Jamie George says report of England unrest will galvanise squad

England hooker Jamie George says a newspaper report alleging unrest over head coach Steve Borthwick’s leadership has left the squad “really upset” — but he expects it to bring the players closer together ahead of Sunday’s match against Australia.

The Times reported that unhappy players wanted talks with Borthwick and Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney during England’s tour of Argentina in July. It also alleged disagreements within the wider coaching group and concerns about Borthwick’s management. The report did not directly quote its sources.

George said he did not recognise the situation described and called parts of the report untrue. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby Union Weekly, he said the squad had discussed the story at a meeting called by captain Maro Itoje.

George also questioned its timing, two days before England’s first autumn Test. “This is going to galvanise us, it’s going to make us tighter,” he said, adding that the players wanted to support Borthwick.

Borthwick told the same programme that the report’s depiction was not one he recognised. He said meetings between senior players and coaches were a normal part of most coaching set-ups. George said those conversations in Argentina had included challenge and feedback, but “at no stage was it toxic”.

There have been earlier public criticisms of Borthwick’s set-up. Former England captain Ben Youngs has spoken about feeling unsupported by Borthwick during a family illness, while former defence coach Felix Jones left after seven months; an “unstable working environment” was reported as a factor in his departure.

England begin their autumn campaign against Australia at Twickenham on Sunday. Their last two outings, wins over Fiji and Argentina, ended a run of five consecutive defeats, but the BBC reports England’s winning percentage for 2026 remains 38%.