Jamie George’s bother plays international rugby for an unexpected country

Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!

With Steve Borthwick calling on him to lead the charge for the 2024 Six Nations, George’s career continues to soar at the top level.

At 33, the Saracens legend has an impressive trophy cabinet with three Six Nations titles, three European Champions Cups, and a jaw-dropping six Premiership titles. Talk about a rugby career!

But while Jamie has firmly planted his roots in English rugby, his brother Gareth George has charted a completely different course.

Although Gareth didn't reach the professional heights of his sibling in England, his love for the game took him to new horizons. As a hooker like Jamie, Gareth has recently earned his spot in the Thai Rugby National team, representing them in a showdown against Singapore—qualifying through residency.

Currently, Gareth plays club rugby in the Thai Premiership for the Bangkok Bangers, living his rugby dream abroad. Who knows where this unexpected path will take him?

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Here’s a look at four players The Telegraph has called out, and what RUCK.co.uk makes of it.

They wrote: 

RUCK view: Earl was one of England’s standout players over the past year, but his recent dip in form could cost him. Once untouchable in Borthwick’s plans, he now looks dangerously close to losing his starting spot. He’ll need a big showing in the lead-up to the tournament to stave off competition.

They wrote: "Returning from the knee injury he sustained during England’s preparations for the autumn, Chessum had 54 minutes against Toulouse. This was his first outing since October and, like most of his Leicester colleagues, he spent most of the time chasing shadows."

RUCK view: Throwing Chessum back into the England squad fresh off a serious injury is a risk that could backfire. He’ll need time to regain match sharpness, and anything less than 100% could leave England vulnerable in the engine room. Leicester’s struggles won’t be helping his confidence either.

They said: "Six games at fly-half for Exeter, two of which came against Toulouse and Bordeaux-Bègles and saw his side ship an absurd total of 133 points, constitute Slade’s body of work since an autumn in which he started all four Tests."

RUCK view: Slade as a fly-half experiment? It’s not working. Exeter’s defensive woes and his patchy performances in the playmaker role make that 6/10 look overly generous. He’s a class act at his best, but right now, he looks far from it.

They said: "Teething pains at the scrum are inevitable for promising young props and a difficult autumn for England has bled into club action for Baxter, who turns 23 next month."

RUCK view: Following in Joe Marler’s footsteps is no easy task, and Baxter’s growing pains at the set-piece are showing. He’s undoubtedly a talent for the future, but for now, the step up to Test rugby seems to have knocked his confidence. England fans will hope he develops quickly, or risk seeing the scrum as an area of weakness.

England’s Six Nations campaign looks to be starting on shaky ground, with too many key players either battling poor form or returning from injury. For Borthwick and Itoje, it’s all about finding the balance – and fast. The tournament opener isn’t the time for trial and error.

Can you identify how many of the top 20 most-capped England rugby players you can name?

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