Watch VideoMaro Itoje’s England absence removes some fizz from Springboks clash

England skipper Maro Itoje will miss the Test against the Springboks next month The England rugby team to face theSpringbokson July 4 is likely to feature a new captain after head coachSteve Borthwickleft regular skipperMaro Itojeout of a training squad preparing for the upcoming Nations Championship. In the immediate wake of England’s failed Six Nations campaign earlier this year, Borthwick publicly stated that Itoje was severely overplayed and would be spared some national duty during the inaugural edition of the Nations Championship. It seems the head coach is being entirely true to his word.

However, Itoje remains one of global rugby’s premier second-row forwards, and his high-profile absence from the daunting Ellis Park encounter will undoubtedly remove a touch of gloss from the fixture. Springbok fans will vividly recall Itoje’s feisty, explosive encounters with Eben Etzebeth and company during the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021. Borthwick clarified that he had proactively discussed the decision to rest Itoje for the July tour matches in South Africa and Argentina, noting that the Saracens star had endured a mentally and physically exhausting 2025.

His demanding schedule included captaining the Lions on their successful tour of Australia last year, a grueling Six Nations campaign, heavy club commitments, and the tragic death of his mother in November. The 31-year-old lock boasts 103 caps for England and has registered nine Test appearances for the Lions across three consecutive tours. Meanwhile, a highly notable and debated inclusion in Borthwick’s training squad is that of South African-born Benhard Janse van Rensburg.

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The 28-year-old midfielder has been a lightning rod for controversy in the UK media due to his deep South African roots and the extensive, aggressive legal measures the Rugby Football Union (RFU) took to have his international ineligibility overturned. World Rugby ultimately agreed that the brief 15-minute cameo Van Rensburg made on the field as a Junior Bok represented a unique, special case, thereby clearing him to represent his adopted country. The hard-running centre has now successfully served his five-year qualification period.

Crucially, because Van Rensburg’s formal residency period only officially concludes a few daysafterthe Springboks clash, he is legally barred from playing at Ellis Park. However, he remains entirely free for selection for England’s subsequent Nations Championship fixtures against Fiji and Argentina later in July. England’s mid-year schedule officially gets underway next week with an uncapped England XV travelling to Vannes to face a France XV on June 19 — a day before the Springboks line up against the Barbarians in Gqeberha.

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