George Martin plays for Leicester Tigers against Gloucester. to 560 top-level tackles for Leicester Tigers since breaking into the first team three years ago. With this in mind, it may seem curious to single out two defensive interventions from the growing body of work; not least because they were not essential to the game in question.
But these scything shots, both on Nathan Hughes for eight minutes against the Bristol Bears in June 2021, embody a combination of tenacity and technical acumen that Leicester fans are already familiar with; and no doubt soon to become more widely known.
Twice in a short period the Bristol sent Hughes, a hefty aircraft carrier, down the Martin Canal from line-outs at the edge of their own 22. Each time, once with their right shoulder opponent…
Martin
…and once with the left…
Martin 2
Hughes was thrown back by tackles from the notebook.
COVID rules limited Welford Road attendance that day to 6,400 people, making a couple of loud bangs more audible through referee Ian Tempest's microphone. Spectators and Tigers teammates were also visibly excited by Martin's performance. It's important to note, however, that tone-setting defense and «stopping power»—the most valuable commodities in win battles—are just one of the reasons why his steady growth could accelerate.
“He always wanted to beat people in D [defense] and make big shots,” Dan Cole said last week of Martin, who is 14 years younger than the tough defensive midfielder. “This year, especially, he showed his possession of the ball, his ability to play with the ball. I think he was always able to do that, but his game took off because of the impact he had.”
Opta's statistics reflect this impressive development. Martin has amassed 100 carries for Leicester this season in 15 Premier League and European Cup appearances, averaging over three meters per carry. This is no small feat amid heavy traffic on narrow exchanges and an average of 1.5 meters per carry during the 2021-2022 campaign. Footwork, both before and after contact, was a common theme.
For one particular attack at Kingsholm, Martin took over as first receiver and Leicester worked from the sideline after a Gloucester free kick. -kick. Cancer was slow. The hosts could be sure they would choke and choke the rudimentary attack:
Martin then picked up a pass from Ben Young. Geordie Reed, off balance before Martin knocked down the rear rower from Gloucester, caused Ben Kay to involuntarily make a sound in the comment box. The 30-meter run showed stunning dynamics and ability to hold the ball; even if he could contact fellow Jasper Wiese in outer space :
No hard feelings left.
«George is still so young and I honestly think he can become a world-class player,» Wiese said on Tuesday ahead of Friday's exciting European Cup quarter-final against Leinster in Dublin. «The improvements he's made in the last few weeks have been huge.»
«I've seen George get ahead,» added Leicester and Wales wide winger Tommy Reffell. “He is a real man and a very smart player. He is a very big player. He will carry, he will fall into crayfish. There are a few guys who have come through the academy over the years. George is next to the best of them.”
Another area that is slowly being worked on is Martin's notoriety in the hallway. Last season, he made 28 shots in 21 games. In this period, he already claims to be 26 years old and is an agile weightlifter. The main reason for this will be the greater number of matches in the lockdown, in which the 21-year-old has progressed through the age categories to captain the club and the country's under-18s. During one of his farewell calls to the press as Leicester manager, Steve Borthwick was asked about Martin. The praise was boisterous, lengthy, and tinged with meaningful comparison.
“When I arrived here, he finished school almost immediately; He's 18 or 19 years old,» said Borthwick, who gave Martin his Premier League debut in his second game as head coach of the Tigers and watched the youngster complete 25 tackles.
«In that time he quickly accelerated, played for England, suffered a couple of injuries and then was disappointed that England did not select him. He had his ups and downs and he grew a lot.
“His biggest strength as a player is that there aren’t many players on defense who hit like him. You have people in the league holding that position, like Courtney Lowes. George is on par with these players and we are seeing his game grow in terms of possession.
“I think what will happen is that he will have the versatility to play second row or six . I think he will be very good there. He is 121 kg and 6 feet 6 inches. It's big enough to take a second row seat at the highest level.»
The parallel to Lowes' imposing, aggressive defense is obviously assertive, but Borthwick is not prone to over-inflating his ego. One obvious similarity between the Centurion and the one-cap Martin is that the notable power comes from superior technique. Despite his huge appetite and performance, as well as his height, Martin missed one penalty for Leicester in 52 league and European competition matches.
Skeptics of the modern hybrid forward of which Lowes is a perfect example may moan at the mention of versatility, but Cole spoke highly of Martin's fights and fights. At around 121kg, or just over 19th, Martin is heavier than Maro Itoye, Ollie Chessum and even David Ribbans to name three England contenders. Last Friday, in a hard-fought 16-6 win over Edinburgh in the round of 16, Martin fell behind Cole and Joe Hayes on the side of the mean; sign of the strength of the standard:
Locked-in ballast is something Borthwick might want to use as he claims to create a balanced England package. Joe Launchbury, weighing around 126kg, is believed to be ready to return for the World Championship. In the long to medium term, and maybe sooner, Martin is a potential solution. He was called to camp ahead of the Six Nations final against Ireland, with Nick Isiekwe eventually getting a spot on the bench behind Itouje and Ribbans.
Two years earlier, at the same stadium in Dublin, the Aviva Stadium, Martin had been promoted by Eddie Jones and made a surprise test bow. While still a teenager, he joined in the total chaos, but in a 16-minute cameo, he managed to add a couple of positives, including the rumble of Robbie Henshaw. Following this, England's own documentary video series released lengthy footage of Martin working with Eddie Jones on his melee carry. At one point, Joe Marchand was used as a quarterback and delayed his much greener counterpart. As Borthwick suggested, this experience will bring hard but useful lessons.
For what will become one of the most important matches of his career, Martin returns to the Aviva Stadium once again. Leicester have defied a managerial flight and are on a resurgent, season-saving streak of six consecutive wins. However, in terms of the task ahead of them, they are underdogs with 17 points in bookmakers. However, there are a few English players, notably Freddie Steward and also Jack van Poortvliet, who will be eager to put on performances that will allow the Tigers to harass their hosts. Reffell and Wiese also have an important role to play.
Martin, who came off the bench in last year's quarter-final between the same teams that Leinster won 23-14, has the qualities to keep that that some predicted it would be Leo Cullen's blue juggernaut parade. Leicester will need to slow down their opposition's trademark phase game with a devastating defense. They will need to flex their muscles and use every chance to cause an omnipotent disorder. Martin will undoubtedly be at the center of these critical battles. Going head-to-head with the explosive Ryan Baird, another five-back Swiss Army knife and rising star of the Irish placement, would be awesome.
True, stopping Leinster looks intimidating. . Had his team done so, Martin would almost certainly have turned his attention to a brighter future with both the Tigers and England.
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