How long has it been now? Ford vs. Smith battle for England No. 10 | Six Nations 2024

timePlayers may have names on their shirts these days, but the number 10 jersey still has a special resonance when England take on Wales in rugby league. For better or worse, the occupants carry greater national expectations than anyone else. It’s not just Welles who work in the shadow of past legends and feel the pale hand of history on their shoulders.

George Ford is a classic example. This will be his 93rd appearance for England but even now there is a vague feeling that he is struggling to cement his starting spot. Here’s the thing: he was quickly ousted by the returning Owen Farrell after the conceding masterclass against Argentina at last year’s World Cup, with Smith, Marcus and Fin now hot on his heels. As the Sales Pivot whispered this week: “Maybe I should play scrum-half.”

This weekend, though, he did take center stage. No Owen, no Marcus, just a consummate professional whose Test career included plenty of England’s crucial games against Wales. He came on as a substitute in this game ten years ago before a frustrating benching at the 2015 World Cup the following year – “probably the best game I haven’t dealt with”. A brilliant goal-scoring display under the Friday night lights in Cardiff in February 2015, Elliot Daly’s late assist in 2017 to seal the win… against Wales With a record of 11 wins and 3 losses, there are more good days than bad days.

In other words, this is not a simple journey of choice. “I’ve experienced all the emotions: frustration, disappointment, depression, anger. When I was young… you’re going to fall, you’re going to hit rock bottom, it’s like a roller coaster ride. And now, you still go through the same emotions, But the question is how quickly you can re-accept your role. When you’re not playing as well as you like, you’re not in good shape, you’re not getting places…it’s those moments that really test you and show who you are . Do you throw the toys out of the stroller or do you think, ‘No, fill this up’ and come back better?”

In addition to the importance of supporting yourself, he realized early on the futility of worrying too much about what others think. “The only thing that’s been going on since I made my debut has been the debate over who plays number 10 for England. Even before I got into the England squad… my dad was coaching and it was exactly the same situation. It’s always been that way… I don’t know. Why. Everyone has their own opinion about who should play and how England should play. You get used to the noise outside.”

There are still many around. Ford and Farrell were childhood friends, and few can better understand the mental pressure that drove Farrell to leave the international team. Ford, for his part, was used to keeping these things separate. “If I pay attention to what other people think, then my focus goes down a different path. I don’t want to do that. If someone agrees – or disagrees – with who should play for England, to me it’s completely irrelevant critical.”

There is no doubt, though, that Farrell’s absence has changed the dynamics of this England team. Even if the wet weather forecast proves accurate and we could see a brighter outlook following last week’s victory in Rome, there will certainly be more speculation. “I mean [attack coach] Richard Wigglesworth said it felt like chalk and cheese on the pitch when we had the ball in training and in the game in Italy compared to a few months ago,” confirmed Ford. “We want to be a dangerous team with the ball in our hands. We got off to a good start last week and now we want to maintain that intention and improve our execution. There are only five games in the Six Nations… you want to make sure The progress has been rapid. We hope to improve again this week because basically we need to.”

Regardless, Ford still believes his best football is ahead of him. He also knows that if he wants to stop the talented Smiths, he’ll need to step up immediately in Farrell’s absence. “This is different…Irving has been a big leader for us and he has established his authority within our team. But things have to change. I think, for me and other leaders, Say, maybe this is [better] Don’t try to replicate his situation here, but be more realistic. I know I’m still lacking a lot in certain aspects of my game and I’m working on that. I think that will always be the case. As soon as you think you’ve made it or succeeded, that’s when you get caught. “

If Wells can do what they did against Scotland in the second half, the game is likely to get tight. Ford is among those cautious about what might happen. “That’s how dangerous they are. That’s why I think the start of the week is huge for us. I think Wales will learn a lot from the Scotland game because they want the intensity of the game and the second half versus the first half. What a different feeling compared to the game. I thought they were going to take that approach against us.”

Ford, 30, is likely to be a future manager and is well aware that his and young counterpart Ioan Lloyd’s contributions will depend on the pace of the ruck produced in front of them. If that leaves Wales flanker Tommy Reiffel as a key figure for either side, command of England’s tactical game will fall largely on Ford and, in Farrell’s absence, kick-out will be paramount. goal.

Well, the players wearing No. 10 take a step forward. While Ford never met the late Barry John – “Obviously I’ve seen footage and I know he was a legend of the game and what he did for Wells wearing the number 10 shirt” – he can feel Warren Gatland’s team will be very positive. “When something like this happens, the whole country gets more excited.” Victory should belong to England, but not if they sit back and just wait for it to happen.