England Captain Jamie George asserts team’s ‘evolution’ since World Cup semi-final loss

England’s rugby team, which suffered a defeat from a late Handre Pollard penalty in last year’s World Cup semi-final, has “evolved” from that side, according to Captain Jamie George. This declaration precedes their Autumn Nations Series fixture against South Africa. The match is set for Saturday, 16 November, commencing at 17:40 GMT at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Live commentary will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, with live text commentary accessible on the BBC Sport website and app. England aims to avenge their previous loss in Paris as they prepare to host the double world champions in the Autumn Nations Series at Allianz Stadium this Saturday. Despite Steve Borthwick’s squad having relinquished winning positions in their last four Tests, hooker George indicates that the team is in a more favorable state since their last encounter with the Springboks. “We are a different team and we have evolved a huge amount in the last 12 months,” George informed BBC Radio 5 Live. He further explained, “Defensively and in our kicking game we have been strong, but our attack has evolved in how we are taking teams on and scoring points. It is an amalgamation of a few things, whether that is putting the ball in the air or attacking an opposition or getting results off our defence, we are a much better and well-rounded team.” England head coach Borthwick has implemented four changes to the team that was defeated by Australia in their most recent outing. These adjustments include the reintroduction of full-back Freddie Steward and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet. George stated that both players are “frothing” at the prospect of confronting South Africa. He added, “They are ready to take their opportunity because of all the work they have put in off the field. They have trained brilliantly and the nice thing is they are not coming in with one or two caps. They have played at international level and they are frothing at the bit to get involved.” Regarding Steward’s role, George commented, “Whenever that ball goes in the air, the expectation is to catch the ball. Freddie [Steward] retrieves more ball for us than anyone and he is excellent in that area. The South African gameplan lends itself to putting the ball in the air a bit more, but there is no better man to have back there.” England has not secured a home victory since March, when they overcame Ireland in the Six Nations. George underscored the necessity for the hosts to achieve a result that aligns with their performances. “We always feel pressure to win,” the 34-year-old remarked. He concluded, “We know that the fans want a win and we want to bring that for them. They have been brilliant and we have spoken a lot about this connection with the fans, but I’m aware the performance only goes so far and we need to bring the result. I want the Allianz to believe we can win because we believe we can win.”