ROOT TO HAPPY PLACE

George follows cricket great Joe's example after losing armband.

- ADAM HATHAWAY

JAMIE GEORGE has revealed his bounce-back from losing the England captaincy was inspired by Joe Root doing the same in cricket.

George dumped as captain by Steve Borthwick over a coffee in a St Albans cafe in January, with Maro Itoje taking over.

The hooker missed the Ireland opener with a calf injury but has since produced turbo-charged performances in Six Nations wins over 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. George, a big cricket fan, said he was inspired by Root's rise from Ashes humiliation and resignation from the captaincy in 2022 to topping the world Test batting rankings by 2024.