England captain Maro Itoje has revealed he was initially caught off guard when head coach Steve Borthwick suggested he sit out the summer Test matches, but now believes it was the right call. Itoje missed England's July fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, instead taking his first proper off-season break from professional rugby in more than a decade, holidaying in Mauritius and Nigeria. The decision came after a demanding period for the 31-year-old, who led a struggling England side through the Six Nations while grieving the death of his mother.

Itoje, who has 102 caps since his 2016 debut and has toured three times with the British and Irish Lions, exceeded recommended match-minute limits in each of the past two seasons. He said the rest benefited him mentally more than physically, and described an unexpected reunion with the England squad at Heathrow Airport as their flights coincided. He largely avoided watching the Tests live to protect his break, before returning to face a packed schedule including the Premiership, November's Nations Championship and next year's Rugby World Cup, while also awaiting the birth of his first child with wife Mimi.