'The anti-hero who struck terror into defenders'
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Times
14 minutes ago
- Times
‘Taken for granted', never a Lion — yet George Ford nears 100 caps
The day the British & Irish Lions announced their tour squad George Ford took a call wishing him good luck. 'Thanks,' England's fly half replied. 'Whatever happens, nothing changes what I do tomorrow. Nothing.' Mike Ford, George's father and a former Lions defence coach, rang off and thought about what he had just heard. 'You go, 'Right, OK', but you're thinking, wow, that's why he is who he is,' Mike said. The Lions did not come for the Sale Sharks playmaker, hence his presence in Argentina, rather than Australia. But that ability to treat Rudyard Kipling's twin impostors the same goes a long way to explaining why the 32-year-old is about to become the eighth Englishman to reach 100 caps. Ford has won a grand slam and three Six Nations titles, two Premierships and appeared in two World Cup semi-finals. He has also been left out of some of England's biggest World Cup games, though, and never been a Lion. All the while he has met sporting triumph and disaster with equanimity. 'We've picked him up a few times,' Ford Sr admits. 'Me or Sally Anne put an arm round him. We're his mum and dad, aren't we. I remind him he's the best in the world, because that's what I truly believe. But he's never let it affect the way he prepares the team and himself. I've been in the game since 1982 and he's teaching me things. 'I look at my own career and times that didn't go well for me. There was certainly a period I went into the doldrums, feeling sorry for myself. Most players are like that. George's mindset is so strong. He's obsessed with the sport, has been since he was a ball boy and mascot when I played.' From family you would expect words of support. But talk to hardened professionals and their verdicts correspond. 'George's temperament is always the same,' Ben Youngs, England's most-capped male player, says. 'So consistent, no let-off. Whether he's starting, captain, not involved, whatever — his discipline and focus on the week and day-to-day is remarkable. 'Externally, he's probably never got the praise he deserves, but I'll tell you this, he's one of the best I've played with and I was fortunate enough to play with some unbelievable fly halves. Remove him from Leicester's Premiership team in 2022 and we don't win that title. Without doubt. He was that integral to how we played. How he's never been a Lion I find very, very hard to fathom. 'He's so pivotal, essential and selfless in the way he creates space and time for everyone else. He's the ultimate team player. I think sometimes he goes under the radar because he does his job so well. He's taken for granted.' Ford played for England Under-18 when he was 15, made his professional debut at 16, marshalled England Under-20 at 17, and was named World Junior Player of the Year at 18. 'It was just a matter of time before we picked him,' recalls former England head coach Stuart Lancaster, who gave Ford his senior debut in 2014. 'His game understanding, knowledge and composure was exceptional at such a young age. 'I gave him his first cap on the basis of him beginning to really dominate at Premiership level. There are very few tens I have seen do that at such a young age. 'I look at him now and see a player at the peak of his powers. His ability to read and manipulate defences, to take the ball to the line when they're stood off him, to hold his feet when they're coming at him and put people into space, is incredible. 'To get to 100 caps in the same era as Owen Farrell, Danny Cipriani, Marcus Smith, Fin Smith and many other great tens is testament to him. He doesn't look to me like he's slowing down, either. He's in great shape and looks motivated. I'm very proud of him.' In La Plata, an hour's drive southeast of Buenos Aires, Ford will reach three figures against an Argentina side buoyant by beating the Lions. Watching from the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi stands will be dad and younger brother, Jacob. 'He told us not to worry about being there,' Ford Sr says. 'Well, of course, he did! He said this is just a milestone on his journey and he doesn't want it to be seen as his be-all-and-end-all. 'So we won't be throwing him a party, because he wouldn't want that. But I still need to be there. I wouldn't be anywhere else.' Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, La PlataSaturday, 8.40pmTV Sky Sports
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Osaka ready to spread her grasscourt wings after being paralysed by fear
