Jamie George leads England into gruelling three-continent Nations Championship tour

England set off on Wednesday for a 25,000-mile summer tour across three continents, with Jamie George captaining the side in the opening phase of the inaugural Nations Championship after Maro Itoje was rested. Steve Borthwick’s squad face Tests against South Africa in Johannesburg on 4 July, Fiji in Liverpool, and Argentina in Santiago del Estero.

Despite the scale of the itinerary — unique among the competing nations — defence coach Richard Wigglesworth was clear that the travel demands would not be treated as a mitigating factor. “We have a massive challenge,” Wigglesworth said. “You can either see it as a massive hindrance or something really exciting that none of the other teams have to do — and we’re embracing it. It can’t be an excuse for us, it’s just part of the challenge.”

England expect a clean bill of health for the Johannesburg opener against back-to-back world champions the Springboks. Forwards Ellis Genge, Guy Pepper, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Arthur Clarke have all been receiving treatment for injuries but are on course to be fit in time.

One player drawing attention on both sides is 21-year-old back-row Henry Pollock, whose barnstorming performances for Northampton — including victories over Leicester and Exeter that secured the Gallagher Premiership title — have earned him an influential role on tour. Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus drew a striking comparison, likening Pollock to his own captain Siya Kolisi.

“He’s like Siya,” Erasmus said. “People make a big deal about certain players, but I don’t always think the players themselves want that attention. What counts is what they do on the field and recently he’s been exceptional.”

Erasmus also acknowledged uncertainty about what Borthwick’s England will bring tactically. “Steve is someone who works with numbers and chases trends and that’s always difficult to prepare against,” he said. “If I say we know exactly what they’ll do next Saturday, I’d be lying.”

George resumes the captaincy he held earlier in 2025 before Itoje took over, adding another layer of familiarity to a squad that will need to draw on every resource across a demanding three-stop schedule.