He has been one half of England’s ‘Ant and Dec‘ double-act, hired a snake charmer to boost squad morale and survived drinking 80 per cent rum, now Jamie George is ready to celebrate his Test century, after taking inspiration from Joe Root.
While others queue up to salute the veteran Saracens hooker and reminisce about his career, ahead of such a momentous milestone, the man himself has spoken about his resilience and how it was needed again before this Six Nations. Sunday’s clash with Italy at Twickenham will see George join the exclusive 100 cap club, but he was unsure whether it would happen after having the captaincy taken off him in January.
The news came that he was being replaced by Maro Itoje came at a brief meeting with head coach Steve Borthwick in St Albans. ‘It wasn’t a two-way conversation; it was very one way,’ said George – who was talking about the difficult episode for the first time. ‘I wasn’t expecting it, but at the same time I understood it.
‘I was gutted. I felt like I had a lot more to give, but it was his decision and who he has picked in Maro is a fantastic decision. What he’s done in the last few weeks has been really impressive.’
It had been a bolt from the blue and it made George question what would follow, in terms of his future with England. ‘That hurt, it really did and the first thing on my mind was, “Is that me?”,’ he added. ‘But speaking to my old man, my wife, you understand what is important. Some of the best times of my life have been playing rugby for England. I love playing rugby for England.
‘When I was reflecting on it, I took inspiration from Joe Root (former national cricket captain), the freedom he has and the way he has kicked on and become the best batsman in the world, arguably. That is hugely inspiring. It has allowed him to play even better than he already was. That is how I would love it to be and I am feeling a bit of that.’
Jamie George is set to reach 100 caps for England this weekend and has spoken of the resilience that has served him so well in his career
He admitted that he questioned if his international career was over when he lost the England captaincy in January
George has, though, taken inspiration from Joe Root, who has kicked on with freedom to become one of the best players in the world
George missed England’s championship opener in Dublin and watching that match convinced him – after having ‘question marks’ – that he remained ‘desperate’ to be part of Borthwick’s plans. At the age of 33, he has far-off objectives in mind.
‘I want to play for England as long as I can, the World Cup (2027) is definitely an ambition of mine and I would love to put my name in the hat for another Lions tour,’ he added. ‘Hopefully, my performances over the next couple of weeks will put my name in the conversation.’
When reflecting on his 99 appearances for England to date and the magnitude of what awaits this weekend, George spoke with pride and satisfaction about the occasions he has been part of and the qualities he has demonstrated. One tournament stands out in his memory bank.
‘My best experiences in an England shirt were at the 2019 World Cup; the whole journey of that, being in Japan, it was different, my family were able to go over,’ he said. ‘The performance in the semi-final (19-7 win over New Zealand) was amazing in particular – but not being able to back it up the week after is something we’ll regret for a long time. My whole experience there was probably the most enjoyable I’ve had.’
While George recognised how resilience has been a key asset during the best part of a decade of national service, others use the same word to describe him, again and again. It is a reflection of the determination which has shone through when he has had to wait patiently for opportunities, behind John Smit and Schalk Brits at Saracens, and behind another ex-captain, Dylan Hartley, with England.
‘The first thing you’d say about people who get to 100 caps is how resilient they are, but also how consistent they are,’ said Billy Vunipola – in tribute to his long-time team-mate with club and country. ‘That probably sums up Jamie in terms of how he’s played, how he has kept himself fit and how professional he’s been.
‘Aside from the rugby stuff, as everyone would say, he’s a great bloke. He brings people together, he makes people smile and he’s easy to be around. That definitely plays a part in him getting to where he is at now and I’m very happy for him.’
There was a chuckle from big Billy as he recalled incidents and tales which are best left untold, but he could share some amusing snapshots, adding: ‘The things I remember about Jamie with England was how much fun he brought to camps. Danny Care and him were Ant n Dec on the 2016 tour (of Australia). I can’t remember which one he was – I think it was Ant!
George, 33, is targeting the 2027 World Cup and hopes to be involved in another Lions tour
He said his favourite time as an England player was during the 2007 World Cup in Japan
Billy Vunipola (right) described George as ‘a great bloke’ who ‘brings people together’
Danny Care (left) and George were the Ant and Dec of the group during the 2016 Australia tour and beyond
‘It wasn’t just on that tour, they carried it on afterwards and organised things for the boys to do on their days off and for people to come in, to do entertainment for the boys. It showed how selfless he is. Danny too, but we’re talking about Jamie and it stands out to me how far he went to keep morale high. I always appreciated that in camp, even though I maybe never told him.
‘I remember the snake charmer he organised in South Africa. Jamie organised it with the guy who ran the hotel. It was when we were staying near Durban in 2018.
‘We also had a talent show in Australia and got to find out about a few of the boys, which was good. England camp is often about competing with each other and not being vulnerable, so that was a great idea – and it was a great tour as well.’
As for George’s on-field impact, as a renowned set-piece specialist prone to occasional flashes of flamboyance, Vunipola added: ‘He was always there doing the hard work in the defensive line, then showing off his silky hands in attack.
‘One thing I remember was when we played Leinster with Saracens in 2019. He absolutely smashed someone, reeled out of it as if he was injured, got back in the line and made another tackle. I always remember laughing at that because it summed up Jamie. He would complain as if he had been hard done-by, but he’d always get on with it. If you talk about resilience, that is Jamie to a tee.’
During George’s time as an emerging talent at Saracens, his path was blocked by two remarkable Springboks – World Cup-winning captain Smit and Brits, the all-court sensation who was arguably the best import the Premiership has ever seen. The latter man told Mail Sport about his first impressions of his rookie under-study.
‘The first time I met Jamie properly was when we went on a trip to South Africa with Saracens,’ he said. ‘Him and Jackson Wray were the whippersnappers. There is a traditional drink in South Africa called Stroh rum which is about 80 per cent alcohol. I haven’t seen it in the UK. I tried to get Jamie and Jackson into drinking it. I’ll never forget their facial expressions changing when they had it!
‘People would have tequila and Jagermeister but, as we were in South Africa, I said we should have one of these. As they drank it, they almost spat it out, but they did actually swallow it. I was 29 at the time I think and Jamie was 18.
Schalk Brits (right), George’s former senior at Saracens, told Mail Sport a story of the England man consuming a drink that was 80 per cent alcohol
He explained how he has so many memories from his time as George’s team-mate – mostly involving trips abroad
‘There are so many other stories I’d love to share, but they’re 100 per cent off-limits! I have so many special memories, some on the pitch but mostly off it – trips to Verbier, Miami, Munich beer festival and Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. There are so many of those memories. They’re hard to quantify or explain to anybody who wasn’t there.’
Brits witnessed the development of a class act who would go on to become a Test starter for the Lions in 2017, before he achieved the same status with England. Having followed his progress since with keen interest, he added: ‘Jamie has always shown leadership skills and been a great team man. It can be very difficult to put the team first and yourself as an individual second, but that’s what Jamie has always done. You don’t always see that in a high-performance environment.
‘He went quite quickly from being a whippersnapper to a leader. He went from being a good rugby player to a great rugby player. But better than that, he became a person we all loved and adored within the squad.
‘I know this sounds ridiculous as a 43-year-old has-been rugby player, but I’m proud not only of the rugby player Jamie is, but more the person he is. It’s amazing to see where his life and career has taken him. Even when the England captaincy was given to Maro Itoje, the way he’s performed and reacted speaks volumes about the character he is.
‘When it was time to do extra training, Jamie was always there. That doesn’t take talent. That takes effort and discipline. As a hooker, you do have to have a natural feel for throwing in the ball, but to become a specialist you have to put the hard yards in. Jamie was always willing to do that. In any tough situation on the field, Jamie was always willing to lead the charge.’
Along the way, George has earned the admiration of opponents worldwide. Former Wales captain Ken Owens spoke highly of a rival hooker he locked horns with on countless occasions. ‘He worked hard and was tough,’ he said. ‘He’s very adaptable. He’s a very intelligent rugby player. I wouldn’t say he’s the biggest, but he was always hugely competitive and would never take a backward step.
‘He had some very good battles over the years, but we always shared a beer afterwards. He’s that sort of bloke and epitomises what rugby should be about.’
The pair worked together on Lions tours and Owens added: ‘He was a great team-mate, always laughing and joking with the boys. He was great at being around the coffee machine and making flat whites for the boys. That made him especially popular.’
Brits added that he is ‘proud’ of both the player and person that George has gone onto become
Former Wales captain Ken Owens (left) said George ‘worked hard and was tough’ and was ‘very adaptable’ on the field
Team-mate Tom Curry (right) explained how George has a strong ability as an amateur barista
George has been a replacement in the last two matches but is still a vocal leader in the group
To this day, George’s ability as an amateur barista is endearing him to team-mates. Tom Curry made that point on Tuesday, when trying to sum up the profound value of the centurion-in-waiting, as a player and as a figurehead around the England camp.
Asked if the hooker has changed much, he said: ‘No, that’s the thing, he hasn’t. He’s been very true to himself and that’s why he’s such a strong character and a go-to guy in terms of that balance the team needs.
‘It’s quite a rare thing in sport. In team sport, you need different personalities and traits. You need people who are always mellow and you need people who are emotionally very turbulent, but you also need people like him who are very level-headed – and also very good at making coffees! He’s been brilliant.’
In the aftermath of England’s tense victory over Scotland on February 22, Tom’s twin brother Ben highlighted the way George is still a vocal leader in the ranks, having been deployed as an impact replacement in the last two matches. When asked what was being said under the posts as Scotland captain Finn Russell lined up a potentially decisive conversion shot, the flanker said: ‘We thought he (Russell) was going to get it.
‘Jamie was like, ‘We’re gonna go short (from the re-start), we’re gonna get the ball back, then we’re going to score’. Then obviously he missed it so we changed it to a long kick off, ‘We’re going to pin them, no-one touch the breakdown, don’t give them penalties’.
‘It’s great having Jamie come on. Maro’s a great leader, but you can’t just rely on one person. Having Jamie come as another voice – probably a bit different to Maro – they definitely complement each other quite nicely.’
