Owen Farrell 's recent absence from the England team has forced a rethink over who's most suited to captain the team, and Sir Clive Woodward has arrived at Maro Itoje as his optimal solution.
Saracens star Farrell was ruled out of this year's Six Nations after he was forced to undergo ankle surgery on the eve of the competition.
Courtney Lawes stood in to lead the team when Farrell was sidelined in November, but his own setback means Sale talisman Tom Curry has skippered the side in the opening two rounds of the Six Nations.
But Woodward has identified a number of key factors in the captaincy debate and decided upon Itoje as the best man for the job, both leading up to next year's Rugby World Cup and beyond.
Those categories allude to whether a player is an "automatic choice" to start, level of trust, thinking correctly under pressure (TCUP), respect (both given by and to the player) and if they captain at club level.
Woodward, 66, took those contributions into account before picking out Itoje—who has been capped 53 times—ahead of Farrell, Lawes, Curry and Ellis Genge.
"So who would I pick? Without knowing the dynamics of relationships I would go for Maro Itoje. Iconic figure, automatic selection at lock, universally respected, intelligent, articulate and likely to learn from mistakes," he wrote for the Daily Mail.
"Like any player he is not perfect and has made mistakes: he’s given away too many penalties and has overdone the vocals and flaunting celebrations in the face of opponents when winning a turnover.
"What is certain is that England need to settle on their skipper sooner rather than later. Great teams have great ‘go-to' skippers."
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Both Itoje and another of Woodward's top choices, Genge, are 27 and have long shelf lives in regards to their England careers, while 23-year-old Curry is perhaps a little under-ripe for the job.
Lawes, meanwhile, is 33 and the oldest member of the current England squad, while 30-year-old Farrell should be enjoying his prime years.
Like Farrell, Genge brings the added benefit of having been appointed his club captain at Leicester Tigers, while Itoje has very little experience in the leadership position.
However, the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach acknowledged that experience isn't necessarily crucial, nodding to the fact neither Lawes nor Curry are captains of their respective clubs.
There can be little debate Itoje is an automatic pick to start for England, whether that's as a lock or makeshift blindside, but the same can't be said for all in contention.
Most notably, Woodward said Farrell can't be guaranteed of his place when he returns to fitness, with Marcus Smith revelling as England's new No. 10 and Manu Tuilagi a natural pick in the centre.
Henry Slade has been Eddie Jones' go-to option at inside centre thus far in the Six Nations, and although Farrell has extensive experience playing in midfield himself, the coach could decide on a new direction.
Intangible factors like trust and respect are more difficult to quantify from an outsiders' perspective, though one would imagine Itoje's lead-by-example approach makes him a revered figure.
Jones revised his previous opinion that Itoje wasn't cut out for the captaincy after the player benefited from acting classes, becoming a much more vocal figure for club and country in recent months.
Lawes has recovered from concussion symptoms and could make his first appearance of this year's Six Nations on Saturday when England host Wales.
The Northampton Saint could keep hold of the armband for the duration of the tournament provided he stays fit, but one with extensive experience appointing skippers would look to Itoje as captain of the future.