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - After years of having a rather a strained relationship with Wimbledon thanks to being "paralysed by fear" at the thought of playing on tennis's fastest surface, Naomi Osaka feels she has finally found her grasscourt wings. The Japanese player, who has won all four of her Grand Slam titles on the hardcourts of Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows, has never found her comfort zone on the green, green grass of Wimbledon, making only four previous appearances during her 10-year professional career. During those four visits to the All England Club, she won a total of just five matches, with third-round showings in 2017 and 2018 her standout performances -- hardly anything to shout about for a woman who has been ranked on top of the world. But after matching her best ever Wimbledon showing on Wednesday with an impressive 6-3 6-2 win over Czech Katerina Siniakova, who has won the Wimbledon women's doubles title three times, Osaka feels she has finally overcome the fear factor on grass. "When I was younger, I had no fear. I think when you are young, you fear nothing, and that's one of the really cool things about it," explained Osaka, now ranked 53 as she continues to try to recapture her best form after taking a maternity break in 2023. "But with age fear kind of crept along and, I guess, paralysed me in a way. Now I'm kind of just getting over that and trying to spread my wings on grass. "I think it is working, and I think I am moving pretty well. Yeah, I just hope that in years to come and hopefully this year I can do a lot better in this tournament." Osaka could not have picked a better year to enjoy a deep run at the tournament. Following the carnage of seeds over the first three days, the highest seeds she could meet before a potential semi-final against either world number one Aryna Sabalenka or Australian Open champion Madison Keys are number 13 Amanda Anisimova or number 30 Linda Noskova -- neither of whom are known for their grasscourt pedigree. After two straight-set victories, she will certainly fancy her chances of defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the last 16 here for the first time, considering the Russian has not beaten her since 2017. "Definitely this year I feel a lot more comfortable moving on grass," said Osaka after improving her Wimbledon win-loss record to 7-4 on the day her daughter Shai was celebrating her second birthday. "I know the last couple of years I was really scared to move because when I was younger, I strained my knee or whatever. It took a couple of years to get over that but I definitely feel a lot more comfortable."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Man United outcast Jadon Sancho 'holds positive talks' with European giants ahead of a summer move as he looks to end Old Trafford nightmare
Juventus reportedly held 'positive' talks with Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho as the winger nears a move away from Old Trafford. The 25-year-old joined United in a £73million deal in 2021 but has endured a desperately miserable stay in Manchester, scoring only nine league goals for the club. He has hasn't played for the Red Devils since his public spat with former boss Erik ten Hag, where he hit back at the Dutchman for criticising his training levels. The Englishman was shipped out on loan to Borussia Dortmund last year before being exiled to Chelsea last season. After a mixed campaign at Chelsea, where he scored in the Europa Conference League final but was overall inconsistent, the Blues opted to a pay United a £5m fine rather than signing him permanently for £25m. Rubem Amorim has given no indication of wanting to reintegrate Sancho into the squad and United look set to sever ties summer. And he has now held 'positive' discussions with Juventus, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, who claims there is a desire on both sides to reach an agreement. While Sancho is open to a move to the Old Lady, work still needs to be done on agreeing on personal terms. Sancho's current salary is said to be in excess of a staggering £300,000-a-week. United are holding out for a fee of £25m but with his wage demands mean a loan cannot be ruled out. Juventus are also reportedly considering a swap deal for Sancho, sending three stars, Douglas Luiz, Dusan Vlahovic and Timothy Weah, the other way. United were said to have been made aware that all three players are for sale, though it is is unclear if all three would have been involved in a deal for Sancho. The idea was reportedly raised during negotiations about the Englishman. Meanwhile, Juventus were dumped out of the Club World Cup on Tuesday night after falling to a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid. They wil return to the Champions League next season after finishing in fourth in Serie A and have reached a verbal agreement with highly sought-after striker Jonathan David, who is a free agent after leaving Lille. The Turin outfit are keen to sell Serbian striker Vlahovic, while they are interested in Napoli's Victor Osimhen.
