Strange to snub George like this
WHAT is it with Jamie George? Or, to put the same question in a different, more accurate way: What is it with the coaches who don’t pick Jamie George and end up regretting it?
In the run-up to the 2015 World Cup, the brains trust around Stuart Lancaster took the view that the Saracens hooker was no better than fourth best in the England pecking order, behind Dylan Hartley (semi-understandable, just about), Tom Youngs (stretching a point to the limits of elasticity) and…er…Rob Webber. Yes, honestly.
When the combustible Hartley was suspended for butting George during a Premiership semi-final and forfeited his place in Lancaster’s squad, his rival was the direct beneficiary. And a fat lot of good it did him: little more than a single half of activity, against the might of Uruguay in a “dead” fixture.
George then proceeded to confirm what everyone with a functioning pair of eyes had known for ages: that in terms of durability, technical proficiency and his range of footballing skills – the whole shebang, basically – he was far and away the number one No.2 in the country, underlining the fact by starting all three Lions Tests in New Zealand in 2017.
Quite why he failed to double down on his red-shirted feat in South Africa just recently has never been satisfactorily explained. By the same yardstick, Eddie Jones’ initial decision to leave him out of the Red Rose party for the forthcoming international programme may forever remain a mystery.
That the Saracen has now been summoned to replace the injured Luke Cowan-Dickie is a step back in the forward direction, if that makes sense, but even so, it makes you wonder if Test-level coaches see things the ordinary punter misses, or whether they make weird picks just because they can.