George Ford

[Pellsey]

A sweeping statement, maybe, definitely not measurable (!!) but it is just my opinion.

I do not know him (Farrell) personally nor do I want to. I can only comment on how he carries himself on a rugby field. If I played against somebody like that, I would make sure I hit them hard to knock them down a peg or two, legally of course.

[JP14]

Must have missed Farrell changing a game...

Go and spend an hour on YouTube bud

Youtube can make any player in the world look good 🤪

I would know I made a video on Jonny Hill.

[Scott1]

Go and spend an hour on YouTube bud

Youtube can make any player in the world look good 🤪

I would know I made a video on Jonny Hill.

Nooooooooooooooooo

[JP14]

Youtube can make any player in the world look good 🤪

I would know I made a video on Jonny Hill.

Nooooooooooooooooo

In my defence was quite a while ago (October 2020).

[Scott1]

I would know I made a video on Jonny Hill.

Nooooooooooooooooo

In my defence was quite a while ago (October 2020).

Can you do one on AWJ?

[JP14]

Nooooooooooooooooo

In my defence was quite a while ago (October 2020).

Can you do one on AWJ?

There’s plenty enough tributes of him already.

[fentiger]

I would know I made a video on Jonny Hill.

Nooooooooooooooooo

In my defence was quite a while ago (October 2020).

A lifetime

[LE18]

In my defence was quite a while ago (October 2020).

Can you do one on AWJ?

There’s plenty enough tributes of him already.

I think Scott has returned to his dislike of AWJ, I thought he had mellowed but seems not.

[BFG]

Difficult to judge 10's in England as much of the ball is so slow and narrow up front.
It might all be about to change anyway with the new 50:22 law.

[TiltonTiger]

No George in the England training squad. Is this the end for him? And after that performance on Saturday as well.

Hey ho. Great for the Tigers, doubt the same can be said for George.

[Scott1]

No George in the England training squad. Is this the end for him? And after that performance on Saturday as well.

Hey ho. Great for the Tigers, doubt the same can be said for George.

It is only a training squad tbf but the golden boy Farrell will always be number one and i do believe Smiths time has come so picking the 3 would be overkill. Good for us though like you said

[sam16111986]

I know this forum is a bit 'fan boy' for George Ford but lets be honest and fair on Farrell, the guy is class and can turn a game. Marcus Smith likewise all be it a bit more flash.

Ford is very steady and can often choke his own backline and whether people want to hear it or not goes missing or doesn't take control in the big games. Sometimes the truth hurts but not being called into the Lions squad speaks volumes of his current form.

When you are injured and miss the end of the season you are unlikely to be called up to the Lions. Particularly when it is then acknowledged by your international coach that you've been nursing an injury for months. Sexton wasn't selected because he wasn't considered robust enough there was no way they were going to risk an injured George Ford was there.

Ford is a quality flyhalf, you have to give him options though because that's his game. We saw him struggle in the 6N because England's backline offered him nothing to challenge the defensive line. We saw him pull apart the Chiefs defence at the weekend (their first choice midfield) because he had options. Give Ford options and he can take the ball to the line and delay his pass and he'll find a way through. Give him those options phase after phase and there are few better.

Let's not forget the game Vs Ulster where his second half display was sensational last season.

Ford's a very good flyhalf but he needs to be a cog in a machine, he's not going to do the Cipriani thing of high risk might win the game by himself or might lose the game by himself.

[GB72]

I guess that Farrell offers a different type of player plus cover at 12 whereas Ford and Smith occupy a similar spot on the team that means that there could only be room for one of them.

Smith needs testing against higher class international opposition and so there is some sense in playing him in Autumn to see if he is ready for the 6 Nations starting spot.

Sadly I can see this as the end of Ford in an England shirt if Smith continues to develop strongly. The back up Fly half often needs to be able to offer competent cover elsewhere on the field and I am not sure that Ford ticks that box whereas Farrell does.

[Ian Cant]

If it had been Ben Youngs left out then I could have understood it as Ben hasn’t in the last few games for us shown the form he is capable of.
With the new rules I expect George will be in the Autumn internationals: he and Smith should be in the match day squads with Marcus able to further develop with George as his mentor. Sarrie’s will be chuffed to bit if their 3 forwards are left out of the Autumn internationals.
I have every confidence George will become even better especially as he plays more with JVP.

[Ian Cant]

In defence of Farrell surely we Tigers fans painfully know how good he is: the Premiership Final v Sarries after we’d beaten then in the previous final: Flood had an off day so Farrel and Britz punished us with Farrel kicking superbly. It was a long trip home from Twickers that day!
Farrel at 12 gives plenty of tactical options.
I’ve also seen Farrel play some great running rugby for Sarries.
For me Eddie Jones is the problem not any players: he started so well with England but then started reigning players in so that their natural attacking skills were stifled and his training methods meant players were knackered before they took the field!
Throughout the World Cup South Africa’s scrum relied on its success by both props angling inwards. For some reason the refs and the teams playing South Africa couldn’t negate this. Jones then gets into pointless mind games instead of talking up his talented squad.
Well done to all our lads who have been selected but I hope they don’t come back from training injured with promising skills stifled!!