News about George Martin

Leicester's spit-and-sawdust training ground and no-nonsense methods have been a source of significant pride at the club and a fundamental part of their success over the years. But as she sat at Oval Park earlier this month, Tigers chief executive Andrea Pinchen had a very clear message for everyone associated with the organisation she heads up. 'Finishing eighth isn't what Leicester is about,' Pinchen said, calmly but clearly.

CHRIS FOY: Before heading to the airport for their 12,000-mile journey home, England's tour party took a ferry to Waiheke Island to enjoy lunch overlooking the Hauraki Gulf and sing a few songs. After being on the go for 13 months, it was a deserved opportunity to relax and unwind together, come to terms with another frustrating, jarring defeat and reflect on everything they have been through in the course of a marathon season. It didn't end how they wanted it to, but given where they were last summer, England could take comfort from the sense that they are on the up. So much has happened during a campaign which begun last June, when Steve Borthwick named his training squad for the World Cup. Not long after that, the national team appeared to be in a state of disarray following another two-wins-from five return in the Six Nations. They lost at home to Fiji, which wasn't an ideal send-off for the global showpiece, amid grave concerns about their physical condition and their defence in particular.

CHRIS FOY IN DUNEDIN: England coaches and players often say they don't like looking back, but they are well aware that Saturday's momentous task is to reverse rugby history - and are convinced that it can be done. Why not? It has already happened, before this series against the All Blacks has even begun. The tourists are fit, ready, acclimatised, well prepared and confident, not weary, weakened, resigned and besieged.  It is a total contrast to so many previous visits to this far-off, forbidding enemy territory, where England have only ever won twice; in 1973 and 2003.

JOE MARLER: I've loved my week in Japan. It's one of my favourite cultures to delve into and I've been savouring every moment because this will probably be my last England tour. Myself and Jamie George walked past the local hotel we stayed in 16 years ago and it made me feel quite nostalgic. I'm embracing my final days in an England shirt and what a place to do it. I have unbelievable memories of the 2019 World Cup - bar the final - and it's great to be back.

EXCLUSIVE BY ALEX BYWATER: George Martin's impressive rise has seen him become a Leicester and England regular and finally ditch his tiny first car which made him the butt of jokes from his team-mates. Now the giant second row is looking to continue his progression on his first international summer tour with the 22-year-old set to be a key figure for Steve Borthwick's national side in both Japan and New Zealand in the weeks to come.  Martin is certainly one to watch in England's second row. At 6ft 6in and 19 stone, he is far from small, which is why he has been the subject of ridicule for the fact that until recently, he has been driving a Volkswagen Up - a vehicle in which he barely fitted.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Like Gareth Southgate and his England footballers, Steve Borthwick and the country's rugby stars have a hugely exciting and potentially defining few weeks ahead. The similarities between the two teams are striking. Both are packed with exciting young players blessed with brilliant, natural ability. For Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka in football, read Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in rugby. There are others in Borthwick's squad I'm excited by, particularly Fin Smith and George Martin.

ALEX BYWATER: Ollie Chessum will miss England's crucial tour matches with New Zealand this summer after underdoing successful surgery on a shoulder injury. The Leicester Tigers forward - who can play at both lock and blindside flanker - has emerged as a key figure for club and country since making his international debut in the 2022 Six Nations.

CHRIS FOY - WORLD OF RUGBY: As the Leicester faithful tried to come to terms with another let-down campaign, the backlash boiled over on Saturday to such an extent that the club may take action against some of their own disgruntled fans. The cause of the unrest was a shocking collapse by the Tigers, who were beaten again at Welford Road. Bristol were down and out, or so it seemed, trailing 19-0 with 11 minutes left. Not so. Leicester couldn't close it out. Reduced to 14 men, they folded, conceding three late tries to lose 21-19. It was a calamitous result which snuffed out any faint hope in the East Midlands that the Tigers could reach the play-offs, which was once an annual routine. Those present didn't take it well at all, as the aftermath of the game turned toxic.

