After Itoje’s appointment as captain for the tour of Australia by Andy Farrell, Harry Latham-Coyle charts the journey of the player who emerged as the outstanding candidate for one of rugby’s greatest

Sir Ian McGeechan tells a story about his decision to pick Martin Johnson as his British and Irish Lions captain for the tour of South Africa in 1997. At the time it was seen as a left-field selection.

Maro Itoje becomes the 47th Lions captain since 1888, the first Black player to captain the side and only the third Englishman in the last 89 years to be appointed tour leader.