Jamie George on pain of losing captaincy before Six Nations

Jamie George has revealed that losing the England captaincy ahead of the Six Nations left him shocked, hurt, and even contemplating ending his England career. The 34-year-old hooker George took over as England captain from Owen Farrell before last year's tournament, but was replaced by his Saracens teammate Maro Itoje in January of this year. This unexpected change in leadership deeply affected George's perception of his role within the team.

George confessed on BBC Sport's Rugby Union Weekly podcast: "It was tough, it was difficult, it was frustrating, and obviously it makes you question whether you're good enough anymore." He added: "I'm not going to lie and say I didn't think about [ending his England career] because I genuinely didn't know how it was going to work logistically and whether it would be too awkward to come back. I didn't want to offend anyone." The emotional toll of the decision led him to consider his future with the national team.

George revealed that he consulted his father, uncle, and wife about the matter, and not everyone thought he should continue his international career. But he added: "But the overriding question was 'what does your gut say?' Initially I didn't know if I could go back, but I watched the Ireland game (the opening match of this year's Six Nations, which he missed through injury) and I just wanted to get back out there because I missed it so much." Ultimately, his passion for the game and desire to represent England prevailed.

Under George's leadership, England finished third in the 2024 Six Nations but then suffered five consecutive defeats in the summer and autumn against New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. During his tenure, England won five of their 12 Test matches. George said that head coach Steve Borthwick told him the news in a "very straight" coffee conversation in St Albans. "I think he was surprised at my self-doubt," George added. "I think it would sting anyone. It's a job I love, I'm hugely proud to do it and I felt like I was just getting started. It was a surprise." The captaincy change came as a shock, especially given his recent appointment and enthusiasm for the role.

George added that he would have preferred more time to privately process the news, as his conversation with Borthwick occurred only the day before Itoje's promotion was publicly announced. Itoje, upon being appointed, called George "a great friend and leader" who had led the team "fantastically well," while Borthwick explained that having a captain who could stay on the field for the full 80 minutes, rather than being substituted midway through the second half like most front-row players, was a factor in his decision. The timing of the announcement and Borthwick's reasoning added to George's disappointment.

George said he is now taking inspiration from cricketer Joe Root, who also faced a similar situation when the England Test captaincy was passed to Ben Stokes in 2022. "His batting has gone through the roof since he stopped being captain, he looks relaxed, he's enjoying himself and he's still contributing massively, and they value his leadership," George said. "I'm not saying I'm the Joe Root of the England rugby team, but I'm taking inspiration from that." He hopes to emulate Root's success and continue contributing to the team in a significant way.

George said the captaincy being given to Itoje "takes a lot of pressure off me because I know how good Maro is," and he is in line to win his 100th England cap in Sunday's game against Italy. The Saracens player replaced Luke Cowan-Dickie off the bench to help his side to nervy victories over France and Scotland in the past two matches. Reaching this milestone is a testament to his dedication and longevity in the sport.

George still has big ambitions in the sport, hoping to go on his third British and Irish Lions tour this summer and represent England at the 2027 World Cup, both of which are in Australia. He and his fellow front-rower Ellis Genge are now both vice-captains for England. George made his England debut in a 25-20 defeat by France ahead of the 2015 World Cup, replacing Tom Youngs. He remains focused on achieving further success on the international stage.

He helped England win the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2016 and retain their title in 2017, when Eddie Jones' side recorded 18 consecutive Test victories - but all of his appearances came off the bench, with then-captain Dylan Hartley occupying the No. 2 shirt. Instead, George's first Test start came on the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in the summer of 2017. George started all three Tests against the All Blacks, which ended in a draw, before making his first England start that November against Samoa at Twickenham. Despite the initial challenges, he has proven his worth as a player.

"I never thought I'd get here, ever, not in a million, billion years," he said. "It's pretty surreal really. I'm blown away by it all. It's not been a smooth journey by any means, but you learn stuff, you put your head down. I realised pretty early on I had to be resilient and tougher. I feel like I've done that pretty well. I'm as ambitious now as I was when I was 25 and first got into the team." George is poised to become only the seventh male player to win 100 England caps, after Ben Youngs (127), Dan Cole (118), Jason Leonard (114), Owen Farrell (112), Courtney Lawes (105) and Danny Care (101). His journey is an inspiration to aspiring rugby players.