ENGLAND'S ENFORCER

Leicester and England second-row GEORGE MARTIN is quickly bulldozing his way to the very top of the game

- JOSH GRAHAM

GEORGE MARTIN is renowned for his thumping tackles but it’s his ability to keep rugby union so simple that really hits home when we sit down to chat.

In an era of ultra-professionalism, every microscopic detail of the game is pored over by analysts. Systems, calls and patterns are all part of the modern playbooks, but for the Leicester Tigers and England second-row, there’s no need to overcomplicate on-field matters.

“Rugby is simple at the end of the day. You can make it as complicated as you want but it’s a pretty simple sport. I try to keep it as simple as I can so I can just do my job, get on with it and play.”

When you make your full England debut after just six Premiership games while still just a teenager, it’s easy to see why the game might come naturally to Martin. Eddie Jones clocked him on a visit to what was then Steve Borthwick’s Leicester and after a false start – as an unused sub against Wales – Martin won a first cap off the bench in the back row in Dublin during the 2021 Six Nations.

“It definitely came earlier than was expected but I was ready to play,” Martin tells Rugby World. “I had 20 minutes off the bench against Ireland and I just tried to enjoy it and learn as much as I could.”

The bit that Martin enjoys the most, you will not be surprised to learn, is the physicality. Something he believes the game should embrace in full.

“I think you’ve got to have physicality in rugby, that’s what it’s all about. They should celebrate that side. You want to watch big hits. “Rugby is a physical sport and that’s the bit I enjoy and I know it’s the bit a lot of other players enjoy as well. We should be proud of that.”

Martin hits hard but insists he does not chase massive shots. He’s his own biggest critic and is most happy when a brutally honest post-game review throws up an example of his extra work-rate rather than a trademark bone-rattler. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.