Mike Ford: My sacking has affected George's form but my son will bounce back for England Mike Ford: My sacking has affected George's form but my son will bounce back for England Mike Ford (c) poses with his two sons George (r) and Joe in 2011 Credit: Getty Gavin Mairs , Rugby News Correspondent 30 May 2016 • 10:00pm George Ford will depart for Australia on Tuesday for the three-Test tour with a message of strong support from his father Mike, the former England and Bath coach, who insists that the fly-half has the mental strength to bounce back from his poor kicking display in the victory over Wales. Ford Snr was at Twickenham on Sunday when sections of the crowd booed and jeered his son as he missed two penalties and four conversions during England’s 27-13 ­triumph in the Old Mutual Wealth Cup match. George Ford missed six of seven kicks at goal in the match Credit: REX Ford will now face strong competition for the No. 10 shirt from Saracens fly-half Owen Farrell, who played at inside centre during the Six Nations.

Farrell was also England’s first-choice kicker during the Grand Slam triumph, with Luther Burrell, named in the squad as the replacement for the injured Manu Tuilagi, now a strong contender for the ­inside centre position. Mike Ford admitted that his son, who was England’s fly-half during the Grand Slam campaign, had been affected by his father’s recent sacking as director of rugby at Bath. Mike Ford left Bath earlier this month Credit: Action Images But Ford Snr, who brought George to Bath from Leicester in 2013, was certain that his missed kicks at Twickenham would not impact on his ability to lead the England line in the first Test in Brisbane a week on Saturday. “George is a strong kid and has achieved quite a lot in his short ­career so far and you forget how young they are, these kids, and also the affect of my sacking on him,” Mike Ford told The Telegraph. “We are unbelievably tight and close and it affects him that I got sacked. He doesn’t want that, he is like every child whose dad loses his job but, with George, he has then got to go out and play for England.

“It affects your life and he took it badly, like we all did. We talked about it and told him he would be all right, just go out and train well. “But the thing about him – and there have been times when he has missed kicks at Bath – is that it ­never affects his performance. “He doesn’t shrink away from things, he keeps getting ball on the front foot and keeps trying things. He is pretty courageous. “A lot of players would say ‘take me off’ but it doesn’t worry him what people perceive or what the critics say. He just works unbelievably hard every day. “It has been a long season for them all, and there is fatigue but I have no doubt that he will bounce back. He has done it many times in his career.” Watch | Sir Ian McGeechan: How England can beat Australia 01:24 George Ford received strong backing from Eddie Jones after the match, with the England head coach criticising those who booed the player. His father claimed he did not hear the negative reaction from the crowd but admitted it had been tough to watch his son struggle with his kicking performance. “You want your son to do really well and, when he misses a kick, it affects you.

But he will bounce back. He has started 19 games and England have won 17 out of the 19 games. People soon forget. “George’s greatest thing at the minute is the way he brings other people into the game – J J [Jonathan Joseph] and Anthony [Watson] will vouch for that and Luther [Burrell] on Sunday.” Ford is in daily contact with his son and his message to George last night was to remember the things he had already achieved in the game. “He is very good to talk to but he also needs an arm around him,” Ford added. “Don’t forget, George, you are a world-class player. “He seeks perfection every day, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it is impossible to get it. But as long as he is seeking it and doing the best he can, then he will always be on the right track. “Remember the strength you have got in terms of what you have achieve so far. It happens to everyone, doesn’t it? “It looks like he has got terrific support from England management with Eddie. Eddie knows what he does every day and that is good for George as well. “It is no big deal.

Great players all have blips so the greatest players all come back and get to the top again and George will do that without question.” Mike Ford has no doubt his son will bounce back Credit: REX Jones, meanwhile, is optimistic that England have the ability to win a Test series in Australia for the first time. England have only won three times against the Wallabies on Australian soil, once in 2010 and twice in 2003. “I have no doubt we can win the series,” said Jones. “I had no doubt before the [Wales] game but I was surprised we won it so easily, I thought it would be tighter. “But we have to understand Australia will be much harder. The ­attack they will fire will be much more difficult so we have work to do on our defence. We need our set piece to get better. I enjoyed our flexibility in attack today.

