Jamie George lifts the lid on 'chaos' of Lions call-up and 47-hour trip from England duty to Australia - admitting 'I would have swum!'
The 34-year-old Saracens hooker woke up in San Juan, Argentina, on the morning of Saturday, July 12, expecting to serve again as co-captain of England, in their quest to seal a 2-0 series victory over the dangerous Pumas. Instead, he was hurriedly withdrawn from that match, to prepare for an inter-continental trek to join up with Andy Farrell's British and Irish squad in Brisbane, ahead of the first Test last weekend – as cover for injured compatriot Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Now, having been selected to start the final tour game of the 2025 campaign against a First Nations-Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium, George explained the logistical challenge answering his emergency summons. 'It was chaos,' he said. 'I didn't really understand how it was all going to work. I woke up on Saturday morning, obviously preparing for our second Test against Argentina, to messages saying, 'Luke has picked up a head knock'.
'Steve (Borthwick – England head coach) spoke to me and he was the one who told me I was going to Australia and then spoke to Andy. We had a conversation about whether I could play in the game and then come, because there were no flights outside of San Juan that night, so I had to stay for the game anyway. Obviously, I was always going to want to play in that game because of the scale of it.
'Door to door, it was about 47 hours' travel from San Juan to Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires to Rio, Rio to Dubai and Dubai to Brisbane. So, I gave the world a good lap! But honestly, if it was up to me, I would have swum here.
'Getting that call, I reflected on the disappointment of not being selected in the initial squad. Some of the best memories I've ever had on a rugby field were in 2017 (Lions tour of New Zealand). So, to be able to represent the Lions again is the stuff that dreams are made of.'
George certainly racked up the air miles and he also had plenty of time for some varied viewing. 'I watched a full series of Mobland,' he said. 'I watched some pretty horrific movies on the plane if I'm honest. I watched Tin Cup – the golf one; a couple of old-school films.
'They (Lions) sent me a good sleep protocol which was quite hard to follow; when to sleep and when to try and stay awake. I had to try and stay awake for the first seven hours of the first flight, which was a challenge. So, to Rio and then the first five on the way to Dubai. But it was great. I genuinely felt like, by the time I got here, I'd sort of got over it because of the length of time on the plane.'
Inclusion in the starting side for the last midweek fixture Down Under presents a glimmer of hope that George could force his way into Test contention – however far-fetched that might be with a four-day turn-around before the next encounter with the Wallabies. That is on his ultimate wish list, but just being here means so much to the veteran of two previous tours. His sheer enthusiasm for the Lions is infectiously apparent.
'I am blown away, I find it very surreal and I am taken aback,' he said. 'This will be one of the biggest games of my career. I never thought I would have this opportunity again, so I am not going to let it slip. I am motivated as I have ever been, but there are ridiculously good players ahead of me. All I can do is enjoy every opportunity that I get and put my best foot forward.
'It's emotional to be back out there because I never thought this opportunity was going to come. When the squad was announced, I was heartbroken and now I've got the opportunity to pull the jersey on again and it might be the last time, it might not be. I'll play like it's the last time. I want to make people proud, I want to do the jersey proud and do everything I can to win in a Lions jersey.'
The hectic and last-minute nature of his selection has limited the possibility of his family coming out, but George's father, Ian, has arrived in Melbourne, after hastily changing travel plans to head for Australia rather than South America. 'My old man is on the way,' he said. 'He phoned me in a panic. It was literally two hours before kick-off and I got a phone call. He was supposed to be flying that night and the flight has been cancelled.
'The bloke is 74 and technology doesn't work too well (for him), so he was flapping and stressing. But he's on another flight, on his way here. He's buzzing. Being able to do stuff like this for people like my old man, giving him the opportunity to travel around Australia, to watch his son play for the Lions – that's the special bit about what I do.'
George is a highly experienced figure with Lions pedigree. He knows how difficult these tours can be, after a series draw in 2017 and defeat in 2021. He is certain that Farrell's team can play a lot better after being 'clunky at times' in the Brisbane opener, which they won 27-19.
He has no doubt about the overall balance of power but is expecting a fierce contest on Saturday. 'In my eyes, I don't see a world where Australia looked like winning the game,' he said. 'In the first half of that Test, the physicality that I saw from the Lions team was something else. Tom Curry was on jet fuel. It was crazy. There were some seriously good performances.
'We're 1-0 up in the series and the potential of the team is huge, but I'm expecting a much better Australia team. I think they would have been disappointed with the way they played. There's talk of them bringing in some pretty big hitters. That means they're going to be a much better team. Is Test two going to go nuclear? I imagine so, from both sides.'
For a passionate cricket fan, the fact that the next Test is taking place at the iconic MCG adds to the sense of occasion. George hopes to return to the 100,000-capacity stadium one day, as a spectator. 'Bucket-list stuff for me is watching the Boxing Day Test there,' he said. 'I'll be getting stuck in once I've retired. In the Barmy Army, 100 per cent. I'd be in the mix – shirt off. I'd have anywhere between 15 and 20 pints, a tattoo of Joe Root on one arm, Ben Stokes on the other!'
When it was suggested that George and his team-mates should recreate the famous England cricket team 'sprinkler' celebration from 2010 on the MCG out-field, if the Lions seal a series win, he said: 'What a great shout! It's lunacy that (Henry) Pollock would have been five at the time – but he is a lunatic. I see myself as a sort of Graeme Swann figure. Similar characters – both talented blokes. It could happen, yeah.'
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