‘Losing captaincy almost made me end England career’

England vs. Italy: Men’s Six Nations

Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT Sunday, 9 March

Jamie George considered quitting his England career because he had experienced the shock and suffering of losing his captain before the Six Nations.

Before last year’s championship, Hooker George, 34, took over as England skipper, but Maro Itoje, a Saracens team-mate, took the place in January.

He stated in the podcast for BBC Sport’s Rugby Union Weekly that it was difficult, frustrating, and obviously that makes you wonder if you can do it.

I won’t lie and say that finishing his English career didn’t go through my mind because I had no idea how things would work out in the long run and if it would be too awkward to go back in. I avoided making any “trailing on my toes”

George claims that he and his father, uncle, and wife made a decision based on their opinions and that not everyone felt the same way about his international career.

What is your gut feeling, though, is ultimately what? . . . All I wanted to do was be back on that field because I missed the Ireland game, but I watched the Ireland game [he missed this year’s Six Nations opener with an injury].

England finished third in the 2024 Six Nations under George, but the following year they lost five games in a row to New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

Under his leadership, England won five of its 12 Test matches.

Steve Borthwick’s head coach, who George claimed in a “pretty to the point” conversation in St Albans, broke the news to him over coffee. He claimed George had won three Six Nations titles and had participated in the 2019 World Cup final.

With Borthwick speaking the day before Itoje’s promotion was made public, George said he would have preferred to have had more time to digest the news in private.

Itoje described George as a “great friend and leader” who had “brilliantly led the team,” and Borthwick cited this as one factor in his choice to have a skipper who would play 80 minutes rather than be replaced midway through the second half.

When Ben Stokes became the England Test captaincy in 2022, George said he is now drawing inspiration from Joe Root, a cricketer who was in a similar situation.

He appeared freed up, enjoying himself, contributing a lot, and they valuing his leadership, according to George, who credited him with improving his batting significantly as he transitioned from being the captain to the lead.

“I don’t pretend to be the Joe Root of the England rugby team, but I do have some inspiration from that.”

In Sunday’s game against Italy, George will likely win his 100th cap for England, praising “Maro’s ability to ease me a lot” and saying “eased me a lot” after the captaincy going to Itoje.

Luke Cowan-Dickie was subbed in by The Saracen to help his team record two straight victories over France and Scotland.

George still has big goals in the sport, and he wants to take the country on a third British and Irish Lions tour this summer and compete for England in the 2027 World Cup, both of which are taking place in Australia.