Time has come for George to start making his mark
Something has to give as hookers vie for Lions place
JAMIE GEORGE has 17 England caps but has never started a Test.
So it is testament to his excellence as one of Eddie Jones’s most trusted ‘finishers’ that the Saracens hooker i s favourite t o usurp England captain Dylan Hartley and be one of three hookers named in the Lions tour party on Wednesday.
Fitter, faster and leaner than at any point, the 26-year-old has been outstanding off t he bench for England while excelling for reigning European and Aviva Premiership champions Saracens.
Fate would have it that four days before Lions coach Warren Gatland shows his hand, Hartley and George go head t o head at Franklin’s Gardens today when Northampton host Saracens.
‘I love playing Dylan,’ said George. ‘There’s always a huge amount of competition. He’s a good player and I enjoy playing one of the best hookers around. I know I’m going to have to be on the top of my game.’
He admitted: ‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about the Lions. It’s always in the back of your mind and it has been for a little while but I don’t think it can be at the front.
‘If you look too far ahead, you’re not thinking of what you’re doing day to day.’
Two seasons ago H artley’ s decision to butt George when the sides met in the play-off semi-final cost him his place in England’s World Cup squad and left them without their first-choice hooker for the showpiece home tournament.
Two years on, the pair find themselves potentially battling for one Lions hooking spot, with Wales’ Ken Owens and Ireland’s Rory Best also expected to be named.
‘It’s funny,’ said George. ‘We’ve chatted a lot about the instances when that happened before. But that was before we really knew each other and we actually get on really well. We’ve got a huge amount of respect for each other. It’s going to be competitive on the field but we’ll be mates off it.’
Despite t he mutual r espect, Jones’s notoriously brutal training sessions have inevitably led to flareups in one of the most combative and demanding positions. ‘ When pundits have a look at line- ups before games, hooker is probably the best one to have a look at,’ added George. ‘ It’s confrontational and there are clear indicators whether you’re having a good or bad game when it comes to the setpiece. Dylan and I work hard and work against each other the whole time. Live scrum sessions, live maul sessions, live rugby sessions on a Tuesday often. It gets really physical but that’s the way it should be. Eddie likes it that way.’
With the Vunipola brothers, Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje all as good as certain to be picked while George and second row George Kruis are strong contenders, Saracens could have six men in Gatland’s squad.
‘That would be incredible,’ George said. ‘The guys would deserve their places. When you go away with England it’s always great to do it with guys you’ve grown up with and are close to. Then if you have issues or are down, it’s good to have those Saracens guys around. They’re really good mates.’
With directors of rugby promoting their players to Lions status, you would expect Saracens boss Mark McCall to deliver the unequivocal ‘No’ that he does when asked if he would swap George for any other hooker in the country.
So it is perhaps better to listen to Wasps director of rugby and two-time Lions tourist Dai Young.
He said: ‘They are very different. Listening to the players, Dylan has been a real good captain. He sets good examples in training, has that combative edge and does the basics really well. But I believe Jamie is probably a better rugby player.’
While both players’ set-piece work is unquestionable, it is George’s greater mobility and outstanding footballing skills that could tip the Lions selection scales in his favour.
They will need intelligence as well as brawn to beat the All Blacks.
‘ Jamie’s the full package,’ said McCall. ‘He’s a brilliant setpiece hook er who throws the ball brilliantly. He’s a strong scrummager but he’s clever, mobile and intelligent around the park. He’s got a great personality and Gatland’s history shows he wants good tourists who can get on with people. Jamie is one of those.’