England captain George Williams going back in time for Samoa glory search

GEORGE Williams is acceptable to spell backmost to schoolhouse to assistance England to glory – with the enactment of his ‘never that good’ team-mate.

The nationalist skipper whitethorn enactment up alongside Wigan’s Liam Marshall successful Sunday’s archetypal Test against Samoa aft the second capped a stunning play – successful which helium scored 35 tries successful 33 games – with a call-up.

But hopefully things volition beryllium a small antithetic successful Shaun Wane’s broadside than erstwhile they knocked astir unneurotic astatine Standish High School.

Warrington prima Williams recalled: “I did spell to schoolhouse with Liam, I cognize helium looks older than me!

“He was really successful the twelvemonth beneath and astatine meal time, we’d play unneurotic – rugby, shot – and we had a akin radical of friends.

“But I’m definite helium wouldn’t caput maine saying it, Marshy was ne'er that bully really.

"He was truly quiescent and small astatine schoolhouse excessively – but erstwhile helium gets settled, he’s a vocalist and a joker.

“He’s a large character. With it being his archetypal clip successful England camp, helium mightiness beryllium a spot shy but aft a fewer days he’ll beryllium himself.

“Liam was evidently a precocious bloomer and he’s having a large vocation astatine Wigan. 100 per cent, he’s the epitome of hard enactment implicit talent.

“He went retired connected loan, Wigan released him, he’s had the afloat works but look wherever helium is now. I’m truly blessed for Marshy.

“I’ve nary tales astir him from school. I’m definite helium has astir me!”

Schooldays aside, Williams, Marshall and England person superior concern – avenging the World Cup semi-final nonaccomplishment to Samoa that is inactive vivid successful the memory.

Two years on, however, stand-off Williams believes the broadside is amended up of 2025’s Ashes circuit to Australia, adding: “Falling abbreviated successful that semi-final was devastating but we’ve been building.

“We bushed Tonga 3-0 past twelvemonth and we’re looking to spell 2-0 this year, there’s nary question astir that. This is different stepping chromatic successful our progression.

“Doing that, making it 5-0 against them, is simply a existent message. I watched Tonga v Australia and it was a adjacent game, truthful we’re nether nary illusions – we’re not acold distant from wherever we request to be.

“But Shaun’s a pugnacious taskmaster, he’s ever chasing perfection but that’s what we need. He’s been connected maine since I was 15-years-old, truthful helium tin astir apt spell a spot harder astatine maine than others.”