Ford may not play for Sale until 2023

TITLE-WINNING former Leicester Tigers fly-half George Ford is unlikely to play for his new club Sale Sharks until 2023, writes Bobby Bridge.

The England international hobbled off 24 minutes into the Gallagher Premiership final with Saracens, as his replacement Freddie Burns arrived ahead of schedule and ultimately kicked the winning points with a last-minute drop goal.

It was later confirmed that Ford had ruptured an achilles tendon that has required surgery.

It means Sale are likely to be without their star signing until the new year and Eddie Jones will not be able to select the fly-half in the autumn internationals.

Ford, below, will also miss the first meeting of his current and former clubs when Tigers travel to the AJ Bell Stadium in September’s Premiership Rugby Cup clash and the first league meeting between the sides back at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in October.

But Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson did earmark a possible Ford return when Sale host Tigers on the final weekend of December.

“George ruptured his achilles going over on his ankle in the Premiership final and we are hoping he will be back in six to nine months for the Leicester home game at the end of the year,” Sanderson told The Times.

“He had the operation about ten days later and Leicester were really good pushing it through.

“It means we will lose George for the first half of the season, but we do have Rob du Preez fit, which wasn’t the case at the start of last season.”

Tigers have filled the gap at fly-half left by Ford’s exit by signing World Cup-winning Springbok Handre Pollard, who will arrive in Leicester following the conclusion of the Rugby

Championship.