Talented Ford ‘overshadowed by Owen Farrell’
SIR ALEX Ferguson’s success at Manchester United was based partly on the manager’s knowing when it was time to move a player on, no matter how big his reputation. Even David Beckham was sent on his way.
Eddie Jones has shown a similar ruthlessness with England, easing out the likes of Mike Brown, Danny Care and Chris Robshaw before the last World Cup while the Vunipola bothers and George Ford, World Cup finalists two years ago, were dropped from the squad this autumn.
Ford has looked anything but a former England player for Leicester. Last weekend, he astutely guided the Tigers to victory in the East Midlands derby at Franklin’s Gardens by taking charge of the game at the point when, with his side down to 13 men after two quick fire yellow cards and the Saints fighting their way back into the match, victory was in doubt.
“The way Ford controlled the game for those ten minutes was outstanding,” said Chris Boyd, Northampton’s director of rugby. “Two of his box kicks (from Leicester’s 22 when he was acting as scrum-half) were right on the money and he dropped a goal straight from our drop out. He stabilised his side and they ran away with it at the end.”
Boyd first noticed Ford ten years ago when he was part of New Zealand’s U20 management team in the 2011 Junior World Cup in Italy. They beat England in the final when Ford, the youngest player in the tournament having just turned 18, was at outsidehalf with Owen Farrell at inside centre.
“I have always had some admiration for Ford,” said Boyd, below. “You could see then how much quality he had and I have watched him over the years since. He has had a long international career, but I wonder if he has underachieved having unfortunately operated in the shadow of Farrell.
“On his own, he is a very good rugby player, as he showed against us. It is not for me to say whether there is a way back into the England squad for him because I do not know what the thought behind the selection was, but he has been very good for Leicester in the last month and probably the most consistent player in the Premiership.”
Boyd is used to coaching high-end outside-halves. When he was in charge of the Hurricanes, Beauden Barrett was his 10 and Dan Biggar, the Wales pivot who has been on the last two Lions tours, is in residence at Franklin’s Gardens.
“It is always a fine line to strike the balance between the strength of the individual versus the strength of the team,” said Boyd. “It might be Ford has been unfortunate that at times he has
been in an environment that plays a game that does not suit him personally.
“Marcus Smith has thrived at Harlequins where they play a game that suits him. Would it have been the same for him had he been at Exeter or Saracens? Sometimes you get an alignment of the stars with the philosophy of a game and individuals all fitting together, but sometimes it does not quite fit.
“I remember years ago when the All Blacks had Grant Fox at outside-half. Frano Botica was an unbelievably good 10 but Fox was that relentless machine who suited New Zealand at the time.
“Is Smith really going to change the way England play? It is a lot of responsibility and pressure on a young man as well as a leap of faith for everyone involved to say that because we have unearthed one person who can do this and that we will try and change the way we play. It might be that all the other pieces were there and he was the missing one – but he might not be. It is an interesting jigsaw puzzle.”