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'George Ford is the best 10 in the world but doesn’t get recognition'
By Chris Jones
Former England star Toby Flood rates George Ford the best fly-half in the world and says he deserves to be England’s starting No.10 for the Autumn Nations Series despite Fin and Marcus Smith making the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
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Flood, who won 60 England caps and played at two Rugby World Cups was impressed with Ford’s displays on England’s successful summer tour to Argentina and the USA, and said: “England looked really sharp in Argentina – George Ford is the best 10 in the world but doesn’t get recognition.
“I thought they played really well and he’s probably been as good a 10 in the world for a decent stretch now and probably doesn’t get the recognition.
“It also showed there’s a lot of talent coming through too. It was really pleasing to see England continue on an upward trend.
“Now you’re in a situation where they’re going to come back now with those results under their belt and people will be expecting big things in the autumn.”
Flood does not see the return of the two Smiths or Owen Farrell’s second coming at Saracens affecting Ford’s place in the England team.
He added: “If I was Fin or Marcus Smith I would be annoyed about Owen Farrell’s Lions call-up but I’d be surprised Steve Borthwick followed suit.
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“I can’t see past George Ford at this time. It’s unbelievably ironic because we had the two lads Fin and Marcus on a Lions tour, then suddenly they get usurped by a guy who’s playing, technically, a tier down.
“That was partly down to Owen Farrell being called up. If I was either Fin or Marcus Smith, I would be annoyed that Owen, a guy who hasn’t played rugby for two years, comes in and sits on a bench. That’s wrong because he’s not going to be in the next Lions tour.
“I think that George is exceptional. I can’t see past those three being in the team really. I’d be surprised if Borthwick brought back Owen.
“It’s going to be Marcus, Fin and George. It would then be George and Fin at fly-half with Marcus being that sort of hybrid player that he’s starting to become whether he likes it not.
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“He’s becoming an Austin Healey, who was a wonderful player by the way. He’s that guy that is perfect on the bench, which is terrible for him.
“Because when you watch Marcus in the Premiership, he’s fantastic.
“If Borthwick is smart, which he is, he’ll position it to them all that how they start the season will be all important and have a big bearing on where they sit in the fold.”
Flood was speaking to AceOdds, https://www.aceodds.com/
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