News about George Ford

DAN BIGGAR: In October 2021, I was part of a Northampton side which beat Worcester 66-10 in a Premiership clash at Franklin's Gardens. Fin Smith was my opposite number. Despite the one-sided final score and the Warriors' struggles at the time, I could see Fin, then aged 19, had a lot of potential and everything he needed to make it at the highest level. It had been a tough evening for Worcester so at the final whistle, I went over to Fin and we had a bit of a chat. My reason for doing so was to make sure the way the match went didn't damage him moving forward. The television cameras picked up our conversation and it went a bit viral.

As an international head coach, you cannot be constrained by external factors around selection because they don't allow you to pick your best team and therefore create a readymade excuse. That's what the RFU's policy, which means you can't play for a club outside of England and also represent Steve Borthwick's national side, does. I've long been of the view it is an archaic ruling which doesn't work in the society we all live in today. I look at it through a very blunt lens. Does the overseas rule make England more competitive? Or, as an Olympic rowing team would say: 'Does it make the boat go faster?' For me, the answer is an emphatic no.

ALEX BYWATER AT FRANKLIN'S GARDENS: Northampton's supporters survived, and Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson said his team's supporters could have a dream of what could be a spectacular double. Dowson's men progressed to the quarter-finals after competing with Harlequins and Exeter in a thrilling European battle. In the last eight, Northampton will meet the Bulls of South Africa. Saints will unquestionably fancy their prospects. They are currently five points up on the Premiership table and will face the Bulls on Saturday night at home and have a great advantage over the Bulls.

Tom Roebuck hasn't won an England cap, but after investing the entire Six Nations with the national squad, he managed to land some new trainers, including a hat-trick to revive Sale's Premiership play-off hopes. In the last two months, the 23-year-old Sharks wing found himself in the shadow of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, as Exeter's new sensation earned a Test debut, touched down against Scotland, and had a major hand in a thrilling victory over Ireland at Twickenham. But the roles were reversed in Salford yesterday, as Roebuck unveiled a memorable treble and Feyi-Waboso's lightning attack at the other end was a minor consolation for the disomious Chiefs. The uncapped Roebuck will not be able to play for his country, but he will have a pick addition to his footwear collection. Alex Sanderson, Sale's director of rugby, was euphoric after his team won their first league victory since Christmas.'I owe him a brand new pair of Nike Air Max,' said the narrator.'

Exclusive INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: In the Sale Sharks team room, Luke Cowan-Dickie selects a series of darts and stands square to the board. Both feet facing forwards, as if he is throwing a line out, it is an oddity. He goes straight at the bullseye. One shot, one kill. 'It's easier to choose a target point in darts because it's stable,' he says, flinging the swollenness out of his right arm. 'The point of release is similar,' but not sure. If you're throwing with form, you should get up early. If you're throwing flatter, you'll be released later.'

ALEX BYWATER: Fin Smith made his international debut for England in February's opening-round victory over Italy in Rome, as well as his appearance against Scotland. Despite being just 21, he has had a blockbuster season with Gallagher Premiership leaders Saints, and although he remains behind George Ford and namesake Marcus Smith in the England playmaker pecking order, he is hopeful of replacing him at the top of national head coach Steve Borthwick's list.

CHRIS FOY IN LYON: England lost Le Crunch yet again on Saturday night, but the country took another step toward finding a new identity on Saturday night. They were defeated but they look reborn. During a dramatic, three-try rise either side of halftime, Steve Borthwick's national team played as if the fiasco against Scotland had been an intricate hoax. Compared to the miserable evening in Edinburgh, rugby from a different planet. This is a ratchet. Fluent. Daring. We're linked. Relentless. Even after Thomas Ramos' late penalty inflicted a deja vu loss that had uncomfortably brought Jamie George and Co. back to their World Cup semi-final agony in South Africa, England supporters were cheered by what they had seen. They were overwhelmingly entangled by what the future holds, although it has been a long time since that was the case.

SIR CLIVEWOODWARD: I thought the first two games of Six Nations' 'Super Saturday' were quite disappointing. The tournament's last game of the 2024 Championships was also alive. The England-France match was fantastic. By the time it was announced, Ireland had already deservedly claimed the title. But Steve Borthwick's team and France produced a special 80 minutes. It was clear to me how both teams mingled at the last whistle and discussed a game to remember. We're here discussing the positive way England has played, not just about pick.

