George Martin on his injury comeback, Saracens switch and targeting England's autumn campaign

George Martin is back on the field and settling into life at Saracens after a gruelling 14-month absence caused by shoulder and knee injuries, with the England lock now targeting a prominent role in the autumn internationals.

Martin’s summer move from Leicester to Saracens was, by any measure, the standout transfer of the 2026 English domestic window. The 25-year-old second row, who came through the Tigers academy and had never played for another club, has joined forces with England captain Maro Itoje in what promises to be a formidable Saracens engine room — and a potentially fearsome pairing for England head coach Steve Borthwick to call upon this autumn.

“It’s been great so far. I’ve really enjoyed it,” Martin said. “I obviously knew some of the boys from England, and I knew quite a few lads like Hugh Tizard and Alfie Barbeary from playing age grade, so I didn’t feel like I was moving to somewhere completely different in that sense.”

The transition has been eased by a pre-season camp in Cornwall that Martin credited with accelerating the bonding process. He also noted the training environment at Saracens is more familiar than outsiders might expect. “The set-up is very, very similar to Leicester in terms of the training ground. We share with the local rugby club, and I love that. We come in to train hard, and that’s it. It’s not flashy.”

What has struck him as different, however, is the tactical emphasis under head coach Brendan Venter. “We are doing more game scenarios — we have a big emphasis on that in our training with a lot of mini-games, but we’re still working super hard on the fundamentals of maul, scrum and defence.”

Martin is candid about where his body is in its recovery. “I’ve got strength back but I’m down on muscle,” he acknowledged — a frank admission from a player who carries the physical demands of a 20-stone enforcer. The 14-month layoff, covering both a shoulder and a knee problem, represents the most significant interruption of his career to date, and rebuilding the physical base required at Test level will take time.

Off the field, Martin has had rather more to celebrate. He proposed to his girlfriend Natalie, a veterinary nurse, over the summer at one of their favourite restaurants in Ibiza. “It was lovely,” he said. “And she said ‘yes’, which was the most important bit. We haven’t set a date yet — we’ve just moved and we want to try and get settled first, but it will definitely be sometime over the next couple of years.”

He remains in contact with former Leicester teammates — a recent roast dinner in London with Ollie Chessum among the highlights — but his focus is firmly on making his mark in North London. With Itoje returning after a summer rest and England’s autumn schedule approaching, Martin’s comeback could hardly be better timed.