Six Nations: Italy v England - Jamie George left frustrated by actions of Baa-Baa’s thirteen

Disciplinary proceedings have been opened against 13 Barbarians after they breached coronavirus protocols by going out in central London on successive nights, forcing the cancellation of last Sunday’s fixture.

It means England enter the climatic round of the interrupted 2020 Championship without having played for seven months, while the Rugby Football Union has lost around £1million in broadcast and sponsorship revenue.

Several of George’s Saracens team-mates were involved and the Lions hooker is disillusioned with their behaviour.

“My personal reaction was of huge frustration. I was gutted. It was another chance for us to play for England,” said George, who will be winning his 50th cap at the Stadio Olimpico.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of the guys at Saracens who were involved. It was mostly just checking in on them.

“I know they aren’t bad people, they have made a pretty big mistake but at the same time they have held their hands up and appreciate they were wrong in what they did.

“They put their hands up and realised they messed up. They are very disappointed in themselves. They have obviously gone out and got things very wrong.

“We’re privileged to be in a bubble where everything is very clear and laid out for us. We are very aware of our responsibilities.

“The disciplinary hearing’s going to be happening next week and I think they will take full responsibility for their actions.”

George made his England debut five years ago but as Dylan Hartley’s understudy, the first half of his career was spent as bench cover. Since late 2018, however, he has made the jersey his own.

“I never thought I’d get to this point. I felt that not just for my first start, but for my first cap as well, that I had to be pretty patient,” George said.

“To be sat here now on the eve of my 50th cap is very surreal. But it is a great moment.

“Obviously I am gutted I won’t be able to share this day with my family and all the rest of it, but these things happen and I am sure they will be watching the game with a glass of Champagne tomorrow afternoon.”

Meanwhile, Billy Vunipola has warned England to stop their vital pursuit of tries against Italy turning the match into a costly game of sevens.

England must secure an overwhelming bonus-point triumph at the Stadio Olimpico to put themselves in the best possible position to claim the third piece of major silverware of the Eddie Jones era.

The final element of ‘Super Saturday’ unfolds in Paris where the Championship will be in Ireland’s hands - a maximum five-point haul against France is guaranteed to propel them to the title. For the first time since 2015 and exactly a year after losing the World Cup final to South Africa, England enter the climatic day in hot pursuit of points and Vunipola knows the dangers of becoming too frenzied.

Five years ago the Saracens number eight was present for a thrilling 55-35 victory over France at Twickenham that saw them finish one converted try short of being crowned champions instead of Ireland.

“I remember it vividly because of how loud it was. One thing that I learnt from that game was that we had the intention of trying to put points on the board, but we let it become too frantic,” Vunipola said.

“We didn’t set the foundations of playing in the right areas, making sure first that we wore them down. We allowed it to become like sevens.

“We just let too many points slip past us and that has been the focus this week - how we can play our way in and make sure we do what we need to do to put us in a good position.

“We don’t want the game to become a sevens festival, we want to play good English rugby and that means giving a solid platform for the backs. Hopefully when the game does break up, we’ll put some points on the board.”

England have won all previous 26 meetings with Italy, averaging over 40 points each time, and there is nothing to suggest the Six Nations’ bottom-placed team can avoid another landslide defeat.

Even in Rome the Azzurri are the easiest assignment in the Championship, but Vunipola insists complacency is forbidden under Jones.

“Any team that has Eddie, you are not allowed to get ahead of yourself. Our biggest focus is how we can set a foundation from which we can kick on,” said Vunipola.

“We have got to make sure we play through the English game and that is through our set-piece and make sure that we dominate and that is our intention. After that hopefully we can play and put some points on the board.”

The cancellation of last Sunday’s non-cap fixture against the Barbarians means Vunipola has not played since the end of Saracens’ season on October 4.

“In terms of having a long break between my last game and this game, it hasn’t been a challenge at all. The world is a different place at the moment, so I’ve just been biding my time,” he said.

“It is an ongoing battle trying to keep my weight down and make sure that I am in the best physical shape that I can be when I am called upon to play.

“I’m excited. You could say that I’m a bit of a coiled spring, but I don’t want to talk too much about that, I want to do my talking on the pitch.”