Hopefully we will continue on that line, with a good stand-off of course.” Mike Ford urges Stuart Lancaster to be more bold in England selection | Sport | The Guardian Mike Ford urges Stuart Lancaster to be more bold in England selection • Bath coach Mike Ford accuses Stuart Lancaster of picking a XV “not to lose” • Brian O’Driscoll encourages Lancaster to be positive and pick Henry Slade Bath coach Mike Ford has called on Stuart Lancaster to be more bold in his selection of England's team to face Australia at Twickenham on Saturday. Photograph: Alex Davidson?JMP/REX Shutterstock/JMP/REX Shutterstock Sunday 27 September 2015 16.52 EDT Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 08.09 EDT Close This article is 1 year old The Bath coach, Mike Ford, father of the England fly-half George, has accused Stuart Lancaster of picking a side “not to lose” against Wales and urged him to be more positive for Saturday’s make-or-break match with Australia. Ford, also a former England defence coach, said that he learned during his spell with the national side that in the biggest games it pays to take a positive approach.

Lancaster reshuffled his side in an attempt to nullify Wales, including the introduction of Owen Farrell for George Ford, but they ultimately came up short against their Pool A rivals who snatched a 28-25 victory. “For me he has to pick a team to win – I think the selection this weekend was a team not to lose but we have to throw everything at Australia,” Ford told the BBC. “He has to put confidence in the team and give them the courage to go out and play. He has to pick an attacking team.” Lancaster is now under huge pressure to get a result against Australia and avoid the ignominy of failing to make the knockout phase at England’s home World Cup. “When I was with England, one of the things we got wrong was picking a competitive team not to lose, and you don’t win anything – ultimately you don’t win the big prizes,” said Mike Ford, who last week was critical of Lancaster’s decision to drop his son. “I think it is a negative approach and it is something I learned during my time with England.” The former Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll also encouraged Lancaster to take a more positive approach, restoring Ford and introducing Henry Slade at outside-centre.

Slade has played only once for England but O’Driscoll said Lancaster now has nothing to lose and should introduce him in place of Brad Barritt. “From a player’s perspective and an attractive rugby point of view, it would be brilliant to see George Ford back at 10 because he’s a players’ player,” he told ITV. “Maybe keep Sam Burgess at 12 and have a go with Henry Slade at 13. If Jonathan Joseph isn’t fit, throw Sam in. If you’re going to go down, go down fighting.” Lancaster is not the only one under pressure, with the Rugby Football Union desperately hoping that England make the knockout stage to maximise the huge investment and logistical effort thrown at staging the World Cup. The RFU chairman, Bill Beaumont, called on the nation to rally behind the England captain, Chris Robshaw, who has come under fire for failing to kick for a draw at the end of the match after England were awarded a late penalty, and the rest of the side. “Hindsight is a wonderful thing but as captain he felt that was the right decision. You have to back him. He obviously had the conversation with his players,” Beaumont added.

“But I think it is important now for the English rugby public to get behind Chris and the rest of the team for what is going to be a tough game against Australia.” RFU - England England Ford: I'm here to express myself Profile Becoming the top points-scorer in the 2015 RBS 6 Nations Championship with 75 crowned George Ford’s exciting and mature performances. He also made more offloads (nine) in the tournament than any other player but his success is nothing new. After becoming the youngest player to take part in a professional club match, George, the former England U18 captain, enjoyed the accolade of being crowned the World Rugby Young Player of the Year for 2011 after his eye-catching displays for the England U20 side. He played in 11 consecutive matches and amassed 143 points from two tries, 38 conversions and 19 penalty goals. His final appearance was in February 2012 when he converted seven of the nine tries and led the team to a 59-3 win over Scotland at Firhill.

George was also the only person involved in a team sport to be among a shortlist of ten for the 2009 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award. He made his England Saxons debut against Ireland Wolfhounds at Galway in January 2013 and played against Scotland A at Newcastle the following week. His first Test appearance was off the bench for Owen Farrell in the final minutes of England’s 29-18 victory over Wales at Twickenham in March 2014 and he gave his captain Chris Robshaw a try-scoring pass in the Italy game six days later. He contributed 13 points on his first start against Samoa at Twickenham that November and launched the exquisite cross-kick that created a try for Mike Brown with Anthony Watson the link man. A week later, he landed six of his eight place kicks against Australia, worth another 16 points. George was man of the match in the 21-16 win over Wales at Cardiff in February 2015.

He showed remarkable maturity and contributed 11 points, including a late penalty after which he said: “I just wanted to knock it over for the lads.” His first dropped goal at Test level against Ireland that March was followed by his maiden try against Scotland at Twickenham 13 days later. In the final RBS 6 Nations Championship game of 2015, he scored 25 points against France, comprising nine successful place kicks and his second Test try. His third followed when he squeezed in neatly at the corner against Italy in Rome in February last year and he went on to start all five Championship matches in England’s all-conquering campaign. Last June, he made an important contribution against the Wallabies in Brisbane and launched a perfectly-weighted chip kick that led to his side’s third try by Jack Nowell in the 39-28 victory. A week later in Melbourne, he was courageous and composed in defence and took pressure off his side with his kicking. His best attacking performance was in the third Test in Sydney when he completed an impressive tour.

George also made a stunning start to the 2016/17 season for Bath Rugby that included reviving a lost art - four drop goals in the first five games, two against Northampton Saints in an 18-14 win at Franklin’s Gardens. In November, he scored his fourth Test try against South Africa and also impressed with his subtle distribution skills in the second match of the Old Mutual Wealth Series against Fiji. George’s long pass that led to Semesa Rokoduguni’s second try was a gem. He initially appeared for Leicester Tigers at the age of 16 years and 237 days in the LV= Cup match against Yorkshire Carnegie in November 2009, but that was not all. He was in direct opposition at fly half to his older brother Joe, and they were watched by proud father Mike, the former England defence coach, now the head coach at Toulon. George’s younger brother Jacob has played for Saddleworth Rangers. George, who has produced impressive performances since joining Bath four seasons ago, made 41 senior appearances for Leicester including 26 in the Premiership, scoring 275 points overall.

By mid-January this year he had taken his total to 837 points in 87 matches in the competition for Leicester and Bath. He also won the Premier A League title twice and played for the Tigers in the northern leg of the JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby Sevens on his home ground in July 2011. It has been a long journey from Saddleworth Rangers RLFC where George was first involved in rugby at the age of four. He moved on to Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls and studied for A levels in English, PE and psychology at Rishworth School, Halifax and was later a contemporary of Owen Farrell at St George’s School, Harpenden. Oldham born, George has toured Argentina with England U18 and in August 2009 contributed 20 points when South Africa Schools were overpowered 45-13 at Kimberley. He had converted ten of the 15 tries in the previous tour match that brought a 95-0 triumph over Western Province. He had first appeared for the U18 team at the age of 15 and also played for the North and the national U16 sides.

His points collection was expanded with 18 conversions and eight penalty goals and a try in five of the six England U18 matches in 2009-10, all of which brought victory. It extended the winning run at that level to 18 games dating back to July 2007. George scored 59 points during England’s Junior World Championship campaign in Italy in June 2011, having contributed 76 points to England’s Grand Slam earlier in the year. He initially landed three conversions against Wales and scored a try, eight conversions and a penalty goal in the runaway 74-3 victory over Italy at Bath. His third game against France yielded a conversion and four penalty goals before he converted all eight England tries against Scotland at Newbury. George’s final flourish was 16 points in the Grand Slam clinching victory over Ireland. One of George’s most memorable matches was the 2011 World Rugby Junior World Championship final when England lost 33-22 to New Zealand in Padova. The players he most admires are Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter. Mentors have included Tosh Askew at the Tigers Academy and Matt O’Connor, then the Leicester head coach.

George was included in the England Senior EPS Squad for the first time in January 2014 and was an unused bench replacement when Ireland were beaten 13-10 at Twickenham the following month. International Record 153 points - 4T, 26C, 26PG, 1DG 2014 W(R), It(R), NZ(R), SA(R), Sam, A 2015 W, It, I, S, F, F, I World Cup - Fj, W(R), A(R), U 2016 S, It, I, W, F, W, A(1R,2,3), SA, Fj, Arg, A Last updated: 13 January 2017 George Ford: Leicester fly-half 'set for' Bath move - BBC Sport George Ford: Leicester fly-half 'set for' Bath move 23 Jan 2013 From the section Rugby Union Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill expects fly-half George Ford to be a Bath player next season. The 19-year-old, whose father Mike is assistant coach at the Rec, has been linked with a move away in the summer.

Bath head coach Gary Gold has played down signing Ford, whose youth deal means he cannot be approached by other clubs until March. But Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester: "I have been told by him and his advisers he is going to sign for Bath." Cockerill added: "Bath will deny it because they have to because [if they have done a deal already] it's an illegal approach. Media playback is not supported on this device Cockerill 'won't beg' Ford to stay "I am not sure how it works with a father talking to a son about joining when he's the coach of another club. Is that an illegal approach or is there a loophole because he's his father? I don't know. "It's OK. I'm over it. George doesn't want to play for us next year that's OK. I can cope with it and we move on. "He'll be a Bath player next season. There are all the protocols around that which is fine. They will have to pay compensation. He is very close to his father and wants to play in the same team as his father coaches. You can understand it.

That's life." Gold has insisted Bath have not entered talks with Ford but says he is a player they admire. "If George became available he's a type of player we would have a look at," Gold told BBC Radio Bristol. "Of course we know who he is and I do rate him. "But unfortunately he falls under the England Under-20 remit and nobody is allowed to speak to him - not us, not anybody - and it's irrelevant that his father is here." England U20 international Ford has been with the Tigers since the age of 15 and made his first-team debut in November 2009. He started 11 games for Leicester last season and has made a total of 13 appearances this term. But he remains second-choice fly-half behind England's Toby Flood, who is contracted until 2014. I'm not begging anybody to sign for Leicester. We have put a good offer on the table Richard Cockerill Cockerill said he was sorry to lose Ford. "We have made every effort to keep George," Cockerill added. "We have spent a lot of time, effort and money developing him. "He has chosen to leave because he wants to play every week.

"I can live with that. From a Leicester end it's disappointing and you want your best young players to stay. But he has plenty of game time. Floody is a very good player and is in the side on merit and we pick on merit. "If guys choose to move on because they don't want to fight for their spot then that's fine. I can cope with that. "The rules apply to everybody and you earn your place in the side and have to fight for your spot. "I have a lot of time for George. He is here until the end of the season and he will play when he is needed. "He can't sign for anybody else because regulations dictate he can't. "I think the club and myself have done everything we can. In my opinion it's poor advice but I would say that because he's leaving us. "I'm not begging anybody to sign for Leicester. We have put a good offer on the table and have gone through all the scenarios and he's played plenty of rugby this season but he wants to play every week. "I am not going to guarantee that to anybody, that's the cultural core values we have. "We would love George to stay.

We would happily do a deal but at this point he is leaving." Find out more George Ford's mental strength always set him apart, reveals brother Joe | Daily Mail Online comments Looking back, George Ford gave a telling clue about the precocious talent and mental strength that England hope to harness on Saturday, when he scored eight tries in a junior rugby league match – at the age of nine. He was playing against older boys. That didn’t faze him. He was playing against bigger boys. That didn’t faze him either. Such a scenario would become the norm in his fast-track rise to the heights. But back then, he also had to deal with good-natured banter from members of Wigan’s famous Farrell clan, which he duly made a mockery of. George’s brother, Sale fly-half Joe Ford, recalled their formative years in both codes and told Sportsmail: ‘The biggest game that stands out for me was when George played for Saddleworth Rangers against Wigan St Pat’s, which is the team Owen Farrell used to play for. They are the biggest rugby league amateur club and George was in an age-group above himself.

George Ford is set to take England's No 10 shirt for the first time against Samoa on Saturday Ford trains with his team-mates ahead of England's Autumn International Test at Twickenham Ford practices with Owen Farrell (left) who he has played with since his childhood The Bath fly-half releases the ball as England are put through their paces at the Pennyhill Park Hotel ‘At the time, my dad was coaching Oldham and Andy Farrell’s twin brothers played for Oldham. They were giving George a lot of stick before the game, saying that they were going to get smashed. The next day he scored eight tries.’ The prodigious playmaker who will wear England’s No 10 shirt for the first time on Saturday, against Samoa at Twickenham, grew up in a rugby household, but league was the code of choice. He and Joe would watch their father, Mike, play for Castleford Tigers and then act as player-coach at Oldham. From the age of four, George and his older brother would come along to training, watch the team in action and try to emulate them. Keith Brennan was an Oldham player at the time and he went on to coach George at Waterhead RLFC.

He said: ‘George and Joe used to come to training with Mike and you would see the pair of them with a rugby ball in their hands constantly. They were always practising their passing and kicking. For however long we were training, they would be doing exactly the same with the ball.’ Over the years that followed, the chosen practice location would be Churchill playing fields, up on the hills of Saddleworth, just outside Oldham. That is where Mike would take them to hone their kicking. When he was away, their mum, Sally-Ann, drove them there to train and train. Former England coach Mike Ford (left) poses with his sons George (centre), 14, and Joe (right), 17 As a youngster, Ford took inspiration from rugby league star Paul 'Scully' Sculthorpe (centre) Brother Joe Ford, who plays for Sale Sharks, insists George has to conviction to own the England No 10 shirt It helped that there was inspiration at close quarters. Paul Sculthorpe, ‘Scully’, was our next-door neighbour and he treated us really well, like sons,’ said Joe. ‘He was always out the front, throwing balls around with us.

He was George’s favourite player. ‘George and I always played a lot of one-on-one, so there was always a bit of competition. George always had a Saints shirt on with ‘Scully’ on the back. He never took that off. I was more mixed; I went round the houses a bit, but George was always loyal to Scully!’ When Mike’s coaching career took him from Oldham to a role with Ireland in union, his sons relished the opportunity for some informal tuition from Test players. As a surreal twist, years later George finds himself forming a half-back partnership at Bath with one of the players – Peter Stringer – who made him and his brother feel so welcome on their visit. ‘We went into Ireland camp with my dad,’ said Joe. ‘We spent a week with him, which was good. We got to work on our kicking with Ronan O’Gara and David Humphreys, which was great. It was just before the 2003 World Cup and we spent a week with them in Limerick.

Peter Stringer was in camp then and he took us out for an ice cream!’ Ford (left) switched codes from rugby league to start his union career with Leicester Tigers Ford (centre) joined Bath Rugby after the 2013 season having won two trophies with Leicester The Bath star now plays alongside Peter Stringer - who bought the young brothers ice cream as children At school, George made a profound impression with his dedication and work ethic, in the class room as well as on the rugby pitch. Aside from a spell down in Hertfordshire – at the same school as Owen Farrell – while Mike was coaching at Saracens, most of his education took place at Rishworth School near Halifax. The head of sport, Andrew Thomas, recalls how he quickly made his mark. ‘He came to us as a rugby league lad,’ he said. ‘He was a phenomenal player, but I don’t think he had played rugby union at that stage. He had obviously watched it and he knew about it, but all his skills were from league. ‘My first memory of George playing rugby union was a game on our pitches here; on the junior, Under 12-sized pitch. We were playing Woodhouse Grove, who are a decent rugby school.

I was refereeing and it was the first time I had seen George play. ‘Their No 8 picked the ball up off the back of a scrum and someone had obviously taught him to run straight at the 10, to see what they were made of. So he ran straight at George and George just nicked the ball off him. He didn’t even bother tackling him, he just nicked the ball, ran to the other end and scored. No-one could believe what happened. I just stood there and thought, “Wow”.’ Ford (left) played with Farrell (right) for England at the Junior World Cup in 2011 The pair are now set to star for England seniors when they try and reverse a losing streak against Samoa England skills coach Mike Catt (left) talks to Farrell and Ford during training in Bagshot VIDEO O2 Inside Line: Season 5, Episode 3 FORD & FARRELL... OLD PAL'S ACT 2008 England Under 16 teammates. Farrell captained the side, Ford had just turned 15. 2008-09 England Under 18 team-mates. Toured Argentina together in 2008.

Toured South Africa in 2009. Finished the season unbeaten. 2011 England Under 20 teammates. Won U20 Six Nations Grand Slam. Lost 33-22 to New Zealand in U20 World Cup final. 2014 Ford made senior debut off the bench at Twickenham as a replacement for Farrell against Wales in the Six Nations. The gifted tyro possessed all the technical attributes required, but what struck Thomas was the mind-set he had, which set him apart. ‘George was a role model here,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t just in his rugby. He had a full timetable but his work was always first in. ‘He was a grafter and well organised – all with a view to the rugby. From a very young age, he was exceptionally driven, knew what he wanted to do and appreciated the sacrifices that had to be made. At 13 and 14, he knew what he would have to give up and how to get the best out of himself. ‘It was clear that he would make it, not so much because of his skills-set, but because of his personality.

More than anyone I’ve come into contact with, not just in an educational sphere but in all walks of life, there was no doubt he would succeed because he was so driven.’ That drive would ultimately propel George Ford into professional rugby union, where he became the youngest debutant in the history of the sport in this country – aged 16 years and 237 days – and was voted the IRB’s world Young Player of the Year in 2011. It also led to him switching from Leicester to Bath, in the belief that he was ready to play week after week, and run the show. Ford takes a penalty kick during England's narrow defeat by South Africa last Saturday England are still searching for a first win this autumn after losing to New Zealand and South Africa Brennan saw that trait in him too, when he was at Waterhead. ‘The thing with George is that he always stood out,’ he said. ‘He was a year below the other lads, but he was still the stand-out player. It wasn’t always because of the way he played rugby, it was also about the way he approached the game; his attitude. That’s probably the most impressive thing about him.

‘From a young age, everyone could see that George had a special talent, from the way he came across and the way he did things over and over again until he was good at them. He always seemed to be destined for great things. He will cope with it on Saturday, without a doubt. This is what he has always wanted to do. It’s like this was destined to be.’ Joe Ford has similarly strong conviction that his brother can handle the magnitude of what awaits him.

‘There are a lot of good 10s around but, speaking to him, he is quite determined to take this chance and keep the shirt,’ he said.’ The kind of character he is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it.’ ENGLAND STARTING XV TO FACE SAMOA Starting XV: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Anthony Watson (Bath), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester), George Ford (Bath), Ben Youngs (Leicester), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Rob Webber (Bath), David Wilson (Bath), Dave Attwood (Bath), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), James Haskell (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Ben Morgan (Gloucester). Replacements: Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle), George Kruis (Saracens), Tom Wood (Northampton), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Marland Yarde (Harlequins).

George Ford and Owen Farrell England pairing dates back to school days | Mike Averis | Sport | The Guardian George Ford and Owen Farrell England pairing dates back to school days George Ford, right, moves away from team-mate Owen Farrell during an England training session at Pennyhill Park. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images Wednesday 19 November 2014 11.19 EST Share on Messenger Close Finally, after a season of trying and even longer thinking about it, Stuart Lancaster has announced a side with George Ford and Owen Farrell starting alongside each other. In the saga of England’s troublesome midfield it is the latest attempt by the coach to give England’s backs a bit of ambition and fluency but in fact he is merely repeating an exercise first conducted when Ford was aged 15 and Farrell 16. Last spring, when Ford joined Farrell in the dying moments of the Six Nations in Rome, Lancaster must have glimpsed a rosy future when Ford put his captain Chris Robshaw away for the last of England’s tries. It was an exercise which certainly would have been given more time in New Zealand last summer had surgeons not found five holes in Ford’s shoulder ligaments.

Then again the two alongside each other provided a cameo against the All Blacks , something Lancaster says he would have tried against the Springboks last weekend but for Farrell cramping up just as Ford was leaving the replacements’ bench. On Wednesday though, Lancaster got his way. However, he is a long way short of being the first England coach to get excited at a Ford-Farrell, 10-12 pairing. The honour went to John Fletcher, who was looking after the England Under-16s side when Ford was only 15, and repeated it in the next England age grouping before finally, at the 2011 junior World Cup, Rob Hunter reshuffled his back line for the final. Will it work again? Hunter was left with mixed feelings but others have no doubt Ford can do the job. Notably two of his Bath team-mates, Dave Attwood, who plays alongside Ford on Saturday, and Peter Stringer, the 98 times capped Ireland scrum-half who has had a ringside seat since moving to the Rec two seasons ago. Both are particularly impressed by Ford’s communication skills.

“If you looked at him in the street you’d ID him for a packet of fags but to hear him speak in a meeting and command everyone on the field, you’d think he was a 35-year-old veteran,” Attwood says. “He is exceptionally good at communicating on the field and he’s not afraid to put you in your place regardless of how senior you are.” Stringer says he was impressed from the moment he met the then 19-year-old Ford, who had made the difficult decision to switch from Leicester – where he was understudying for the England fly-half Toby Flood – and move to the club where his father Mike was coaching and soon to be head coach. “My experience of guys at that age – 19, 20 – is that they are just out of the academy setup, on the fringes, shy and quiet, but George was like someone who had been a professional for years,” Stringer says. “He had the confidence and knowledge of the game not to be afraid to speak. The rest of the team takes massive confidence from that, knowing this guy is behind the forwards orchestrating things. “I was in a similar situation when I first came on the scene with Munster.

I was behind a pack with guys like [Anthony] Foley, [David] Wallace and [Peter] Clohessy. You have no option other than to assert yourself, because if you’re quiet they simply will not respect you as a player.” With Munster and Ireland, Stringer played most of his rugby inside Ronan O’Gara and sees similarities between Ford and the fly-half who played for Ireland 128 times, as well as three times for the Lions. “They are quite similar,” Stringer says. “Their ability to read the game and do the right thing at the right time is massive. George’s ability to play flat on the gain line is something I like personally. It’s what I had with Ronan over the years, the way he was willing to attack [it]. And George is so good at pulling guys out of the line. Then he shows and goes. It’s what he has, he’s really quick and not afraid to carry the ball.” It clearly works for Bath, whose young team are third in the table and scoring eye-opening tries but what about with England who seem unable to fashion anything against sides such as New Zealand and South Africa?

Geordan Murphy, the former Ireland international who spent three years alongside Ford at Leicester, sees no reason for doubt. “He was fantastic here and he’s improved,” Murphy says. “We would have loved to keep him, he was such a natural player. He broke into our side at 16 and was so composed – a great personality and he plays like that.” George’s father, Mike, a former England defence coach before going to Bath, is even more certain. “Yes definitely,” he says. “They are on the same wavelength. Both can play first receiver, both can play second. They both understand the game but give you different kicking options. They bring the very best out of each other – and they get on very well.” Ford Sr also reveals George and Owen go back even further than under-16 level for England. They were playing rugby league against each other back when George was 12. And the link goes on, Mike being the coach at Saracens when Owen’s father, Andy – now a key part of Lancaster’s coaching team – switched codes.

“We ended up living on the same street so they all went to school together, my two boys – Joe and George – and Owen,” says Ford Sr who is convinced the old schoolboy understanding will help England out of their rut. “Owen’s very physical, can defend very well and pass. George is more a guy who can make the break, see the line and put guys through gaps,” he says. “I’m not saying Owen can’t do it, but George does it every day with Bath rugby. Saracens don’t play that way so it’s difficult for Owen.” George Ford: Bath play down interest in Leicester fly-half - BBC Sport George Ford: Bath play down interest in Leicester fly-half 23 Jan 2013 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Read more about sharing. Head coach Gary Gold has insisted Bath have not entered talks with Leicester Tigers' fly-half George Ford but says he is a player they admire. The 19-year-old, whose father Mike is assistant coach at the Rec, has been linked with a move away from the Tigers when his contract ends in the summer. Ford's youth deal means he cannot be approached by other clubs until March.

"If George became available he's a type of player we would have a look at," Gold told BBC Radio Bristol. Media playback is not supported on this device Gold 'not looking for fly-half' "Of course we know who he is and I do rate him. "But unfortunately he falls under the England Under-20 remit and nobody is allowed to speak to him - not us, not anybody - and it's irrelevant that his father is here." England U20s international Ford has been with the Tigers since the age of 15 and made his first-team debut in November 2009. Ford started 11 games for Leicester last season, and has made a total of 13 appearances this term. But he remains second-choice fly-half behind England's Toby Flood, who is contracted until 2014. And although Gold is aware of Ford's calibre, the South African says he is not looking for a new fly-half at present. "I have to stress that we have Tom Heathcote and Stephen Donald and they are both contracted for next year," added Gold.

"It's not really a position that I'm looking to replace." Share this page George Ford: England Rugby World Cup 2015 player - Telegraph George Ford George Ford: England Rugby World Cup 2015 player Rugby World Cup: Who is England fly-half George Ford? Find out all you need to know about the Bath star Driving force: George Ford urges his England team-mates on Photo: REX Date of birth: March 16, 1993 Age at start of World Cup: 22 Club: Bath Weight: 12st 12lb Caps: 11 Pen portrait: In a world of defensive, dependable rugby, this maverick stands flat and plays it as he sees it, refreshingly. After nudging aside his boyhood friend Owen Farrell, he has fast become England’s puppet master. Farrell's place-kicking has the edge, but Ford does not disgrace himself with the boot. What they say: “George Ford has the potential to become the greatest fly-half in English rugby history.

Even better than Jonny Wilkinson." (Former England scrum-half Dewi Morris) What he says: "You can’t take a chance on looking over your shoulder at a job well done or patting yourself on the back. Not in this game. I think I’ve always known that, but as you begin to gather experience at the top level of the sport you know it more." Did you know? George's brother, Joe, plays for Sale and their father, Mike, is Bath Rugby head coach. George Ford lays into Sam Burgess for swift Bath exit as Mike Brown says doesn't trust Rugby World Cup team-mates | Daily Mail Online comments George Ford has condemned Sam Burgess, his club and England team-mate, for abandoning Bath part-way through his contract, to return to rugby league in Australia. A day after the cross-code international explained — in an exclusive Sportsmail column — his reasons for quitting union abruptly, the strength of the ill-feeling towards him in the West Country was laid bare. Ford joined his father, Mike, Bath’s head coach, in expressing dismay at Burgess’s sudden departure and suggesting that he had let down people who had helped him in union.

Sam Burgess speaks to the media on his return to Australia after quitting Bath and rugby union Burgess has been critcised by former team-mates for leaving Bath after only a single season The 26-year-old arrives at Sydney international airport with fiancee Phoebe Hooke (right) SAM BURGESS COLUMN CLICK HERE to read why Sam Burgess felt he 'couldn't do anything right' playing rugby union in England Last Thursday, Bath captain Stuart Hooper advised Burgess not to visit the training ground to say farewell to the squad once his return to South Sydney Rabbitohs had been confirmed. Now, it has become apparent that his advice was intended to shield the 26-year-old from hostility in the ranks. RELATED ARTICLES 59 shares ‘I’m massively disappointed,’ said George Ford, when asked about Burgess’s swift exit. ‘I thought he was a guy who was going to have a go and stick it out. He played in the World Cup and I thought he was going to come back to the club, get his head down, play in the back row here and become a world-class player. It all happened quickly but as players we expected him to stay here and he’s not.

‘He said his heart wasn’t in the game, he’s a better rugby league player and he misses his family. He signed a three-year deal and I think you know at the time what you are doing when you do that. Bath fly half George Ford has blasted Burgess for letting down the people at the club who helped him In his exclusive Sportsmail column, Burgess admitted his heart was not in staying in England George's father and Bath director Mike Ford (centre) claims Burgess didn't have the stomach to stay and fight SAM BURGESS - CODE CROSSER 2014-15: Bath (21 matches, 4 tries) England Saxons: 1 match England: 5 Tests 'If you commit to the club, you commit to that set of players, staff and fans. He committed for three years but he’s gone after a year and a bit. It is disappointing and it’s left a big hole in our back row. ‘There are lads here who would die for the club — those lads who have come through the academy, and other lads like me who have been here for two or three years and are passionate about it.

