NORTHAMPTON 26 LEICESTER 55 Borthwick adores Ford
TIGERS boss Steve Borthwick saw George Ford make a mockery of his England snub – and thanked his lucky stars the fly-half is at Leicester. Ford (below) scored 20 points in a masterclass but opposite number Dan Biggar gavewales an injury scare when he failed to appear for the second half after suffering an ankle injury.
Biggar, who was ineligible for Wayne
Pivac’s side against the
All Blacks yesterday because he plays in the Premiership and the game was out of the Test window, was set to face South Africa next Saturday. The 92-capper will joinwales today to be assessed.
Ford showed he was in the mood with a 70m 50-22 kick from under his posts in the early stages and even played at No.9 when Richard Wigglesworth was sin-binned. He smashed home a 40m drop goal and kept Saints out even when Tigers were down to 13 with Wigglesworth and No.8 Jasper Wiese yellow-carded.
Borthwick said: “He was absolute class.
“You look at his ability to kick a 50-22 from under his own posts, it is just fabulous.
“I am very grateful to have the opportunity to coach him but it is me who learns from him. He is a player who is determined to well for Leicester Tigers, determined to be the best player he can be and trains harder than anybody to get better.when you get a player like that who is pushing me as coach for how we can be better it is brilliant.
“At the end of the game we had a lot of young players, a lot of players out of position and he guided them.”
Saints were 27-5 down at the break with Leicester’s giant Fijian wing Nemani Nadolo scoring twice to help them get a bonus point by the 35th minute.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell inspired a mini-comeback but Ford’s mastery guided the visitors to their biggest league win at Franklin’s Gardens.
Replacement scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet grabbed two tries at the death and by the time another Fijian back, Kini Murimurivalu, scored the seventh the hosts were toast.
Boss Chris Boyd moaned: “We got beaten by a better side on the day.we got beaten up physically and we couldn’t control the game.
“We can’t put our game on the field if we keep giving the ball to the opposition. It is fundamental.”
Elsewhere Worcester beat Sale 27-14,Wasps won 27-17 at Bath and Bristol enjoyed a bonus-point 45-33 victory at London Irish.