Analysis: The evolution of George Ford
George Ford has always been a triple threat flyhalf, capable of splitting defences with his kicking, passing, or running game. But the perceived rivalry between him and Owen Farrell, friends since childhood, meant the latter two aspects tended to get more notice.
It was Ford’s vision, his breathtaking ability to play flat on the line before jinking through or releasing an unnoticed teammate that separated him from Farrell. His older friend, meanwhile, was the one with the kicking game.
This was too simplistic then and far too so now, as the two players have matured and expanded their respective games. Ford was always able to drop a goal on the proverbial sixpence, always looking for a cross-kick to circumvent the opposition’s defence, always alert to the opportunity of a drop goal.
Recently, Eddie Jones’ desire to stack his backline with kicking options has meant this aspect of Ford’s game has received more notice, as he, Farrell, Elliot Daly, and Henry Slade all present triple threats in attack.
But Ford has developed other aspects to his game too. More and more he is becoming one of England’s leaders, noticeable for the support he gives to teammates in adversity rather than the assists in attack.
In the opening rounds of the Six Nations, in difficult conditions and underwhelming performances, he has shown what else he has added to his game.
Le Crunch
A fervid Stade de France, inclement weather, and an inspired young French team are not the easiest conditions to star as a fly half, especially not when your pack is on the back foot and your best carrier in the backline goes off early.
And Ford didn’t star — like his teammates, he struggled. Last year in this fixture, he had been able to embarrass the French back three at will with his kicking. This time, however, he faced the commanding Anthony Bouthier, whose time playing in Brittany in the French lower divisions seemed to have perfectly prepared him for such an event. Time and again, Bouthier claimed Ford’s kicks with ease. In many ways, the contest between the two was summed up as Ford helplessly chased Bouthier’s now viral spiral clearance.
The conditions and the seeming panic in England’s ranks also didn’t help, with teammates repeatedly dropping passes or overrunning opportunities. The English debutant fullback, George Furbank, did not settle in with the ease of his opposite number and the lower level of cohesion in the backs showed.
And yet, for all that, there were plenty of moments that showcased Ford’s contribution to this England side. This restart, for Daly, is weighted perfectly and allows the wing to push the French player into touch with the ball.
From the resulting lineout, Ford gets Manu Tuilagi over the gainline, hinting at what England might have been capable of throughout the game if their power runners had been available (Tuilagi went off injured shortly after).
His kick at the start of the second half was also perfectly weighted, finding touch in deteriorating conditions as England chased a 17-0 deficit.
Perhaps his most noteworthy contribution, however, was in the two fights that broke out between the sides. On both occasions, Ford could be seen separating opponents, calming players, engaging in banter with referee Nigel Owens to diffuse the situations. England have a reputation for losing their heads but Ford seems very much capable of keeping his as they do so.
The Calcutta Cup
That was noticeable again in the match at Murrayfield. This time, the crowd was just as fervid and the opposition equally ramped up but the conditions were significantly worse. So much so, in fact, that the entire game felt like a hostage to fortune. Playing rugby in weather like that is a test of character and game smarts as much as anything else.
England’s tactic of relinquishing possession and asking the forwards on their 6/2 bench to make the difference paid off in a forgettable game. Time and again, kicks went astray, occasionally blowing back towards the kicker. It was the type of match where kicking for touch was a safer decision than going for the points, even from a good field position.
In the middle of a literal storm, Ford managed to execute some pretty perfect kicks (although he also had one blown back). Early on, he engaged in some kick tennis with Stuart Hogg.
Both players claimed their first ball comfortably but his return here is positioned brilliantly, hanging just outside of the Scottish 22 so Hogg cannot call the mark but close enough to keep him thinking about it. Hogg is unable to take the ball and England gain a significant territorial advantage, crucial in such conditions.
This low-weighted effort for touch was perfect and, considering Scotland’s lineout struggles throughout the match, was an excellent decision.
The only try of the game was scored in the final quarter, pushed over by Ellis Genge but the position was gained by another excellent kick from Ford, forcing Hogg into another error and gaining England a 5m scrum.
Perhaps more importantly, however, he worked hard to support Furbank, repeatedly dropping back as cover and taking responsibility for clearing. This is not necessarily unusual — fly halves often cover the backfield and the weather made it a sensible strategy — but it was also emblematic of the way Ford tried to support his teammates throughout.
Rather than expose Furbank to the conditions or the possibility of a poor kick with immediate consequences, he stepped up and took on the responsibility himself. Elsewhere, he could be seen cheering on his forwards, celebrating penalties, and constantly shouting encouragement over the wind.
In a game where character was tested so severely, Ford was once again determined to do everything to help his teammates. Farrell and Maro Itoje are the obvious talismans of this England side, leading from the front, but Ford is quietly becoming the mental glue of the team, holding everything together.
We’ve seen this before
These developments are part of an ongoing process. Ford is not the type of player to rest on his laurels but one to constantly seek improvement. Indeed, in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup, Ford’s kicking game was imperious, tormenting England’s opponents and setting him up as the standout fly half of the tournament.
He played a finishing role in the quarter-final against Australia, where his kicking game comfortably kept the Wallabies out, and was then brought back into the starting lineup against New Zealand, which was to be England’s best performance in years.
In that match, he demonstrated how much he has worked on his all-round game, catching the eye for the simple things more than those mazy runs of his youth. He made 13 tackles in that game, missing only two, and his rip of the ball from New Zealand prop Nepo Laulala set up one of many promising England attacks, albeit in a manner we are not used to from Ford.
He also took over kicking responsibilities from Farrell, cooly kicking four from four. It is easier to perform well when everyone around you is doing so but it is the additional areas where Ford stepped up that are noteworthy.
Ford is still a triple threat flyhalf. A defensive line that doesn’t take him seriously is one that is very likely to be breached. But he has added so many other strings to his bow: tackling, turnovers, and leadership among them. As England work to become a team that can conquer adversity in the middle of games, Ford is likely to become increasingly important.
Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
29 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to comments