British and Irish Lions 2017: Jamie George hopes Test start sends message to England coach Eddie Jones

George will start for the Lions before he does for Englnd after being selected by Warren Gatland to start the first Test against the All Blacks

Jamie George hopes to prove he is worthy of a place in the England starting line-up (Getty)

Jamie George hopes to seize his chance as the starting British and Irish Lions hooker to prove to England head coach Eddie Jones that he is ready to step up to the plate for his country, with the All Blacks giving him the perfect stage to show his true colours.

George will follow in the footsteps of Jason Robinson this weekend when he starts a match for the Lions before doing so for England, given every one of his 17 international caps have come from the replacements’ bench. The 26-year-old beat off competition from Wales’ Ken Owens and Ireland’s Rory Best to secure the No 2 shirt for this weekend’s first Test against the All Blacks, yet he has so far been unable to oust Dylan Hartley in the national side.

Hartley was overlooked by Warren Gatland for his Lions squad, with the England captain instead leading a youthful squad to a 2-0 series victory over Argentina. But while the Northampton Saints hooker looks set to continue in the England set-up for the foreseeable future, George hopes to send a serious statement to Jones this weekend.

“I haven’t thought too much about the England stuff since I’ve been here but I’d be hoping to put in a good enough performance to show that I’m able to do stuff from the start,” said George on Thursday. “But I think they’ve probably seen that playing for my club. Yes, it’s a message but the stuff that Dylan’s doing is fantastic as well. They’ve just come off the back of a 2-0 series in Argentina, so I’m not really focusing too much on that.”

Jones is due to arrive in New Zealand ahead of the second Test to cast his eye on how his England players are getting on, although there have been regular checks from the Australian with texts sent “here and there” to the players as well as communication with England coach Steve Borthwick, who is part of Gatland’s coaching staff.

Both Borthwick and George have been integral to running the lineout, the Lions’ secret weapon, which on Saturday will be led by another Saracen in George Kruis. George admits he’s been lucky to throw the ball at a gifted lineout commander like Kruis for the best part of eight years, and having utilised the lineout catch-and-drive against both the Crusaders and the Maori All Blacks, do not be surprised if George and Kruis conjure something up against New Zealand from the set-piece.

“I've got a fantastic relationship with George,” the hooker adds. “We came through the academy together, I've been throwing to George since I was 18 and the way that he's progressed as a lineout leader and caller has been unbelievable. He's got to be one of the best in the world at the minute so yes, it's very important and the way that Steve has been drilling us is expecting top quality at all times. It's going to be a huge part of the game and one which we've been preparing really well for.”

It led to George recalling the first time that the pair linked up in the lineout that would prove to be the start of something special for Saracens, England and soon to be the Lions. “The University of Hertfordshire, the third-team pitch, on a 3G,” he recalls. “I remember George coming to the academy, when he was about 18 and he was 90 kilos at a push. He’s about 117kg now so you can imagine he was a bit of a beanpole. And we weren’t too sure who this kid was that they brought in. The transition he’s made has been ridiculous and he’s at the top of his game now.”

Jones is yet to give George his first England start (Getty)

While plenty has been made about the Lions scrum and, in particular, the front-row that George will take his position in on Saturday, the Lions could well find themselves with the advantage in the lineout. Not only do they have the link-up between George and Kruis, they have the experience of Alun Wyn Jones also in the second-row with his 116 international caps sure to make him a danger, while captain Peter O’Mahony provided a timely reminder of his aerial talent by stealing the first lineout against the Crusaders. If they can work this to their benefit, don’t be surprised to see George at the back of a fair few driving mauls taking aim at the All Blacks’ pack come Saturday.