Skipper.

The England captaincy call looks between 1/2 front-runner Jamie George, 6/4 second favourite Ellis Genge and 5/2-shot George Ford.

William Hill have opened betting on who will captain England in their first Six Nations game versus Italy in Rome on 3rd February, with the odds indicating that Saracens hooker George is at the top of Steve Borthwick’s pecking order.

With long-term captain Owen Farrell stepping away from England to prioritise his family’s mental well-being, George has emerged as the most likely replacement, though fellow front-rower Genge (6/4) and fly-half Ford (5/2) also look bang in contention.

The only other candidate at single-figure odds is Maro Itoje, who can be backed at 8/1.

William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, said:

“Steve Borthwick will look to make a call on the England captaincy soon and the odds suggest it’s Jamie George who’s most likely to get the nod.

“He’s odds-on at 1/2 to captain England in their opening Six Nations clash with Italy, which isn’t a huge surprise given the hooker’s experience.

“Ellis Genge, who’s second in the betting at 6/4, could be a slightly longer-term solution, but there are queries over his fitness due to a hamstring problem, while George Ford also looks to be in the mix at 5/2.”

England Six Nations captain odds:

Jamie George – 1/2
Ellis Genge – 6/4
George Ford – 5/2
Maro Itoje – 8/1
Marcus Smith – 16/1
Alex Mitchell – 16/1
Ben Earl – 16/1