Alex Sanderson pinpoints where George Ford's Lions chances went south

Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson admits it would be a travesty if George Ford, one of the best players of his generation, were to go through his entire career without winning a Lions cap.

Ford, 32, who has won 99 England caps in an international career that spans over a decade, was omitted when Andy Farrell named his Lions squad to tour Australia this summer.

The Ireland boss named Finn Russell, Fin Smith, and Marcus Smith as his outside halves for the tour, and it is widely anticipated that one of the two seats on the plane that remain unfilled is being left open for his son Owen.

Sharks skipper Ben Curry recently admitted, “Fordy is a little cheat code,” driving the club towards a Premiership play-off place, and this tour is likely to be his last chance of Lions glory.

Ford, who was last month named Premiership Player of the Month, will be remembered as one of the best players to have never played on a Lions tour if he doesn’t get a late call.

“It really would be (a travesty) because he is clearly good enough. There are loads of players who maybe should have got 50 caps for England. It’s down to subjectivity, and it does come down to that at that level,” said Sanderson.

“I guess he is not too far away if an injury happens, but that is just my opinion. I cannot talk on behalf of Faz (Andy Farrell). But I think his opportunity was missed not playing in the Six Nations, if I’m honest.

“That is when he could have made his claim. He can run a game of international intensity, and he came on and had the best cameo against Wales, but he didn’t have that opportunity for England, and that’s what stung him.

“He makes my life a lot easier. It’s like pulling his cord and letting him go. He is a mega-calming influence on me and the rest of the group, which is probably what I need.

“You need players like him to win cups. Owen Farrell was similar at Saracens. At Northampton, they had Courtney Lawes. You need these kinds of leaders to get you through the difficult parts of games and to lead the charge.”