CHRIS FOY IN LYON: England lost Le Crunch yet again on Saturday night, but the country took another step toward finding a new identity on Saturday night. They were defeated but they look reborn. During a dramatic, three-try rise either side of halftime, Steve Borthwick's national team played as if the fiasco against Scotland had been an intricate hoax. Compared to the miserable evening in Edinburgh, rugby from a different planet. This is a ratchet. Fluent. Daring. We're linked. Relentless. Even after Thomas Ramos' late penalty inflicted a deja vu loss that had uncomfortably brought Jamie George and Co. back to their World Cup semi-final agony in South Africa, England supporters were cheered by what they had seen. They were overwhelmingly entangled by what the future holds, although it has been a long time since that was the case.

CHRIS FOY: Repeat it now. That's the difficult part. Following scaling the heights to surprise Ireland last Saturday, England is on a twin-peaks crusade that doubles as a revenge mission. After being written off after losing to Scotland at Murrayfield seven days ago, coach Steve Borthwick's staff displayed simmering, dazzling defiance to ambush the Six Nations champions at Twickenham. Now, the emphasis on the final weekend of the championship is different. This is all about payback and restitution. It's been 12 months since France arrived in south-west London and condemned their cross-Channel rivals to a humiliating 53-10 loss. It was not so much Le Crunch as Le Crash that it was. Fabien Galthie's side had a blast on England's home turf. The hosts were both exhilarating and humiliating.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: It's a long shot, but England will still win the 2024 Six Nations with a victory away from France on Saturday night as long as Ireland is defeated at home by Scotland. Steve Borthwick and his teammates will know the outcome from Dublin by the time they take to the field in Lyon. Whatever happens, England must play as if the Championship is on target. That is the attitude I would have taken this week if I had been in Borthwick's shoes as head coach. If Ireland defeats Scotland and win the title, it will be well done. That's out of England's hands.

CHRIS FOY: England will face a tonne of problems in Lyon on Saturday, as a result of a potent mixture of genetics, ethnicity, overseas recruitment, Gallic rugby culture, and legislative anomalies, France will be armed with a massive pack. In a more literal sense, it will be called 'Le Crunch.' In the last game of this year's Six Nations, the visitors face the daunting prospect of a ferociously physical assault. They will face a handful of forwards who are among the best in the world game. In a starting eight with a total weight of 153 stone, France pounded the gallant Welsh into submission last Saturday by using the brute firepower at their disposal up front.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: England's victory over Ireland at Twickenham was a major step in Steve Borthwick's and the team's progress. They were playing with purpose and passion. It's much simpler to be brutal on your team on the back of a win, and even more so if you've played so well. Borthwick will have to do this week if Ireland loses to France in Lyon, and that will mean little if Ireland loses to France.

I had no idea I'd say this about an England team playing at Twickenham. However, winning in the Six Nations Championships against back-to-back Grand Slam-chasing Ireland on Saturday isn't about winning. It's all about being ultra-competitive against what is arguably the best team in the country right now. It pains me to say it, but England does need a minor miracle to win this game. I have been wrestling with this all week because I have never felt this way about England before. The fact that Ireland is supposed to win says a lot about how good they are, but also much about England's fall from grace.

CHRIS FOY: Steve Borthwick wants the wing sensation to be based on his opposite number in order to display his X-factor skills. Despite Feyi-Waboso's absence from training last week because he had to sit a medical exam in Devon, England's head coach has made the brave call to send the 21-year-old Exeter proverbion into his first-choice team. The hard-working university student is now gearing up for his best moment in his burgeoning career - a thrilling Six Nations match against Grand Slam-chasing Ireland in front of a capacity crowd of 82,000 at Twickenham on Saturday.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will make his first Test debut in Saturday's showdown with Grand Slam-chasing Ireland as one of three changes to England's starting lineup. Elliot Daly, a veteran, has been swapped by Exeter's 21-year-old wing, as scrum-half Alex Mitchell and lock George Martin have been added to the squad. Feyi-Waboso's promotion to the first-choice team comes after a try-scoring comeo in Murrayfield's loss to Scotland in the last round of the Six Nations.

