LONG READ George Ford: ‘I’m still as hungry and motivated as ever to play for England’

A small group of tourists gather in the hotel lobby, hastily organised by a local guide who has to raise his voice to be heard over the chatter. Before leading them through the streets of Buenos Aires, he demonstrates how they should hold their backpacks to reduce the risk of robbery. “I want you to enjoy your time in our beautiful city, but remember that there are always risks,” he warns.

It makes me wonder if Steve Borthwick has issued a similar warning to his England squad as they prepare to face Los Pumas on Saturday.

This warning may be valuable for his many inexperienced players, but it has been years since anyone described George Ford that way. The fly-half is preparing to win his 100th cap in La Plata, joining an illustrious list of England greats. After a remarkable 16 years in the sport’s most high-pressure position, Ford knows better than most that anticipating danger is the best way to avoid it.

If an England squad featuring 10 uncapped players is to avoid defeat against an Argentina side brimming with post-Lions confidence, they will need every ounce of Ford’s leadership.

Even if he were not one of England’s key players, Ford would do well to keep his head on a swivel. With memories of his 27-point haul against them in the 2023 World Cup pool stage fresh in their minds, it isn’t hard to imagine that Argentina would love to spoil Ford’s landmark occasion. But after just a few minutes in his company, it is clear the man himself would like nothing more than to view Saturday’s encounter as just another game.

“When you get your first cap, that’s a surreal moment,” he said. “When you’re growing up, you dream of it but you never really believe it’ll happen. You’re that engrossed in getting one cap and just focused on making your family proud. I’ve never had a goal. I’ve never said I want to get to 50, or 100.”

For someone who dedicates little of his energy to records and milestones, Ford has a knack for achieving them. When he made his debut for Leicester at the age of 16, he became the youngest player ever to play professional rugby in England. Now, at 32, he is preparing to join the most exclusive club in English rugby. Thirty Englishmen have Rugby World Cup winner’s medals, but only seven have worn the rose more times than Oldham’s own George Ford.

I think the Lions is an unbelievable thing to do – I’ve obviously not been able to do it in my career but it’s a very subjective thing. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn’t…

There is an inevitable fanfare that accompanies an achievement like this, but Ford’s status as one of the team’s leaders is nothing new. He explains that “over the past 12-18 months, the squad profile has changed a little bit but I think that’s good. It freshens things up and brings a new energy into the squad. You become a more experienced player but when you’re out on the field and you’re training or playing, it’s the same. You’re still competing.”

A glance at the English fly-halves who’ve vied for the jersey since Ford’s 2014 debut proves he doesn’t fear competition. When he first broke into the squad at the age of 20, the likes of Freddie Burns and Toby Flood were still in contention. Danny Cipriani, with all his mercurial talents, only managed 16 appearances. More recently, Marcus and Fin Smith have sought to make the England jersey their own and then there’s Owen Farrell, Ford’s greatest and most enduring rival. Ford has outclassed some and outlasted others.

Ford’s face gives nothing away as he listens to this list of names, but he hesitates slightly when asked whether 11 years of relentless competition has changed his approach. Eventually he replies, “I’d probably say I’m the same to be honest. I’m still as hungry and motivated as I’ve ever been to play for England, to play at the top level. You mention those names, and there are some guys on this tour too — in the best teams I’ve been a part of, you compete really hard in training, but the bigger picture is you work as hard as you can together to make the team win at the weekend.”

That is not to say that Ford hasn’t evolved over the course of his 99-cap career to date, particularly when it comes to selection, which hasn’t always gone his way. He explains that “experience makes you better at [dealing with competition] I think. Another thing with selection is that it’s very subjective. The coach will pick the players he thinks are going to win at the weekend. All you can do as a player is be ready, push as hard as you can in training and do the best you can for the team.”

It isn’t the only time the word ‘subjective’ comes up during our conversation. Three successive England head coaches have come to the view that Ford is an indispensable part of their project, but that view was not shared by Andy Farrell. After missing out on selection in 2017 and 2021, Ford’s most recent Lions omission baffled the likes of former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. Ford will win his 100th cap just hours after the Lions’ match against the Waratahs, but he is adamant that his thoughts have not strayed to Australia.

“There’s nothing bittersweet. If I take the field on Saturday, I’ll be as proud as I’ve ever been to play for England. I think the Lions is an unbelievable thing to do – I’ve obviously not been able to do it in my career but, like I mentioned, it’s a very subjective thing. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn’t, but the one thing that hasn’t wavered in my feelings and my thoughts is how honoured and privileged I feel to play for England.”

A summer off with his young family would have offered him the chance to rest his body after another long season…but Ford hasn’t come within touching distance of a century of international caps by saying no when the phone rings.

While his voice remains steady throughout, the pride he describes is etched upon his face. His desire to represent his country is palpable and, while it requires no further evidence, there is plenty of it out there.

A player of his stature could surely have elected to take the summer off and perhaps win his 100th cap in the autumn in front of his home fans. In the eight years since he last toured Argentina, Ford has got married, gone into the hospitality business, and welcomed a daughter in May last year. A summer off with his young family would have offered him the chance to rest his body after another long season and perhaps invest further time in his business ventures away from rugby. It would be an attractive proposition for some players, but Ford hasn’t come within touching distance of a century of international caps by saying no when the phone rings.

It is not just precious time with his family that he has had to give up for his country. A player of his stature will have received offers to play in France. Other great fly-halves of his era, Johnny Sexton, Dan Biggar and Farrell, all had their heads turned by the financial rewards on offer across the channel. Any move abroad would have made him ineligible for international selection, and it seems there is no amount of money that would buy back the opportunities Ford would be giving up.

“To be honest, whenever anything like that has come up in my career, I’ve never even gone down the road enough to consider it because I don’t think anything can replicate playing for England.”

Ford recently signed a one-year extension that will keep him at Sale until at least the end of next season and, despite his vast experience, he is still only 32. A third Premiership title and a fourth appearance at a Rugby World Cup are realistic ambitions before he calls time on his career and, while he won’t be drawn on specifics, it is clear he still has plenty of drive.

“I keep saying [100 caps] isn’t the end goal. It would be a milestone, but it’s just the next game, too. I’m experienced enough to know that things can change and happen quickly in the game as well, so you should try not to get too far ahead of yourself and try to stay where your two feet are.”

When he eventually calls time on his career, there may well be an argument that he is the greatest British and Irish player of modern times not to tour with the Lions.

Few players understand the changing landscape of international rugby better than Ford. His highs have seen him win Six Nations Championships and Premiership titles, while his lows include missing out on Lions selection and defeat in the 2019 World Cup final. Curiously, it is the latter that he identifies as the biggest regret of his career, which is typical of the man. He was always more likely to choose something he feels he had real, tangible influence over than a decision taken about him many miles away. Subjectivity remains something to be wary of.

There is still plenty of the Ford story to be written, but however many chapters follow it, La Plata will stand out as a landmark passage. Another modern England great will become a Test centurion, in front of his travelling father, younger brother, and 32,000 Argentina supporters, many of whom will admit how impressive a player he is in their quieter moments, even if they’re unlikely to show it on the day.

When he eventually calls time on his career, there may well be an argument that he is the greatest British and Irish player of modern times not to tour with the Lions. That would be subjective, however, and Ford is busy stacking up achievements that aren’t up for debate: trophies, points, and caps. On Saturday, he will add another one to his enviable collection.