Tailenders Jamie George
Oct 8, 2025
Jamie George, England and Lions hooker and Saracens stalwart, shares stories from a schoolroom with Sam Billings and choosing rugby over cricket. He recalls Lions touring life and team culture. He explains how cricket imagery helps his lineout throws. He also reflects on training intensity, memorable matches, and international ambitions.
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Schoolroom Cricket With Sam Billings
- Jamie George grew up playing cricket and shared a school room with Sam Billings, who was clearly the better cricketer.
- He opened the batting at school, took singles at the other end, and still plays quick one-hand cricket warm-ups with Saracens.
Lions Tour Bonding Culture
- Jamie describes the Lions tour culture where players from four countries bond intensely and buy into team time.
- He notes even solitary players like Ellis Genge made a point to socialise and integrate on that tour.
Training Harder Than The Match
- Jamie says modern rugby training exceeds match intensity, so match-day performance feels easier after brutal sessions.
- He describes weekly sessions 'above test match intensity' with collisions and running harder than an actual test match.