Jamie George wants to make use of any opportunity that comes his way

Saracens hooker Jamie George said he is keen to grab every opportunity that comes his way to impress head coach Eddie Jones in a bid for his first start with the national team.

The 26-year-old has played second fiddle to England skipper Dylan Hartley with all his 10 games for England coming from the bench.

With Jones making his intention clear that Hartley will be undisturbed as a hooker, all other players competing for the spot are forced with cameos in the second half to showcase their talents and George has come to terms with the approach.

The 26-year-old, who is Aviva Premiership's joint leading try-scorer believes his time in the middle in every match will increase as he puts up a better performance on every chance he gets.

Acknowledging that Hartley is an essential component of the group with his leadership qualities, George has his task cut out.

"I've decided not to look at it like I'm the understudy to the captain," George said.

"I've just got to be ready as I can be for when the opportunity comes, whether that is seven minutes off the bench or like the half an hour I got at the weekend. I need to impress every time I get the opportunity to.

"Dylan is doing a great job, he leads from the front . He's a brilliant captain of this team.

"But the more I can impress in training, in games, the more game time potentially I get. That has been my mindset and Eddie didn't really need to tell me that. It becomes obvious.

"It has been going well for me, I've been getting some good game time in the last two matches so I'm pretty happy with that. I've just got to keep working hard for when the time comes."

George, who was a product of Saracens academy is confident that he will only become a better player with more exposure he gets in international rugby.

"I'd love to get more starts. Experience wise I've played in a lot of big games for Saracens - a lot of European games and a lot of finals. I've started a lot of those games" he said.

"With England it's more about minutes on the pitch for me. The longer I can experience international rugby, the better I can be. Whether that's starting or off the bench, my main focus is minutes."

George also welcomed the return of his Saracens team-mate George Kruis after an ankle surgery.

"George [Kruis] brings so much to this team. His knowledge of the line-out is second to none," George said.

"I haven't worked with too many people like him, other than maybe (forwards coach) Steve Borthwick. He's a fantastic asset for us and a world class player.

"George is a light-hearted guy who likes a joke. I've known him for a number of years at Saracens and he's one of the big characters in the squad. He's liked by everyone.

"When he first came in, he built up that respect and that transfers off the field. He's a big voice and character.

"The second row group we've got at the minute is unbelievable. We've got guys like Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes so there's nothing to worry about. The guys that we have at our disposal is pretty scary."