Why the time is right for Eddie Jones to give Jamie George his first start and replace Dylan Hartley this autumn

Hartley has survived so far as England skipper for his leadership skills, but Sunday's thrashing of Northampton Saints by Saracens showed that there is a new captain in waiting

Jamie George has put himself into a position where he deserves his first start for England this autumn (Getty)

Hidden among the Northampton Saints faithful in the Tetleys Stand at Franklin’s Gardens, England head coach Eddie Jones sat alone observing the numerous internationals in front of him attempting to stake a claim for a place in his squad for next month’s autumn internationals.

Front and centre of that line of players was Northampton Saints captain Dylan Hartley and his opposite number, the Saracens hooker Jamie George. Despite starting all three British and Irish Lions tests against New Zealand this summer, George is still yet to receive the England No 2 shirt from Jones, with the 26-year-old having to make do with 17 consecutive starts on the replacements’ bench.

If Sunday’s result at Northampton proved anything, it is that it’s time for Jones to make a change.

The Australian coach has stuck by Hartley for the last 22 months of his tenure due to his ability to lead the national team and set an example for those around him, something that cannot be questioned given the back-to-back Six Nations championship triumphs, the 2017 Grand Slam and winning 20 of the 21 matches that he has led.

But while Hartley has been holding on to the jersey, George has been taking an axe to his door in an effort to force his way into the squad. The continuous back-up role that he has had to play has been justified up until now due to England’s record and Jones’s desire to have a natural leader in the side, but with a Lions starting jersey and consecutive Champions Cup triumphs under his belt, this autumn is the perfect time to blood George as an international starter.

Jones has already hinted that he will rotate certain players and positions this autumn when England take on Argentina, Australia and Samoa in November, with most of those likely to be the Lions players that have been put under a huge expectation to return to the rigours of club rugby just weeks after returning from New Zealand. Hartley could also be given a rest though, having led a young England side to an impressive 2-0 victory in Argentina before suffering a hand injury early this season.

George started all three British and Irish Lions tests in the summer but is yet to start for England (Getty)

George, on the other hand, has returned to action like a house on fire. The hooker scored three tries against Wasps last weekend as Sarries thumped last season’s table-toppers, and dominated Hartley in just about every department. It was the Saracens man whose 16 positive contributions to the game surpassed Hartley’s six, and it was George again whose 89 per cent line-out success rate surpassed Hartley’s 75 per cent.

Then there’s Hartley’s leadership. This season has brought with it a return to the Northampton captaincy in the hope that leading the side week-in, week-out will help his England cause, both in his own mind and that of his international coach. But he must recognise that he has led a side twice against Saracens who have conceded more than 50 points in the space of six weeks – Sunday’s 57-13 defeat proving to be Northampton’s biggest home loss in their history.

Hartley was comprehensively outplayed by opposite number George on Sunday (Getty)

Hartley’s side has not learned the error of their ways against the reigning European champions, and while Saints’ head coach Jim Mallinder stressed that it was a case that Saracens are “clearly the better team when they play us”, to concede so many tries so easily should ring alarm bells. Hartley did not look a leader out on the pitch on Sunday, and in fact, there was one man who did.

Owen Farrell could well have been off to the sin-bin had Pascal Gauzere not been in charge for the dump tackle on Ben Foden and subsequent scrap with Teimana Harrison, but there were times were he demonstrated just how important he is to the Saracens cause. When Brad Barritt went over for Saracens’ second try, Farrell was busy barking at his captain as he retreated to his own half.

“Get them wide Brad! Tell them to get wide!” Farrell had not even started lining up his conversion effort, yet he was more focused on exposing a weakness that had been identified in the Saints defence. True enough, Saracens made the most of it with a further six tries.

There’s definitely a case for Farrell taking on the England captaincy. The 26-year-old has an off-day for his country once in a blue moon, and leads by example thanks to his sublime handling skills and reliable boot. Having already become the second-highest-scoring England international in his 52 Test caps, Farrell is also responsible for leading the defensive line when he’s deployed at inside centre, which is another reason why he would suit the captaincy given he does not have to carry the burden of playing at fly-half that has undone so many world class No 10s when asked to lead a country.

This, in turn, would make room for his club colleague George to come into the starting line-up, and if he does indeed get his chance this autumn, it could be the opportunity that he needs to cement his place for the 2019 Rugby World Cup – the long-term target that Jones has had his sights on. Hartley does not need to be dropped completely though, as in the grand scheme of things he is still capable of playing at Test level and would bring a wealth of craft and experience in the closing stages of any match, with Luke Cowan-Dickie of Exeter Chiefs and Wasps’ Tommy Taylor seeing their bids hit by injuries in recent times.

Hopefully Jones no longer has a case for keeping the best hooker in the Northern Hemisphere out of his side, but that could all depend on Jones’s squad announcement come 26 October. If he rests George completely, it could be another frustrating international window for the Saracen, and that’s exactly what he doesn’t need right now.