The new England skipper remains hungry to learn, with a mental appetite that has fed his flourishing career.
George can take his pick when it comes to captaincy role models, even without looking beyond the end of his Saracens nose.
His England head coach, Steve Borthwick, was his first Saracens captain. The rugged lock helped George get to grips with skippering the club's A team, with the young front-rower hardly out of his teens at the time.
It was a captaincy crossover that left a lasting impression on Borthwick. The regard with which he held the youngster at the start of his career has translated into making the 33-year-old his new skipper for the Six Nations.
Owen Farrell is the most obvious and recent captaincy touchstone for 85-cap George. And yet, perhaps the most instructive role model on George's England leadership comes in the unlikely form of ex-Ireland captain Rory Best. George struck up a firm friendship with Best on the Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017, and the two have stayed in touch.
Where Saracens boss Mark McCall and club-mate Farrell were his first two ports of call on being named England skipper, George said Best might just end up being the third.
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin January 30, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin January 30, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis
