Axed George follows Root to rise again

JAMIE GEORGE has revealed he bounced back from losing the England captaincy after taking inspiration from Joe Root doing the same in cricket.

- Adam Hathaway

George was dumped as captain of the national rugby union team by Steve Borthwick in January, with Maro Itoje taking over.

The hooker missed the Six Nations opener against Ireland with a calf injury but has since produced turbo-charged performances in the wins against France and Scotland.

He thought his international days could be done after Borthwick's bombshell but will raise his bat for his 100th cap, against Italy, on Sunday.

The 34-year-old, a big cricket fan, has been inspired by Root, above, who rose from Ashes humiliation and resignation from the captaincy in 2022 to topping the world Test batting rankings by 2024.