England v South Africa: Jamie George says hosts have ‘evolved’ since World Cup defeat
Captain Jamie George says England’s side, beaten by South Africa in last year’s World Cup semi-final, have “evolved”.
England will seek to avenge their defeat in Paris They face the double world champions in the Autumn Nations Series at Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Steve Bostwick’s side have lost each of their past four Tests from winning positions, but hooker George says the side are in a better position since their last meeting with the Springboks Location.
“We are a different team and we have made huge improvements over the last 12 months,” George told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We’ve been strong defensively and kicking the ball, but our offense has also changed in terms of taking on teams and scoring.
“It’s a combination of a few things, whether it’s getting the ball in the air or attacking opponents or getting results from our defense, we’re a better, more complete team.”
england coach borthwick Made four changes The team, which was defeated by Australia in the last game, includes the reintroduction of full-back Freddie Stewart and defender Jack van Pultfleet.
George said both players were “excited” at the prospect of playing against South Africa.
“Because of all the hard work they put in off the field, they’re ready to take advantage of their opportunity,” he added.
“They’ve been training really well and it’s great that they haven’t had one or two caps for their country. They’ve been involved in international competition and can’t wait to get involved.”
“Every time the ball goes up in the air, our expectation is to catch it. Freddy (Stewart) has returned more balls for us than anyone and he’s been great in that area.
“South Africa’s game plan lends itself to getting the ball in the air more, but there are no better people there.”
England have not won at home since defeating Ireland in the Six Nations in March and George said the hosts needed a result to match their performance.
“We always feel the pressure to win,” the 34-year-old said.
“We know the fans want a win and we want to bring it to them. They’ve been brilliant and we’ve talked a lot about connecting with the fans but I know performance can only go so far and we need to deliver results.
“I hope Allianz believes we can win because we believe we can win.”
