LONDON, Jan 26 : England hooker and former captain Jamie George has welcomed the confidence swirling around the team going into the Six Nations but said they cannot expect to win the title by playing the same way as they did to build an 11-match winning streak last year.
England last won the tournament in 2020 and their most recent Grand Slam was in 2016, both under Eddie Jones, but they go into their opening match at home to Wales on February 7 with more confidence that they can top the standings than for many years.
After narrowly losing their championship opener to Ireland in Dublin almost a year ago, England have chalked up 11 successive wins, including a rare one against New Zealand, and coach Steve Borthwick has built considerable depth in his squad.
“We welcome the expectation because it’s a compliment for what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved over a short period of time, but it also keep us on our toes because we know we can’t be complacent and can’t rely on previous performances,” George said at the Six Nations launch in Edinburgh on Monday.
“We know that if we are the same team as we were for the last 11 games, it’s not going to be good enough, so our focus over the next two weeks is to become a better team.
“We have to set a new tone and new standard and play with a new intensity and in a way we’re proud of,” added George, who was standing in for Maro Itoje, who missed the event after the death of his mother last month.
England should expect to swat aside a desperate Wales, but then face a trip to Edinburgh to play a Scotland team who have won three of the last four Calcutta Cup games at Murrayfield.
Then come a home match against Ireland and trips to Italy and France.
“We haven’t won in Edinburgh for a long time so it’s going to be a huge game for us. Hopefully, we can get off to a start against Wales and then we’ll focus on Scotland,” said George, who announced last week that he will retire at the end of next season.
“It’s probably turned into our biggest rivalry in the Six Nations.”
When announcing his squad last week, Borthwick was unusually positive in his view of the championship. “It’s brilliant that people are talking in that way about this England team,” said the coach, who rarely offers any comment on any game other than the next one.
“They can see the development of the team and the potential that’s in it, but we’re nowhere near maxing out that potential. I’m really pleased at how the players are embracing how we want to play and taking the game on. I want them coming in with a mindset to play brave, and attack this tournament.
“On March 14 in Paris, we want to be in a position entering that game where we can achieve what we’re all aiming to achieve. We want England fans flooding across the Channel to Paris to watch the team in a massive encounter in the final round with the opportunity to achieve what we want.”
