England hooker Jamie George has hit back at a newspaper report suggesting player unrest over head coach Steve Borthwick's leadership, saying the squad is "really upset" by the claims and that they will only bring the team closer together.
The Times article alleged that the end of England's summer tour to Argentina in July was marred by unhappy players seeking summit talks with Borthwick and Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney. It also raised concerns over disagreements within the coaching group and Borthwick's man-management style.
Speaking on Rugby Union Weekly, George questioned the timing of the article, which was published just two days before England's Nations Championship opener against Australia at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
"I can tell you that a lot of it's untrue," George said. "We, as a squad, are incredibly disappointed by it. You just have to look at the timing of the article - two days out from our first Test match. I think it's clearly there to try and be divisive."
George revealed that captain Maro Itoje called a leaders' meeting to address the report, and the squad discussed it constructively.
"Whoever's written this article, obviously their aim was for it to be divisive. Unfortunately for them, it's going to go the other way," he added. "This is going to galvanise us, it's going to make us tighter. We speak a lot about standing up for people, we speak a lot about helping each other, and we've got to make sure that we do that for Steve. He has had a bit of a personal attack here and an unwarranted one at that."
Borthwick also responded to the article, telling Rugby Union Weekly that the depiction was not something he recognised. He emphasised that meetings between senior players and coaches are a normal part of most coaching setups.
George supported this view, explaining that challenging the head coach is part of the senior players' role. "Steve is so open to us giving feedback and having challenge. It is very much a two-way conversation and that was definitely there in Argentina," he said. "There was an edge to what we were doing - there was plenty going on - but at no stage was it toxic. I don't know many organisations in the world that don't review big tournaments and try and make sure you take plenty of learnings."
The article comes at a delicate time for Borthwick, who will be acutely aware that it was at the same point in the World Cup cycle that his predecessor Eddie Jones was sacked. Jones was dismissed after a November 2022 defeat by South Africa at Twickenham was met with jeers from the home crowd.
England return to Allianz Stadium for the first time since February's 42-21 loss to Ireland in a disappointing Six Nations campaign. While recent wins over Fiji and Argentina have ended a five-match losing streak, England's winning percentage for 2026 stands at just 38%, with only two years since the turn of the millennium ending with a worse record.
Borthwick's team face a challenging autumn schedule, with Australia on Sunday, Japan the following week, and a rejuvenated New Zealand side, coached by Dave Rennie, two weeks later.
Despite the off-field distraction, George insists the squad remains focused and united. "It is the first time I think in my England career that as a group we've had to address an article that's been written, but we spoke about it brilliantly," he said. "Maro called a leader's meeting and thought that that was the best way of us going about it."
England's clash with Australia kicks off at 15:10 GMT on Sunday, with live commentary on BBC Sport.
