3. JAMIE GEORGE BELIEVES THAT ENGLAND ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
JAMIE GEORGE: “I think, like Steve elaborated too, of course we are disappointed with the results.I think we wanted to give the England fans three wins for three. Of course we did.I think if you look at the three test matches individually, I think there are definitely things that of course we needed to get better.
“You look at today, I was really proud of the team in terms of the way they fronted up physically. Test match rugby is a game of really fine margins.I think we created a lot of opportunities against a world-class team and back-to-back world champions for a reason. You speak to those guys, I was just in the changing room then and they were saying they felt really under pressure there.
“They felt the physicality of the game and I think that’s a sign of a good team. What we need to do is make sure we find the fixes to closing out those games. I have every confidence and belief in the players and the staff that we will do everything that we possibly can to be a significantly better team come next week but also looking ahead to the Six Nations.”
4. JAMIE GEORGE WEIGHS IN ON BEING SUBBED OFF AS ENGLAND’S CAPTAIN
JAMIE GEORGE: “It certainly doesn’t leave a leadership void.We have leaders all the way across the field.I think you look at the team that was on at the end, there was plenty of leaders in that team.I think every player, if you speak to every player, they would always want to play every moment of every game.
“The hooker jersey is an 80-minute performance across two players.I think when you’ve got the likes of Luke Cowan-Dickie or Theo Dan coming off the bench, then the things that they can add.I think you saw that with Luke tonight.”
5. BORTHWICK & GEORGE CONFIDENT ENGLAND WILL BOUNCE BACK FOR JAPAN
STEVE BORTHWICK: “I’m very confident that we are on the right path and I’m very confident that I’m working with a great group of coaches, a great group of players.I’m very confident that we will be on the trajectory that we’re moving along. We want things to happen now. It’s not happened now. We aim to put in a better performance next week against Japan when we’re back here next Sunday.”
JAMIE GEORGE: “No, look, I think, again, we are as frustrated as everyone else.I think it’s important for us as players to take responsibility over the last three performances.I think when you look at it, you look at the positions that we put ourselves in across all three games and tonight, in terms of the plan that’s being put out there, when we play to the plan, I think we are a very, very dangerous team.
“I think when we stray away from that, we allow teams opportunities and I think that’s exactly what happened this evening. So we will be holding our hands up, we will be looking at ourselves and we’re making sure that we find the fixes so that we are ready to go against Japan.”
