Mick Cleary: 'Jamie George is England's rock at the head of a here's-hoping squad'

Come on then, Jamie, not much to do then. Chuck a few balls to target, anchor the scrum, hit rucks, smash attackers before whizzing upfield for the occasional gallop? Oh, and galvanise the fractured, downbeat, half-cocked England of recent Six Nations championships, inject much-needed glee and self-expression into the boys, shake off those blues and build on a few more layers of foundation work laid at the World Cup? That enough on your plate? Sorry, there is more, much more.

While you’re here, Jamie, can you do something to shake off the sense of angst and uncertainty that is afflicting the sport, reverse the tailspin trend which has seen your best mate, Owen, head for the sanctuary of club rugby and exile across the Channel, bring back some sense of empathy and connection for the England cause that had Will Carling musing only last week the national side no longer seems to be the be-all-and-end all for young players, a state of drift that is even worse across the Severn Bridge where Louis Rees-Zammit has fled the coop for Big Bucks American Football.

No Antoine Dupont for the 2024 Championship, either. Have the crown jewels become tarnished and less precious? Something is amiss. The sport is in great need of an uptick, an injection of fun as well as fury, five great, rollicking weekends of tribal passion plays.

That’s where Jamie George comes in. Of course his prime function is simply to step into the sizeable shoes vacated by his Saracens mucker and make sure that England continue with their brick-by-brick progression under Steve Borthwick, a project that comprises much scaffolding at the moment rather than yet being a thing of even modest splendour. Given George has had a few niggles of late, just getting bodies in shape for what lies ahead will be enough of a challenge.

However.

‘What do they know of cricket know who only cricket know?’ was a question posed long ago by the Trinidadian CLR James, a philosophical poser urging those who love their sport to look outwards as much as they do inwards. The question holds true today and while George should only focus on getting England’s internal dynamic ticking over nicely, the beauty of his appointment is he has always shown a wider appreciation for what is going on in the world. Rugby needs some love and buzz and brilliance and perspective.

We should have known there and then that Jones was a busted flush, ready to be taken away by the men in white coats.

The 33-year-old has always been well aware England have been underperforming. That he has never shied away from acknowledging uncomfortable truths has been very much part of his appeal. That sense of harsh reality has infused his play and he is sure to bring that cold-eyed vibe to this new England setup.

George as captain is a good move by Borthwick. Post-World Cup moments are always tricky. Eight years ago, England had no option after the scandal and inner turmoil of the 2011 campaign to opt to clean out the stables by appointing Stuart Lancaster who led a root-and-branch makeover. Four years later, of course, the desperate denouement of the Lancaster era heralded the arrival of Eddie Jones. Yet even he did not manage to sustain that early wondrous momentum and had to resort to preposterous grandstanding statements after the 2019 World Cup when stating he wanted the next England iteration to be ‘the greatest team to ever play rugby.’ We should have known there and then that Jones was a busted flush, ready to be taken away by the men in white coats.

There will never be any of that crazed bombast from Borthwick. His squad, though, is very much a reflection of what he is about. George is a steadfast choice, assured, astute, a rock at the head of what is a lively, untested, here’s-hoping sort of squad. The Saracens hooker, along with stalwarts such as Dan Cole and Danny Care, lend continuity. Leadership matters. An air of positivity as well as of possibility, is crucial at this stage. George is the right man at the right time.

It is only fitting, too, that there is a nod to the future in the choice of seven uncapped players, raw talent such as blindside bangers Ethan Roots and Chandler Cunningham-South and wing, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. We all know, however, this is just a start for them not an end in itself. They have much to prove. But at least they are in the mix and at least Borthwick has been true to that most fundamental of maxims in picking on form. Sure, you have to leaven that with a nod to past achievements of the veterans but it’s high time the Premiership was recognised as a valid indicator of worth. Jones never rated it and such short-sighted disdain was eventually to cost him and England dear.

There is far more joined-up thinking, too, in relations with the clubs, another Jones failing. The players who have come through have been properly vetted by Borthwick. There are one or two that might have made the cut, such as Northampton hooker Curtis Langdon or Bath wing Will Muir but these are quibbles as those selected in those positions are deserving of a crack.

There can be no complaints, either, of those who have been passed over, probably for ever and a day, the likes of Billy Vunipola and Kyle Sinckler. Their time is done for various reasons.

It will be fascinating to see how Borthwick shapes England’s attack, the biggest unproductive bugbear of the last 12 months and beyond.

Alfie Barbeary would surely have featured but for his indiscretions last weekend. Alex Dombrandt has to show now that he can replicate his clever, clattering style of play at Test level.

It will be fascinating to see how Borthwick shapes England’s attack, the biggest unproductive bugbear of the last 12 months and beyond. It’s time to go all-in on Marcus Smith, paired with Alex Mitchell and alongside Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade who has a mighty chance to show just how daft it was to leave him out of the World Cup. The Saints backs are purring and if Tommy Freeman or Fraser Dingwall or George Furbank gets the bit between their teeth over the next fortnight then they too will feature prominently in selection conversations.

The pack lack a little heft without the injured George Martin and Borthwick will be anxious about having a full complement of props to call upon.

But the die has been cast. This is a decent squad for the immediate future, a well-blended mix, and with just the right man to lead them into battle.