
Borthwick led the group to second and third locations within the Six Nations, and his 21-match stint places him at joint seventh within the all-time record alongside Grand Slam-winner (and present World Rugby chairman) Invoice Beaumont. He misplaced the job in the summertime of 2010, when Johnson determined to not recall him after damage.
Phil Vickery (2002-2008)
Vickery is one in every of a handful of gamers to symbolize England in two World Cup finals (Getty Photographs)
World Cup-winning tighthead Phil Vickery led England on quite a few events – together with a 2002 tour to Argentina – earlier than getting the job full-time. Head coach Brian Ashton appointed him as England rugby union captain at first of 2007, a job Vickery stored by means of two Six Nations and a run to the World Cup remaining – together with Ben Kay, Jason Robinson and Jonny Wilkinson, he belongs to an elite group of England gamers who’ve began two World Cup finals.
Associated: England kits by means of the years…
He was subsequently a part of the British & Irish Lions group that toured South Africa in 2009, and retired from the sport in late 2010.
Martin Corry (2005-2006)
Corry was unlucky his captaincy coincided with a significant rebuild of the England facet (Getty Photographs)
Leicester Tigers nice Martin Corry was a part of England’s triumphant World Cup squad in 2003, and twice toured with the British & Irish Lions. However he was unlucky that his ascension to the rank of England rugby union captain got here at a tough time for the group.
New head coach Andy Robinson had the thankless process of rebuilding the facet after the unprecedented success of Clive Woodward’s tenure, and he appointed Corry in March 2005 after accidents to first picks Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson. Solely eight gamers have captained England extra instances than Corry, however – by means of no fault of his personal – this was not a classic period for the facet.
Martin Johnson (1999-2003)
England’s World Cup-winning captain (Getty Photographs)
Is there something left to be mentioned about Martin Johnson, the England rugby union captain who led two Lions excursions (together with the legendary 1997 victory in South Africa) and stays the one man from the northern hemisphere to carry the Webb Ellis Cup.
Inheriting the armband after Lawrence Dallaglio’s unlucky encounter with the tabloids (see under), Johnson grew to become the talismanic chief on the coronary heart of Clive Woodward’s World Cup-winning pack. The RFU hoped he would possibly encourage the subsequent era as England supervisor, however – regardless of a Six Nations victory in 2011 – he resigned after the group’s disappointing efficiency at that yr’s World Cup.
Lawrence Dallaglio (1997-2004)
Dallaglio was Clive Woodward’s authentic alternative as England captain (Getty Photographs)
Lawrence Dallaglio has been described by his former Wasps boss Warren Gatland as “the perfect captain that I’ve ever been concerned with”, and – had historical past panned out barely otherwise – it might have been him elevating the World Cup aloft.
Dallaglio was Clive Woodward’s first alternative as England rugby union captain when he took cost of the group in 1997, however the quantity 8 misplaced the job within the wake of a 1999 sting. He famously remained a mainstay of that all-time-great facet, nonetheless, and briefly led the facet once more after Johnson hung up his worldwide boots in 2003.
Phil de Glanville (1996-1997)
Following Will Carling was by no means going to be straightforward for Phil de Glanville (Andrew Redington /Allsport, Getty Photographs)
With Will Carling and Jeremy Guscott sometimes picked forward of him within the centres, Phil de Glanville was a shock alternative to steer the nationwide facet. However England head coach Jack Rowell knew the participant effectively from their Bathtub days, and controversially broke up the profitable Carling/Guscott axis to get his new skipper into the group.
The group received six out of eight matches throughout de Glanville’s spell as England rugby union captain, and he misplaced the job when Woodward appointed Dallaglio in his place.
Will Carling (1988-1996)
Carling is the longest-serving England rugby union captain in historical past (Mark Leech/Getty Photographs)
Appointed at simply 22 years previous and the longest serving England rugby union captain in historical past, Carling’s 55 checks coincided with a group stamping its authority because the dominant pressure in northern hemisphere rugby.
He led his group to a trio of grand slams and a World Cup remaining, and achieved a stage of celeb no person else on this record – not even the Class of 2003 – might match. He was sacked weeks forward of the 1995 World Cup after describing the RFU committee as “57 previous farts”, however was reinstated after a nationwide outcry. He stop the function a yr later.
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