by In the middle of last summer, as England were finalizing their preparations for the Rugby World Cup, Jamie George hosted a question and answer session where he was asked what his favorite entertainment was on the way to the games. The implication is that he might have a TV show, a specific playlist, podcasts or prefer to bury his head in a book. But his answer goes a long way to explaining why he was brought in as England captain. “I’m generally a people person. I like to sit next to good interesting people and talk.”
Speaking to those who know George it is clear that his ability to communicate on and off the field is one of the traits that set him off. Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall waxes lyrical about George’s “emotional intelligence” and Jackson Wray, his former team-mate, former housemate and someone he joined at the club with at the age of 14, believes it is his ability. “flow between different groups” stands out.
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According to Wray, this was a characteristic that was visible from those early days in the Saracens academy. When the Hertfordshire team of George and Owen Farrell beat Essex Wray in a national final, the class of 2008 – which also included Will Fraser and George Kruis – was formed. They would be creating the Saracens dynasty that McCall admitted is coming to an end; back then it was only Tuesday nights together but George’s credentials were clear.
“He was a leader with his voice and his actions, even at that age,” says Wray. “The first thing you need is to respect the people around you and he had that from 14 onwards. He led from the front, whether it was in the gym or in training, he was always extremely skilled and talented. I was probably late to the game, a bit behind in that sense, it was always clear that he would go on and do great things.
“It’s how he did it so well. His ability to flow between groups and have confidence, whether we started playing at 18 when we were just starting in the first team, or now as a senior figure, his ability to connect at all levels with players on throughout the group he has something. always was.”
McCall also speaks of George’s self-confidence, and it is clear that when he speaks publicly, for Saracens or England, his words speak volumes. McCall and Wray also speak of someone who has shown leadership throughout his career and learned from his former Saracens captains, including Steve Borthwick, Alistair Hargreaves, Brad Barritt and Farrell.
“It connects with everyone, whether you’re the youngest in the squad or the oldest,” says McCall. “He has great self-confidence and that’s important in a leader because he won’t feel like he has to try to do it himself. He will share the burden. He has a great understanding of the game. On the pitch leadership is probably the most important sometimes and Jamie has the right understanding and tactical awareness.”
George was a popular appointment to replace his close friend Farrell for many reasons. He gets things fresh without Borthwick completely sweeping the pitch and, as the senior hurler in the squad, – more so since the exit of Luke Cowan-Dickie – is sure to start. Respected by his colleagues, he has a light touch and is able to achieve that balance between letting his hair down with his teammates when the moment calls for it and throwing the switch as a senior figure of the playing squad. As someone who knows him well says, “he has gone from social secretary to captain”.
George is a keen cricket follower and, according to Wray, a handy footballer too. A thorough sportsman who honed his multifaceted skills at Haileybury College where his father, Ian, a former Northampton and Wales scrum in London, was director of sport. “He comes back to that point, he connects with everybody, partly because he has a lot of different interests,” Wray says.
“He is doing very well with his physio clinic, which he started with his friend from school. [But] when it comes down to it, he is extremely competitive. He is proud of his performance in his individual field. As a leader, that’s key, you have to do your job and you have to do it well.”
As long as George was a logical appointment, Borthwick did his research before finalizing it. “Before the World Cup we did this study,” he said. “It was network analysis, for lack of a better term. It was actually an idea that gave me [Burnley manager] Vincent Kompany. Basically you ask the players a series of questions. And then, put your three favorite players in this situation. What it effectively produces is this network of how everyone connects, and who connects to the most people. And the number of people involved with Jamie George is huge.”
Despite overtures from clubs in the French Top 14, George is committed to Saracens for two more years, which makes him a more suitable choice as captain in the eyes of the Rugby Football Union. He made his Saracens debut in 2009 but, stuck behind Schalk Brits and John Smit, had to bide his time before establishing himself in the first team. It was a similar story for England, with Tom Youngs and then-captain Dylan Hartley keeping George out of the side, and he still holds the national record for most appearances as a substitute before starting on end.
“Some people want to go out on loan but what he had was proper exposure to the dressing room at half-time, the dressing room after the game,” says Wray. “The prep, bus trips to games. All the little things, even though he wasn’t playing as much rugby as he would have liked, you learn a lot from how people lead, how they deal with pressure at half-time, how they turn they things around. . He learned a very valuable amount.”
So how will George differ from Farrell? It is tempting to assume that the differences will be numerous but Wray is not so sure. “Both of them are very competitive. We had arguments in training, we used to argue all the time, fight a lot of the time, because we are very competitive and we want to win. So there are a lot of similarities between them, the way they lead and the way they play.
“You follow someone because you respect them, you like them and you know they’re going to deliver. They are both extremely talented rugby players, they understand what is required. Owen is very direct, everyone knows where they stand, which is important and Jamie does that in a slightly different way but you know what you’re going to get from both of them.”
