George Ford Eager for International Comeback Following Challenging Autumn Period

Since Sale’s Premiership semi-final loss in June, Ford has participated in just three matches for both his club and national team. Fly-half George Ford has expressed an intensified desire to represent England, aiming to recover from a challenging autumn period. The experienced playmaker, with 98 caps, failed to convert a late drop goal attempt against New Zealand and subsequently saw limited game time as England suffered defeats in three of their four November fixtures. Ford, aged 31, was not chosen for the victory against Japan and indicated he believes he still needs to demonstrate his capabilities, even after a ten-year career at the elite level. He informed BBC Sport, “My hunger and desire is the most it’s ever been.” He added, “I just want to be as consistent as I can, and that’s what I will pride myself on, and I will keep pushing that and driving myself to be that.” Ford stated, “I still know I’ve got plenty to give at the top level, and I’ll try and keep putting myself in that position so hopefully I can play more games.” He also expressed, “I’m still feeling really good to hopefully have my best years ahead of me.” In their initial autumn international, England held a 22-14 lead against New Zealand but were ultimately overtaken, losing 24-22. Following his participation in every match of the 2024 Six Nations, Ford was absent from the summer tours to Japan and New Zealand due to an injury, during which Marcus Smith assumed the fly-half position (number 10 shirt). However, after replacing Smith in the autumn’s opening game against the All Blacks, Ford failed to convert a penalty and subsequently a drop goal with the final kick of the contest, resulting in England’s narrow 24-22 defeat. In an extensive interview on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Ford reflected, “I’m OK with it because I put myself in the position to try and kick it.” He continued, “If you put yourself in that position enough times, you are probably going to fail a few times, which you never want to happen, of course you don’t.” Ford added, “I suppose it leaves a little bit of a scar on you, but you have to accept you are not going to always kick it.” He concluded, “I know it was a big moment, and we could have won the game with it, but throughout your career there are loads of ups and downs like that, which I have probably learnt to deal with a little bit more neutrally than I would have done when I was younger.” Marcus Smith has taken over from Ford as England’s primary fly-half selection for 2025. Ford also encountered jeers from a segment of the Twickenham audience when it seemed he would substitute Smith once more against Australia, though head coach Steve Borthwick opted to reposition Smith to full-back instead. Ford further commented, “When you are representing your country and you’ve done it for a long time, you would expect the crowd to be fully behind you.” He remarked, “This isn’t just me, it has happened recently in the past with people like Owen [Farrell]. It is a funny way to be [booing your own team].” He then stated, “But if my team-mates know the value I bring, and the coaches know the value I bring, and my family know the value I bring, that’s all that matters to me.” Ford also indicated his intention to leverage his extensive experience to assist younger fly-halves such as Smith and Fin, regardless of who is chosen for future selections. Ford stated, “I’m not saying I’ve got the answers to everything in rugby, but I have been around since 2014 on the international stage and I have a fair amount of experience, and if I can pass anything on to Fin, or even Marcus – even though he is racking up the caps now – to help those lads to help the team, then I will do that.” He continued, “We are all team-mates and we all want to help each other out, and as much as I can help in whatever capacity that is that week, then I will do it.” Ford added, “I try and pride myself on trying to be a good person and a good guy when it comes to helping others out who are potentially playing ahead of you.” Ford is scheduled to participate in Champions Cup play on Friday evening, as Sale aims to rebound from their loss in Glasgow by hosting Stuart Lancaster’s Racing 92. Following a rest last weekend, fellow England internationals Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ben Curry are also expected to rejoin the Sharks squad, an occasion Ford views as an ideal chance to develop individual and team form and momentum. Ford commented, “A lot of the things about the game these days – both within games and outside games – is how you respond to things.” He elaborated, “There are so many ups and downs on the field, and it’s the same in a bigger context. The England lads came back and were a little bit down; some lads didn’t play a lot, some lads played a little bit and it didn’t go the way we wanted it to go.” He added, “But it is how you respond, and how you come back here and attack things at the club and hopefully get a run of games.” Ford concluded, “I’m a big believer that there are going to be some bumps and some rocky road along the way, but to keep showing up and to keep responding is the main thing, and I think you’ll come out the other end more often than not.”