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Plan for George Ford to debut on Friday for Sale has been scrapped
This Friday’s much-anticipated Sale debut for England out-half George Ford has been scrapped. Sidelined since his first-half achilles injury when playing for Leicester in last June’s Gallagher Premiership final, the Sharks’ January 27 clash with Bath had been touted as the fixture for the 29-year-old to finally make a first appearance for his new club. However, that plan has now changed.
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Sale boss Alex Sanderson insisted there was nothing new wrong with Ford. Instead, he explained that his medical department was just being cautious not to risk the player potentially getting a soft tissue shortly before completing his full seven-month rehabilitation programme.
This decision means that Ford will now debut in the Premiership Rugby Cup game at Bristol on February 3 or in the following weekend’s knockout stage game in that tournament, with new England boss Steve Borthwick keen for him to return as soon as he is cleared to play.
Borthwick, who was in charge at the Tigers when they lifted the league trophy at Twickenham, had brought Ford along to an England conditioning day earlier this month but he resisted the temptation to name the out-half in his Six Nations squad without him first making a club comeback.
The England coach had a telephone conversation with Sanderson last week about the likely Sale debut date for Ford and the pair agreed to chat again once he is available for selection. Asked if Ford would feature for Sale versus Bath, the Sharks DoR said: “No, he will not, much to our disappointment and frustration.
“There is nothing askew in his rehabilitation schedule – it is on track. If we could bring him back earlier we would but I have been reprimanded by our head of medical that as yet he hasn’t taken on peak game intensity (in training) and it would be foolhardy to try and push him in a game when we haven’t seen how his body would react.
“We are very, very positive that he won’t have a major re-injury but a soft tissue injury would be unbelievably frustrating seeing as he is a week or two away from (fully completing) a seven-month rehabilitation programme.
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“He wants to play, but it’s a case of managing his expectations. I should really get our head of medical in here so you can quiz him because I have been on the phone with him most nights… He [Ford] is two weeks off a seven-month rehabilitation programme, so bringing him back early and risking a soft tissue injury would be more frustrating than the fact we can’t see him out there in a blue shirt this weekend.
“We will play him as soon as we can. We want to get him back into the Six Nations squad so the earlier Steve can see him with the ball in his hands, the sooner he will be in there. That opens up an opportunity at Bristol next week and whoever we have in the semis the week after.
“I am going to get a call off Steve next week because he is up for (Sale) selection. I spoke to him last week and he said as soon as he is available to play let’s chat again, so I’ll look forward to that conversation.”
Asked how Ford was looking so far on the Sale training ground in Carrington, Sanderson added: “He has been brilliant in training. Some people need to be given time coming back… but he is all speed and thought. Decision-making. He has seamlessly slotted back into form because that is his USP, his X-factor, the ability to do the right thing at the right time, and we are already seeing that in the few sessions he has already had.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments