'I feel very safe now, I haven't always'

England hooker Jamie George says he feels "very safe" as a professional rugby player, but acknowledges the sport's culture around brain injuries has changed dramatically over his career.

A new BBC documentary - fronted by George's former England team-mate Ben Youngs - examines the sport and how its relationship has changed around head collisions in recent years.

"I'm really proud of Ben to be exploring this conversation and he's perfectly suited to do that as the most capped men's player of all time," George, 35, told BBC Sport.

"I think it's so important and, in answer to your question, I feel very safe.

"I've got every confidence in the medical team that we have here with England and at Saracens. And I think the progression in that has been significant.

"If you asked me that question 15 years ago, I'd probably give you a different answer.

"There's a tangible difference - the attitude of the players is one thing.

"When I was coming through the system, if you got a bang on the head, you'd be expected to get up and carry on. But now, everyone looks out for each other and they know how serious concussion can be."

George added he would be happy to let his two-year-old daughter play the sport if she chose to.

While a group of former players are taking legal action against rugby's authorities claiming that more should have been done to protect their brain health in the past, there are a series of measures in place to protect players from concussion.

They include 'smart' gumshields that measure the forces players heads withstand in a tackle, pitchside doctors, mandatory assessments and stand-down periods for players diagnosed with having had a concussion.

"We are in very, very safe hands," George added.

"Of course, there is a risk that you might get a concussion in a full-contact sport. We are aware of the risks that come with that, but at the same time, we have the utmost confidence in the people around us, the protocols that are in place and that we are being as well looked after as we possibly can be."

Ben Earl, George's Saracens and England team-mate, is equally confident in the care he gets for both club and country.

"I have never once felt like I've been managed poorly," he said.

"If anything, it's probably too far the other way. They're probably sometimes holding you back when you feel like you're ready to go, but actually they're just looking after you and your body.

"So, in terms of my personal experience with the game and safety, I have felt unbelievably well cared for."

Meanwhie, double Olympic gold medallist Matt Weston has paid a visit to under-pressure England as they prepare for a match they dare not lose away to Italy on Saturday.

Weston, who returned from Milan-Cortina with solo and team skeleton golds last month, was a keen rugby player who played on the wing for Sevenoaks, currently in the fourth tier of the English game, as a teenager, before concentrating on sliding., external

Although Weston is half-Welsh and supported Wales a youngster, he will be travelling to Rome as an England fan after his fiancee bought him tickets as a Christmas present.

"We did a quick Q&A with him before training and it was just fascinating to hear his insights into his world and his journey into getting to where he is now," said George.

"He was passing around his two Olympic goals, which is quite a swaggy thing to be able to do.

"Having people like that come in is really fascinating and it lifts spirits and it's great to have someone of his calibre who's done amazing things supporting the team… we're really proud of that."

As they approached the tournament on the back of 11 straight victories, England had hoped that their trip to Italy would be the precursor to a title decider away to France in Paris on the tournament's final day.

Instead, back-to-back defeats by Scotland and Ireland have left them fighting to regain momentum and avoid the ignominy of historic low.

England have never lost four out of five games in a Six Nations campaign since Italy's entry into the tournament in 2000.

Indeed, England have not lost to Italy in 32 previous meetings, but the Azzurri are coming into this contest with confidence after beating Scotland on the opening day and pushing Ireland and France hard in defeat in rounds two and three.

Defeat would put make England more distant outsiders for their final-day meeting with runaway leaders France and raise the prospect of a first single-win Six Nations campaign.