George Ford

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Can I have his job it looks great, get paid to keep fit all week then get great seat to watch Tigers every weekend.

I could do that..........

On a more serious point how un match fit must he be now, he should be playing tonight for the A Team.

[tigerburnie]

Can I have his job it looks great, get paid to keep fit all week then get great seat to watch Tigers every weekend.

I could do that..........

On a more serious point how un match fit must he be now, he should be playing tonight for the A Team.

Have to agree, that is one strange "A" team,no Bowden either?

[voice of the crumbie]

Maybe his non-inclusion tonight indicates that Cockers is considering a line up change for Saturday's game against Exeter.

I note that Bowden and Thopmstone are not featured either so might we also see them this coming weekend?

[jgriffin]

Bowden is apparently injured again. No doubt we will discover Thompstone cut his own leg off when slicing bread or some such innocuous activity.

[leic]

What's more annoying is, he will leave! And he's the future! Great player.

[tonyw]

If Flood had been playing well the last 2 games i could understand Ford not getting any game time but he hasn't so you would have expected Ford to have been brought on as a potential game changer. Only Cockers can tell you why he wasn't, Does he not think George is capable? does he not trust him? Something strange in my opinion.

[Smurphswillgetya]

What's more annoying is, he will leave! And he's the future! Great player.

Great - let him leave at least we wont get some of the drivel written about Flood on here. Toby is still one of the best 10's in England and Ford is not yet. Perhaps the Quins backrow would have eaten Ford up and spat him out and scored a bonus point win against us! Just like the conjecture by others I may well be right.

[fentiger]

Bowden is apparently injured again. No doubt we will discover Thompstone cut his own leg off when slicing bread or some such innocuous activity.

According to this article Bowden is fit: http://www.leicestertigers.com/news/14975.php

[Southernsoftie]

I think I am correct in saying that AP weeks 4,5 and 6 are designated as an EPS "rest weekend". Meaning that every member of the senior EPS squad is required to take a weekend off at least one of those weekends.

We saw Manu not play last weekend so while that was through injury, that will count as his rest weekend. I expect both of Flood and Allen will be rested this weekend so that they are available for the game against Sale as a warm up for the HC games against Toulouse and Ospreys.

So, my guess is George Ford to start on Saturday and Bowden at IC in place of Allen. Manu to return.

O/t slightly but a tough introduction for Bowden against the Naquleveki (sp) monster.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

I think I am correct in saying that AP weeks 4,5 and 6 are designated as an EPS "rest weekend". Meaning that every member of the senior EPS squad is required to take a weekend off at least one of those weekends.

We saw Manu not play last weekend so while that was through injury, that will count as his rest weekend. I expect both of Flood and Allen will be rested this weekend so that they are available for the game against Sale as a warm up for the HC games against Toulouse and Ospreys.

So, my guess is George Ford to start on Saturday and Bowden at IC in place of Allen. Manu to return.

O/t slightly but a tough introduction for Bowden against the Naquleveki (sp) monster.

No game time though so will rusty & hence Flood can return straight away regardless of his form, its like the Goode & Humphreys all over again.....Goode plays rubbish for 4 games finally gets dropped, The Humpster plays but is rusty we don't win by 60 points so is dropped again.

I'm not saying Ford should be our first choice 10 but it would be nice to see if he should be, as Flood is hardly setting the world on fire.

[Southernsoftie]

I couldn't agree more.

I also appreciate that RC has a difficult job to do but sticking with Flood when he is so palpably out form, in the hope that he will play himself into form, seems somewhat optimistic. Surely better to let him rediscover his best form on the training pitch not in the glare of the spotlight?

Not giving GF some game time also seems almost wilfully stubborn. All the players need to play to stay in form and while substitutions can be disruptive, making changes when it was apparent we were on to a loser is an easy way to get the subs some experience of the AP.

[voice of the crumbie]

I suspect that had Ben Youngs and Micky Young been available at scrum half we would have seen more of George by now. Given that Sam Harrison is still learning his trade and recent performances have been patchy I can understand Cockers' reluctance to play George and Sam together.

[Smurphswillgetya]

I suspect that had Ben Youngs and Micky Young been available at scrum half we would have seen more of George by now. Given that Sam Harrison is still learning his trade and recent performances have been patchy I can understand Cockers' reluctance to play George and Sam together.

Dont agree with your post, it is too sensible and rational for this forum

[mightymouse]

I thoiught Lancaster had waived the rest game thing

[Southernsoftie]

He waived it last Xmas as the players had been away so much during RWC. It was made clear at the time, waiving the rest period, which England are entitled to demand for the senior EPS squad, was an exception based on the circumstances at that time. However it is still in the agreement between the RFU and PRL so in the absence of any waiver and with a tough set of AI's to come, I expect to see the players required to take a week off.