'The lads who would die for this club sacrificed a lot for Sam when he came over and committed to him and put time and effort into making him the player he was at the back end of last year when he was named in that World Cup squad. I feel for those lads.’ Burgess felt he was 'fighting a losing battle' in rugby union, despite making England's World Cup side Burgess was used as a scapegoat for England's disastrous World Cup after being picked by Stuart Lancaster The England fly-half suggested that Burgess should have stayed in union and worked hard to prove himself, adding: ‘One thing I would say: nothing ever gets given to you. Nothing is ever easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. 'To become a world-class player in rugby union, you’ve got to put in the hard graft and it does take time. It doesn’t come overnight. It’s just whether you want to do it or not.’ Bath have already taken steps to address the manpower shortage in their back row, with a transfer coup — having agreed a fee for Scotland’s David Denton, 25, from Edinburgh.

Mike Ford also expressed his disappointment at Burgess’s departure, saying: ‘All I know is that he didn’t have the stomach to see out his contract.’ England's Mike Brown claims he no longer trusts team-mates following the World Cup fall out The Harlequins star does not believe any of the players have a right to gripe after their dismal showing The decision by Burgess to return to rugby league in a hurry is just one aspect of a disastrous World Cup aftermath for all involved with England. Negative details about the campaign and build-up have been emerging in a steady flow and Mike Brown claimed that he has lost trust in his Test team-mates as a result. ‘The trust has gone,’ the Harlequins full back told the Daily Telegraph. ‘It is difficult because we have not left it in a good place and it doesn’t help with all these people deciding to pipe up in the squad that probably shouldn’t be, probably anonymously. I don’t think anyone was good enough in an England shirt to be piping up saying, “This was wrong, that was wrong” and that sort of thing. ‘If they are going to say something, I think they should put their name to it.

It will come out who it was at the end of the day. When it does I will be one of the first people to speak to them. It is going to be hard for me to call anyone team-mates until we meet up.’ George Ford echoed his England colleague’s sentiments, adding: ‘Yes, it is disappointing. Obviously things didn’t go brilliantly for us, but we said we’re going to stick together and hopefully a lot of us will be playing together again. Ford has called for his England team-mates to stick together in the face of adversity England players look despondent after becoming the first host nation to crash out of the group stages ‘So for things to come out... you don’t know who said what, but it is disappointing. It’s caused a lot of distraction. It is all a bit messy at the moment. I think the lads in particular will be glad when the review is over and decisions are made, so we can all know what’s going on, crack on and try to re-build to become a good team, which I’m sure we will do.’ Mike Ford was part of the England coaching set-up at the 2011 World Cup and had to endure the brutal review which followed that tournament.

He urged the RFU to present their findings this time as soon as possible, adding: ‘I don’t know what’s taking them so long. The longer they leave everything, nothing positive is going to come out of the England camp. It happened to me in 2011.

I said right at the beginning, “Don’t take your time over this, because it’s not nice for families and people involved”.’ SAM BURGESS TIMELINE Feburary 2014: Burgess announces he will switch to rugby union October 2014: NRL Grand Final with South Sydney Rabbitohs against Sydney Roosters, winning Clive Churchill Medal for man of the match after playing most of game with broken cheek and eye socket October 2014: Official contract with Bath and rugby education begins November 2014: Debuts for Bath after recovering from face injuries January 2015: Scored his first Bath try against Wasps at The Rec, named man of the match January 2015: Named in the England Saxons squad to play the Irish Wolfhounds April 2015: Started at blindside flanker for the first time for Bath against Newcastle Falcons and executed more turnovers than any Premiership player in the round August 2015: Named in the England Elite Squad to make his International debut against France at Twickenham.

Started in England's 19-14 win; became first England player sin-binned on international debut September 2015: Played 19 minutes in 35-11 bonus point win over Fiji in Rugby World Cup opener September 2015: Controversially started in England's 28-25 loss to Wales; England leading 25-18 when replaced by George Ford October 2015: Replaced Brad Barritt 16 minutes from the end of England's 33-13 loss to Australia that made Lancaster's side the first hosts not to make the quarter-finals October 2015: Given leave from Bath to 'spend time with family' amid speculation over returning to rugby league November 2015: Returned to training with Bath on Monday, November 2, with coach Mike Ford confident he would stay at club. Present: Burgess move to the Rabbitohs is confirmed

Question: George Ford is a player and dad Mike Ford is the coach at which English rugby club?
Answer: BATH