He started the season as third choice for England but after a series of impressive performances in the Six Nations, Saracen George Kruis is now Eddie Jones’ No.1; that’s according to World Cup winner Martin Corry.   

Despite a below-par World Cup; Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes were talked about as nailed on to start in the second row for England in February.

Fast-forward three months and it’s all change for England; Kruis is now established as Jones’ line-out chief and his partnership with fellow Saracen Maro Itoje is talked about as one of the premier combinations in world rugby.   

Kruis was this week shortlisted for the Green Flag Forward of the Season and his latest accolade is just the beginning of what is going to be another breakthrough year; that’s according to Corry. 

Corry headed a judging panel consisting of Emma Thurston from Out On The Full, Andrew McKenna of TalkSport and Neale Harvey of the Rugby Paper to run the rule over Aviva Premiership Rugby’s most consistent performers. The panel was chaired by Premiership Rugby’s Communications Director Paul Morgan.

Kruis, who will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2014 winner Nick Easter and 2015 winner Nathan Hughes, was joined on the shortlist by Billy Vunipola, Maro Itoje, George Smith, Teimana Harrison and Nili Latu for the Green Flag Forward of the Season.

And Corry admitted selecting the nominees was as tough around the judging table as the players’ performances had been on the field for their clubs in the Aviva Premiership.

“At the start of the season when you looked at who should be the England second-row pairing, he was perhaps third out of the three options alongside Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes coming into the Six Nations,” said Corry.

“His early season form for Saracens made you think he was not just third choice, he is actually now number one.

“You always look at a second row’s set-piece, his has really kicked on and he has become a dominant force there.

“His work-rate really sets him apart as does his ball-playing, his ball-carrying, but his general doggedness, which are key attributes you want from a second-row. He has had a phenomenal season.

“We’re looking at second-rows as a real position of strength now; Kruis has massively put his hand up and is leading the way.

“That’s not taking anything away from the guys who are behind him because there is huge strength in depth now.

“Obviously everyone is talking about Lawes and Launchbury, but the Saxons tour is now going to be fascinating – who goes on that?

“Dom Barrow from Tigers, Graham Kitchener – and that’s not discounting Parling, who was there – there’s a list of guys now, English second-rows, which is just becoming great.”

The winner of the Green Flag Forward of the Year will rub shoulders with the biggest names in English rugby at the glittering sold out Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards ceremony at the London Hilton, Park Lane presented by BT Sport's Craig Doyle.

Along with the winner of the Green Flag Forward of the Season – on 18 May – the winners for Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season, Aviva Community Player of the Season, BT Sport Dream Team, Citizen Try of the Season, Gilbert Golden Boot, Women's Premiership Players’ Player of the Year, Guinness Director of Rugby of the Season, Land Rover Discovery of the Season, Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Player of the Series and Trivento Top Try Scorer of the Season will also be presented.

And Corry has now challenged Kruis to build on his form for Saracens this summer with England and go and establish himself as a world class second row. 

“Kruis is leading the way now, but next season is going to be fascinating in terms of a second-row battle,” he added. “It’s about going to the next level now.

“Steve Borthwick knowing what he is like with his second-rows and his line-outs, will absolutely love working with this crop of English qualified second-rows because it is great for the Premiership and it is great for England.

“He started at a hell of a pace and what is remarkable for him in that position, with the amount of work he has to do for England and for Saracens, is that he has maintained that.

“People talk about consistency, he has been consistently at a very high level and when you look at the key players in the Saracens pack week in week out, it has been him.”

The Green Flag Forward of the Season  will be announced first on Twitter via the @premrugby account on the evening of 18 May. To find out more about the Green Flag rugby sponsorship visit: https://www.greenflag.com/about-us/sponsorship/rugby or follow @GreenFlagUK #rugbytribe