The final 2024 Six Nations match against France in Lyon today has a 'Featured Price Increase' and three more 'Price Boosts'. First, the featured price increase is for 'England to win,' and each team is expected to score two or more tries.' The odds for the bet have been raised from 3/1 to 5/1. Regarding the boost: In all four of England's Six Nations fixtures in 2024, the team has scored two or more tries, while France has averaged 2.5 tries per match in four games this tournament. Those three boosts are still available in Elsewhere: 'Ben Earl and Penaud' scored 1+ points each in each half at 5/1, while 'George Ford and Ramos scored 12+ points on each' at 5/1, and 'each team Will score 12+ points per' at 5/1, and 'Ben Earl and Penaud' at 8/1.

CHRIS FOY: Repeat it now. That's the difficult part. Following scaling the heights to surprise Ireland last Saturday, England is on a twin-peaks crusade that doubles as a revenge mission. After being written off after losing to Scotland at Murrayfield seven days ago, coach Steve Borthwick's staff displayed simmering, dazzling defiance to ambush the Six Nations champions at Twickenham. Now, the emphasis on the final weekend of the championship is different. This is all about payback and restitution. It's been 12 months since France arrived in south-west London and condemned their cross-Channel rivals to a humiliating 53-10 loss. It was not so much Le Crunch as Le Crash that it was. Fabien Galthie's side had a blast on England's home turf. The hosts were both exhilarating and humiliating.

With winger Manny Feyi-Waboso out of concussion, Daly has taken up his position on the wing, with Manu Tuilagi added to the bench. England arrived in Lyon on Thursday with a slim hope of snatching the title if Ireland loses to Scotland in Dublin. For the final match of the season, Steve Borthwick has opted for consistency in selecting, retaining faith in the likes of George Furbank, George Ford, and Alex Mitchell.

I had no idea I'd say this about an England team playing at Twickenham. However, winning in the Six Nations Championships against back-to-back Grand Slam-chasing Ireland on Saturday isn't about winning. It's all about being ultra-competitive against what is arguably the best team in the country right now. It pains me to say it, but England does need a minor miracle to win this game. I have been wrestling with this all week because I have never felt this way about England before. The fact that Ireland is supposed to win says a lot about how good they are, but also much about England's fall from grace.

Marcus Smith is expected to return to England's squad against Ireland after Fin Smith missed training due to a calf injury. The Harlequins No. 10 hasn't been a featured contributor in this year's campaign due to his own injury struggles, but he's able to be a direct replacement for his namesake. Despite Scotland's round-three loss, veteran playmaker George Ford has been expected to keep his starting jersey, but Smith should at least start on the bench.

WORLD OF RUGBY: The results have been published, and they are empathetic. Based on a social media survey, the English rugby public is largely in favour of Marcus Smith regaining Test No. 10 shirt. Almost half of the people who were asked to vote either the Harlequins pro-Six Nations calf injury, George Ford, or Fin Smith selected magic Marcus, who has recovered from a pre-Six Nations calf injury and is now available for selection. The outpouring of support is no surprise; the 25-year-old fly-half is both an instinctive, creative playmaker, and a box-office favorite. He excites spectators and criticizes competitor defenses. He makes stuff happen. It's no wonder that there is such a call for him to be remembered.

CHRIS FOY: England seems to have crossed the road as they brace for a showdown with Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday. They have reached a difficult junction, in fact, all the lights are off, and they don't have a map. When Steve Borthwick took over the national team in December 2022, the buzz word was 'clarity,' and that was achieved with a narrow game-plan at the new World Cup.

CHRIS FOY: The investigation and repair work will be comprehensive, no doubt, but after this tragedy at Murrayfield, it is impossible to imagine how England will find quick fixes before Ireland visits Twickenham with another Slam in their sights. Well, this latest loss to Scotland has ended their Six Nations title hopes, ironically. They are stumbling toward a potential campaign win of two wins from five games, which is disappointing. Explicity once more. That is perhaps an inaccurate prediction, but the Irish people will believe that England will be on the field for the taking on March 9, even if they don't have 15 guys on the field this week - and France will be marginal favorites in Lyon a week later, despite their own unconvincing results in this tournament.

