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'Quality of Eddie Jones brought his game on without question': Borthwick on what England exposure did for Leicester teenage George Martin
Leicester boss Steve Borthwick has been savouring the impact 19-year-old George Martin is having back at Tigers now that he has been capped by England, the teenager making his Test debut off the bench against Ireland having initially been called up by Eddie Jones following the round two injury to Jack Willis.
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Martin returned to the Leicester ranks with a bench appearance in the March 28 Gallagher Premiership win – just his seventh-ever game for his club in the league.
He then followed it with a dominant start in the Challenge Cup round of 16 success versus Connacht last Saturday, the blindside making 43 metres off a dozen carries and putting in a chart-topping 24 tackles.
There was a great surprise in February when Jones named Martin on the England bench for the away game in Wales. Due to the nature of that contest, the forward was an unused replacement but he got a 17-minute run in Dublin three weeks later after a late call-up to the bench.
Reflecting on what being involved with the England Test level set-up has done for Martin, Borthwick said: “He has been exposed to that level, been exposed to the coach, the quality of Eddie Jones has brought his game on without question.
https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1365731189949104128
“You saw the way he carried at the weekend, the way he got over the gainline – that is another step forward in his game. He would talk about the work he did in England camp in that regard but it is an opportunity for me as a coach to learn what we can do better for him here.
“We want all our players, whether you are 19, 20, 22, 24, 32, it doesn’t matter, to come and try and get better, come and try to work exceptionally hard for this team and that is what George Martin does each day and that is what I expect of the players and the coaches.”
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Steve Borthwick has enjoyed giving Leicester a youthful lick of paint https://t.co/j8VRW7IdHr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments