In the middle of last summer, as England were finalising preparations for the Rugby World Cup, Jamie George hosted a Q&A session and was asked what his entertainment of choice was when en route to matches. The implication being that he might have a go-to TV show, a specific playlist, podcast or prefer to bury his head in a book. But his answer goes a long way to explaining why he has been installed as England captain. “Generally I’m a people person. I like to sit next to good, interesting people and talk.”
Speaking to those who know George best it becomes clear that his ability to communicate on and off the field is among the attributes that set him apart. His director of rugby at Saracens, Mark McCall, waxes lyrical about George’s “emotional intelligence” while according to Jackson Wray, his former teammate, ex-housemate and someone with whom he joined the club at the age of 14, it is his ability to “flow between different groups” that stands out.
According to Wray, this was a trait evident since those early days in the Saracens academy. When, after a Hertfordshire side featuring George and Owen Farrell overcame Wray’s Essex in a national final, the class of 2008 – also featuring Will Fraser and George Kruis – was formed. They would go on to create a Saracens dynasty that McCall has conceded is reaching the end; back then it was just 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 respect of 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 incredibly skilful and talented. I was probably late to the game, a bit behind in that sense, it was always clear he would go on and do amazing things.
“It’s the way he’s done it as well. His ability to flow between groups and have confidence with it, 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 on all levels with players across the group is something he’s always had.”
McCall talks of George’s self-confidence, too, and it is evident that whenever he speaks publicly, on behalf of either Saracens or England, his words resonate. McCall and Wray also speak of someone who has demonstrated leadership throughout his career and has learned from his former Saracens captains, including Steve Borthwick, Alistair Hargreaves, Brad Barritt and Farrell.
“He just connects with everybody, whether you’re the youngest in the squad or the oldest,” says McCall. “He’s got great self-confidence and that’s important in a leader because he won’t feel the need to try to do it all himself. He’ll share the load. He’s got a great understanding of the game. On the field is probably where leadership counts most on occasion and Jamie’s got the appropriate understanding and the tactical awareness.”
George was a popular appointment to replace his close friend Farrell for many reasons. He freshens things up without Borthwick having to sweep the new broom entirely and, as the senior hooker in the squad, – all the more so since Luke Cowan-Dickie’s withdrawal – he is guaranteed to start. He commands respect among his peers, has a lightness of touch and is able to strike that balance between letting his hair down with teammates when the moment calls for it and flicking the switch as a senior figure of the playing squad. As someone who knows him well puts it, “he’s gone from social secretary to captain”.
George is an avid cricket follower and, according to Wray, a handy footballer too. A rounded sportsman then, who honed his multifaceted skills at Haileybury college where his father, Ian, a former Northampton and London Welsh scrum-half, was director of sport. “It comes back to that point, he connects with everyone, partly because he has a lot of different interests,” says Wray.
“He’s doing very well with his physio clinic, which he started with his friend from school. [But] when it comes down to it, he’s incredibly competitive. He takes pride in his performance in his individual area. As a leader, that is crucial, you need to do your job and you need to do it well.”
As much as George was the logical appointment, Borthwick did his research before finalising it. “Prior to the World Cup we did this study,” he said. “It was a network analysis, for want of a better term. It was actually an idea given to me by [Burnley manager] Vincent Kompany. You basically give the players a series of questions. And then, put the top three players you turn to in this situation. What it effectively produces is this network of how everybody connects, and who connects with who the most. And the number of people who connected with Jamie George is immense.”
Despite overtures from clubs in France’s Top 14, George has committed to Saracens for another two years, which makes him all the more fitting a choice for captain in the eyes of the Rugby Football Union. He made his Saracens debut in 2009 but, stuck behind Schalk Brits and John Smit, he had to bide his time before establishing himself in the first team. For England it was a similar story, with Tom Youngs and Dylan Hartley, captain at the time, keeping George out of the side, and he still holds the national record for number of appearances made as a replacement before finally getting a start.
“Some people want to go out on loan but what he had was a real exposure to the changing room at half-time, the changing room after the game,” says Wray. “The prep, the bus trips to games. All the little things that even though he wasn’t playing as much rugby as he’d have liked, you do learn a hell of a lot from how people lead, how they deal with pressure at half-time, how they turn things around. He learned an invaluable amount.”
So how will George differ from Farrell? There is a temptation to assume the differences will be manifold but Wray is not so sure. “They’re both incredibly competitive. We’ve had arguments in training, we used to argue all the time, fight a lot of the time, because we’re incredibly 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’re both incredibly talented rugby players, they sense what’s needed. 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.”
