England opt for Jamie George as Six Nations captain – with a little help from Vincent Kompany

GOOD KOMPANY: England's Jamie George

Jamie George has been told to put his own stamp on the captaincy after being entrusted to lead a revamped England squad into the Six Nations. George takes charge of team for the first time after filling the vacancy created by Owen Farrell's decision to miss the Championship in order to prioritise his and his family's mental wellbeing.

The promotion capped a special day for the 33-year-old having also signed a new two-year deal with Saracens that is to be accompanied by a central contract with the Rugby Football Union.

As undisputed first choice hooker, as well as an influential player in the English game, George was chosen ahead of nearest rivals Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje.

An element of the appointment process was instigated by Burnley manager and former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany and now that he has risen to the top, Steve Borthwick insists George must lead in his own image.

"I was asked by somebody 'have you given Jamie, any advice?'" said head coach Borthwick, who captained England 21 times as a second-row. 

"The one thing I said is: 'I want you to lead as you.' And that one year, many many years from now, you will reflect and want to say you led as you. I'd say during my time as England captain, I don't think I led as me. I want him to bring all his personality to it.

"Prior to the World Cup we did this study. We will do something similar again in the near future. It was a network analysis, for want of a better term. It was actually an idea given to me by Vincent Kompany. You basically give the players a series of questions. And then put the top three players you turn to in this situation. What it effectively produces is this network of how everybody connects and who connects with who the most.

"You could tell in different elements - in tactical elements, high pressure circumstances, off the field - you connect with different people.

"So I had this incredible amount of information and it said 'I know where people turn to'. You'd be able to see and tell me who they turn to, who Ellis and Maro would turn to. And the number of people who connected with Jamie George is immense.

"He has this ability, across the whole squad, to make people understand him. That stood out to me as being exceptional.

"He's a great people person. He's got a positive nature. There's always a smile very close in the way he is. And I want him to bring all of that into this role as the captain."

La Rochelle number eight Gregory Alldritt will captain France in the Six Nations Championship after taking over from Antoine Dupont, who will miss the tournament to focus on the French Sevens side that competes at the Paris Olympic Games later this year.

Coach Fabien Galthie has named six uncapped players as France enter a new World Cup cycle having had the bitter disappointment of losing to eventual champions South Africa in the quarter-finals on home soil last year.

Centre Nicolas Depoortere, back row Esteban Abadie, locks Matthias Halagahu and Emmanuel Meafou, flyhalf Antoine Gibert and scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec could all debut in the Six Nations.

Meafou was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, but has been playing for Toulouse since 2019 and trained with France last year, though he has only now become eligible to play for the national team.

Twenty-two of the squad that competed at the World Cup are among the 34 selected, with scrumhalf Dupont not considered as he plays in Sevens World Series events in Vancouver and Los Angeles that overlap with the Six Nations.

Maxime Lucu and Le Garrec are the two specialist number nines in the squad and will vye to start in the absence of Dupont.

Galthie has preferred Alldritt, 26, as captain over fellow back rows Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch, who have both had the armband before and are in the squad. Alldritt took time off after the World Cup disappointment but returned for his club La Rochelle on Dec. 30.

Galthie has also called on 30-year-old lock Paul Gabrillagues, who won the last of his 16 caps for the national team in 2019.

France open their Six Nations campaign against Ireland in Marseille on Feb. 2.

FRANCE (Six Nations squad): Forwards - E Abadie, D Aldegheri, G Alldritt, U Atonio, C Baille, G Barlot, P Boudehent, F Cros, P Gabrillagues, M Halagahu, A Jelonch, T Laclayat, J Marchand, P Mauvaka, E Meafou, C Ollivon, R Taofifenua, S Taofifenua, R Wardi, C Woki.

Backs - L Bielle-Biarrey, J Danty, N Depoortere, G Fickou, E Gailleton, A Gibert, M Jalibert, M Jaminet, N Le Garrec, M Lebel, M Lucu, Y Moefana, D Penaud, T Ramos.

ENGLAND: Forwards - O Chessum, D Cole, A Coles, L Cowan-Dickie, C Cunningham-South, B Curry, T Dan, A Dombrandt, B Earl, E Genge, J George (capt), J Heyes, N Isiekwe, M Itoje, J Marler, B Obano, T Pearson, E Roots, W Stuart, S Underhill.

Backs: O Beard, D Care, E Daly, F Dingwall, I Feyi-Waboso, G Ford, T Freeman, G Furbank, O Lawrence, A Mitchell, T Roebuck, H Slade, F Smith, M Smith, B Spencer, F Steward.