England has lost four times in a row since 1896 after losing Edinburgh. To me, this is a big statistic and one that must make English rugby sit up and take note of the country's decline from grace. England should not be losing to anyone four years in a row. That's not to say that Scotland is not to be taken away from Scotland. England is now abundantly clear from recent reports between the two teams' findings that England is a long way behind Scotland.

MIKE BROWN: You simply can't make as many individual mistakes as England did in their loss to Scotland last night. Since it's nearly impossible to have the perfect game, it's inevitable that you make some mistakes over the course of 80 minutes. However, you must keep them to a minimum. If you don't, smart teams will discipline you. That's what happened with Steve Borthwick's side at Murrayfield. Taking a look at the game's key moments. England's new blitz defense was revealed for Scotland's first attempt, although for me it was an individual rather than a system error.

OLIVER HOLT AT MURRAYFIELD: They waited by the statue of Doddie Weir, the male and female rugby players with the worst job in the sport this weekend. The Whitburn Band's slogan, "The Bus is Onward," beckoned the bus, boosted the St George's Cross, and then marched the England team through Murrayfield as they waited for it to appear, cheered the team's massed ranks of Scotland supporters. Much has been written about these moments in recent weeks, including how the pipers who have coached England teams on this slow parade in previous years have hurled the agony of visiting visitors as they are exposed to the full force of Scottish enmity. As the players progressed to the point where the bus disgorges the players, several England players have expressed how they felt the Calcutta Cup had been lost before they set foot on the pitch.

SIMON AT MURRAYFIELD: Steve Borthwick stepped out of the safety of his coaching box and gazed forward with arms folded in Edinburgh's final minute, in close proximity to the audience. Every Scottish fan had a chance to goad him one by one. After watching his team suffer a slow torture in a bed of thistles, they erupted sarcastically, cheering and thanks for arriving. England put on a show that lacked intelligence and a sense of urgency. After an error, aimless kick after a goalless kick, there was a mistake. This is the first time England has lost four straight Calcutta Cup games since 1896, and the ardent Scottish supporters are already yelling for their opponents to be booted out of the Six Nations. Tongue in cheek, of course, because they will sorely miss their annual triumph over the Auld Enemy.

Scotland is 8/13 favorite to win in straight over England in the Six Nations today. In comparison, Steve Borthwick's side is 11/8 strangers to have caused the uproar at Murrayfield. Sky Bet is giving a 'Price Boost' that is gaining a lot of attention in comparison to the 'Full-time Results' market. You now have a chance of 9/4 for 'Scotland,' beating by 1-10 points, which was previously 7/4.' In Scotland's three straight victories over England, the margin of victory has been between 1-10 points in all three cases.

SIR CLIVEWOODWARD: On Saturday, it's make-or-break time for England and Scotland in Murrayfield. Scotland will be out of the championship race if they lose, and will be out of the playoff tournament altogether. And the quest for their first Six Nations championship continues. If England loses, they are highly unlikely to be in the mix at the end, considering that their next challenge will be to step into the path of the Irish Grand Slam juggernaut at Twickenham before heading to Lyon to face France on the final weekend.

NIK SIMON IN EDINBURGH: George Furbank has been given a late start in England's Calcutta Cup match against Scotland. Furbank hasn't started a Test since 2022, but Freddie Steward has been recalled in the No. 15 jersey. England is bracing for the unpredictable attacking capabilities of Scotland's No 10 Finn Russell - and Furbank's attacking skills could be highly suited to an unstructured game.

JOE MARLER: On Instagram, I noticed a graphic displaying which countries has won the Calcutta Cup for the past 20 years. With the odd thistle, it used to be all roses, like a beautifully maintained garden that reflected England's dominance. Now the tides have turned and it's all thistles with the odd spike. We've all been calling for Scotland lately. It's been a vicious rivalry, and I adore it. The niggle goes back to the night in 2018, when Ryan Wilson called on George Ford in the tunnel. Sadly, I was back to the buffett with a belly full of cheese toastie, so I was nowhere near to intervene when Wilson started dishing it out in his thick Scottish-Sury accent.