England: It's a work in progress, but new era has the right start at Six Nations

The Red Rose are being reinvented and, while progress is slow, the early signs are promising
Nick Purewal12 February 2024

Jamie George leaned forward, deep in the bowels of Twickenham, and heralded "the England way" in reference to this new era.

England are hardly about to trademark the tagline, but they have improved to the point where the new captain felt confident enough to give this fresh start some branding.

The Saracens hooker wants England's new identity to be defined by a run-first attacking mentality, a positive, confident environment and a squad in touch with fans.

Those lofty aims remain a work in progress after edging out Italy 27-24 in Rome, then tiptoeing past Wales 16-14 in west London.

Two wins by one score against the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament might not represent a stunning return, but England have won their opening two matches in the championship for the first time in five years.

Maybe, just maybe, they are starting to recover their bearings.

Jamie George leads the huddle after another narrow win
Getty Images

They will have to keep shaping this new identity for some time to come, but at least they have restored some depth to their personality.

George's captaincy ticket of a new possession-based attacking structure is hugely welcome, long overdue and extremely ambitious.

England are going to have to create attacking threats the hard way, too, without a clutch of battering-ram ball-carriers.

For so long Manu Tuilagi and Billy Vunipola would strike fear and gaping holes into Test foes. Vunipola has been overlooked for this squad, while Tuilagi has been sidelined with a groin strain.

England have high hopes for Ollie Lawrence's potential, but their current level of natural physicality means they must find smarter ways to generate line breaks.

George's manifesto might be taking shape, but now England must add chapter and verse to a promising synopsis.

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