Rugby
Andy Farrell ‘put the phone down’ on Maro Itoje as nightmare Lions call revealed
Andy Farrell opened up about the awkward moment when his phone connection failed while trying to tell Maro Itoje he had been appointed as British and Irish Lions captain. Itoje became the frontrunner for the armband after Ireland’s Caelan Doris went down injured during Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints last weekend and will undergo surgery, ruling him out of the tour.
Itoje’s appointment as skipper isn’t unwarranted, given he’s held the same role for the England team since January 2025 – a position he grew into during a Six Nations campaign that saw the Red Rose finish second. With captain experience under his belt, Itoje will now lead the world’s most famous touring side down under this summer.