CHRIS FOY: England seems to have crossed the road as they brace for a showdown with Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday. They have reached a difficult junction, in fact, all the lights are off, and they don't have a map. When Steve Borthwick took over the national team in December 2022, the buzz word was 'clarity,' and that was achieved with a narrow game-plan at the new World Cup.

George Martin is a huge man who drives a tiny car, which has resulted in the Tigers and England's second row being compared to a cartoon superhero. This is only because the 22-year-old, who suffered from injury against Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend, is asked if he is recognised around Leicester, not because he stands out a mile at 6ft 6in and 19 stone. So Martin discusses how he maintains a low profile.

MIKE BROWN: You simply can't make as many individual mistakes as England did in their loss to Scotland last night. Since it's nearly impossible to have the perfect game, it's inevitable that you make some mistakes over the course of 80 minutes. However, you must keep them to a minimum. If you don't, smart teams will discipline you. That's what happened with Steve Borthwick's side at Murrayfield. Taking a look at the game's key moments. England's new blitz defense was revealed for Scotland's first attempt, although for me it was an individual rather than a system error.

On Saturday, Murrayfield will be awash with tribalism and tension. Two of their most promising teams' Six Nations campaigns are making it make-or-break time, while the bookies are predicting a three-point margin. Anything could happen. If Scotland loses, they will be out of the championship game once more. If England loses, they are highly unlikely to be in the mix at the end, considering that their next challenge will be to step into the path of the Irish Grand Slam juggernaut at Twickenham before heading to Lyon to face France on the final weekend. Scotland is the favorite for this 2024 installment of the Calcutta Cup rivalry, and England should be affronted by this. The new balance of power is a damning reminder of England's recent Six Nations records, which they are hell-bent on addressing and improving.

NIK SIMON IN EDINBURGH: George Furbank has been given a late start in England's Calcutta Cup match against Scotland. Furbank hasn't started a Test since 2022, but Freddie Steward has been recalled in the No. 15 jersey. England is bracing for the unpredictable attacking capabilities of Scotland's No 10 Finn Russell - and Furbank's attacking skills could be highly suited to an unstructured game.

England is gearing up for a confrontation on Saturday, with Manu Tuilagi, Ollie Lawrence, and George Martin all involved, giving the visitors more firepower in a 'cauldron' of Murrayfield hostility. The national team will travel north to win their first victory over Scotland in four years, regain the Calcutta Cup, and keep their title challenge alive in this year's Six Nations. England will be boosted by the return from injury of three hard-hitting, hard-carrying assets - two in midfield and one up front, having lost clout in their opening victories over Italy and Wales. Kevin Sinfield, the assistant coach, set the tone for what would be a game between Tuilagi, Lawrence, Martin and their colleagues in Edinburgh. There's bound to be some niggle,' he said. If you have two angry, sarcastic forward packs trying to fight each other, there will be some niggle.'

Despite the center not playing since December, EnglanD predicted that they'd be able to throw Manu Tuilagi straight back into the midst of a Calcutta Cup match a week later this week. Tuilagi has rejoined Steve Borthwick's side after recovering from a groin injury that kept him out of the victories against Italy and Wales. The 32-year-old is in a 36-man squad preparing to face Scotland in Edinburgh with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and fellow forward George Martin.

Manu Tuilagi, Luke Cowan-Dickie, and George Martin have all been called back to England's squad for the Calcutta Cup match against Scotland, and their hopes for Six Nations glory have been boosted. Marcus Smith and Ollie Lawrence have both been drafted in a 36-player squad to prepare for Edinburgh as the two star backs' recovery from injury continues. Prior to England's Championship opener against Italy, Fly-half Smith and powerhouse center Lawrence suffered with calf and hip injuries. Although they are unlikely to face Scotland, Steve Borthwick's squad, which met up at Twickenham on Wednesday, is another fillip after back-to-back victories.