Jamie George, the England hooker, expressed that the squad felt "hurt" by a recent newspaper article reporting a rift with head coach Steve Borthwick. The article, released just days before England's Nations Championship match against Australia, claimed that some players had lost faith in Borthwick after a disappointing summer campaign that included a heavy defeat to South Africa and a narrow win over Argentina.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, George criticized the article's timing, calling it "shocking" and suggesting it was meant to create division. He emphasized that the team is fully supportive of Borthwick, stating, "We are all massively behind Steve in every way possible." George noted the squad addressed the issue directly, using it as motivation to strengthen their performance ahead of the crucial match.

The 36-year-old also highlighted the importance of transparency within the team, mentioning discussions with captain Maro Itoje and other players to ensure unity.

Looking ahead to the game against Australia, George praised teammate Fin Baxter, who will start as loosehead prop. He described Baxter as one of the best props he has played with, commending his physicality and game understanding.

After facing Australia, England will continue their Nations Championship journey with matches against Japan and New Zealand on November 14 and 21, respectively, before the finals weekend from November 27-29.

England's starting XV against Australia:
15. George Furbank; 14. Tommy Freeman; 13. Henry Slade; 12. Seb Atkinson; 11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; 10. Fin Smith; 9. Jack van Poortvliet; 1. Fin Baxter; 2. Jamie George; 3. Joe Heyes; 4. Maro Itoje; 5. Alex Coles; 6. Ollie Chessum; 7. Ben Curry; 8. Ben Earl.