Player-coach rift report will only galvanise England – George

England hooker Jamie George says the squad are "really upset" by a newspaper article claiming the end of their summer tour was marked by player unrest over Steve Borthwick's leadership. Jamie George (left) and captain Maro Itoje (right) are part of Steve Borthwick's senior leadership group England hooker Jamie George says the squad are "really upset" by a newspaper article claiming the end of their summer tour was marked by player unrest over head coach Steve Borthwick's leadership. A report in the Times, external says unhappy players wanted summit talks with Borthwick and Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney in Argentina in July. It alleges there are disagreements among Borthwick's wider coaching group, which has been subject to frequent change in his nearly four years in charge, and concerns over the head coach's man-management skills.

England meet Australia in the Nations Championship on Sunday at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, with George querying the timing of the article as well as its contents. The Saracens hooker, who was made England captain by Borthwick in 2024 before the role passed to Maro Itoje 12 months later, said that he did not recognise the situation described by the article. "I can tell you that a lot of it's untrue," George told Rugby Union Weekly. "You just have to look at the timing