3. Hooker – Jamie George vs Jack Walker
In the small space of just a week’s time, Jamie George goes from being the mentor to Jack Walker within England’s training camp, to lining up against the young Harlequin in the scrum. A true battle between master and apprentice, Walker has the opportunity to show George just what he has learned, when the two front rows collide on Saturday.
Walker struggled for game-time throughout the 2023 Guinness Six Nations, with George entrusted with the full 80 minutes on all but one occasion. However, the 2023 Six Nations will be forever remembered by Walker, as he made his England debut in an off-the-bench appearance against Italy. Walker accrued just 27 minutes in the competition, but has taken the first steps on his journey to be the next ‘England number 2’.
He seems to have been fast-tracked to the front of the queue, as Borthwick believes in the 26-year-old’s potential. Walker may even be benefitted by the upcoming transfer of Luke Cowan-Dickie to Montpellier, as the hooker is set to leave Exeter Chiefs in the Summer. Cowan-Dickie was the second-in-command to George throughout the Eddie Jones era, and made 41 caps for his country. Yet this move to France’s Top 14 could hinder Cowan-Dickie’s selection hopes, as the RFU decide their regulations on England eligibility once again.
When the first scrum is called, it would not go amiss to see Walker and George exchange ‘friendly words of encouragement’ to one another. Tensions are surly set to rise in this crucial match for Harlequins, with the London rivals set to reach a fever-pitch this weekend.