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Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Ford is Blur to Farrell's Oasis – but 100th cap gives him centre stage he deserves
It is almost the cruellest of ironies that in the grand career of George Ford, the pomp and circumstance surrounding his 100th cap for England should be overshadowed by the Lions call-up of his old mate, occasional midfield partner, and intermittent rival, Owen Farrell. This is a duo who have been lumped together as best of friends and best of enemies for over a decade. Farrell has described how they played against each other as 12-year-olds, then together at school, then Ford forced the England age-group selectors to push his rival to 12 to accommodate another playmaker at fly-half. With England Under-20s, it was Ford, and not Farrell, who won World Rugby's junior player of the year award. The pair have competed against each other at club level and also competed for the England fly-half berth, while also often reprising the 10-12 axis which gained such plaudits in their youth. But it was Farrell who, in terms of gongs and plaudits at senior level, was always just a notch above Ford. It is Farrell who is the four-time Lions tourist – with one victorious tour – who made his England debut first (2012 instead of 2014), who reached 100 caps first, who captained his country more often, and who has won more domestic trophies. No one can take Ford's achievements away from him – and he made his record-breaking Premiership debut aged 16 – but it is incontrovertible, too, that Farrell, in that respect, is winning. The latter is Oasis; the former is Blur. But there are many people who believe – even, know – that Blur were always better than Oasis. Farrell is bigger and brasher but as a fly-half no better; as an all-round player and motivator the Saracen prevails but as a playmaker and passer Ford is and has always been Farrell's equal – if not superior. On Saturday, in La Plata in the first Test against Argentina, Ford will win his 100th cap in international rugby; all have come for England, not one has come for the Lions. Farrell's call-up on Thursday was the nail in Ford's Lions coffin. Andy Farrell now has four fly-halves in his squad – plus another makeshift one in Blair Kinghorn if it reaches dire straits – and it would take an injury crisis of gargantuan proportions to result in another No 10 booking a flight to Australia. Earlier this year, my colleague Charlie Morgan compiled a 23-player squad of the most hard-done-by players in the history of Home Nations rugby: those to never have toured with the Lions despite having had an overwhelming claim for doing so. Brian O'Driscoll said regarding Ford's Lions snub that 'there's no sentiment in sport but if ever a player deserved to play at the highest level…' O'Driscoll, following his controversial dropping in 2013, knows all about the lack of sentiment in sport but the Ireland great is correct. Ford, dubbed a tactical genius by England head coach Steve Borthwick, currently stands at No 1 in Charlie Morgan's list. The 32-year-old, unless he receives the most unlikely of call-ups as a 36-year-old for the 2029 tour to New Zealand, will surely retire as the greatest player to have never pulled on the famous red jersey. The lazy assumption with Ford was always that he was either a phenomenal club player who could not cut it at Test level or, not entirely tangentially, was a a fly-half who was happy performing the frills but who often struggled with the fight. That was always apocryphal, but then came September 9, 2023 and the narrative was put totally to bed. England, against the opposition who Ford will face this Saturday for his 100th cap, Argentina, put Los Pumas to bed in their World Cup pool-stage opener after a third-minute red card to flanker Tom Curry. With Farrell suspended, Ford kicked 27 points in the handsome victory, kicking three majestic drop-goals in the process, and the England fans chanted his name long into the sweltering (beer-less) Marseillaise night. Now, the Sale Shark is gearing up to lead England out into 'one of the most hostile atmospheres' in rugby, he says. With Farrell arriving on Australian soil across the Pacific Ocean, Ford co-captains England alongside Jamie George in a two-Test series against Argentina, on the occasion of his 100th cap. 'Doing it for the first time was almost a surreal moment,' Ford said from England's hotel on Thursday. 'You grow up dreaming of playing for England and then to be within touching distance of it and actually doing it is incredibly special. 'I remember doing it for 60 seconds. My family were in the crowd and there were 80,000 people at Twickenham. But even that was a surreal moment. 'I suppose now, when I've been fortunate enough to play a few times for England, I haven't lost the desire or how honoured or privileged I am to do it. But what experience tells you is that, even though it's a milestone, it's just the next England game in terms of trying to perform well. Now I'm 32 and doing it hopefully for the 100th time, it's another day at the office. 'It's an unbelievably proud moment for me, but more importantly my family. But the most important thing at the weekend is the team and having a really good performance and getting a good result. 'Even though there is a milestone there, the whole bigger picture doesn't change. It's England-Argentina and we want to win and make sure we perform really well. In terms of my individual preparation for the game, I've not felt much different, it's just trying to do the right thing for the team, even though there is a bit more noise about it.' A bit more noise there might be, but Ford, even as a Test centurion, continues to put the collective above the self. Ever the team player, ever the self-deprecator; perhaps, with all the noise around Farrell in Australia, Ford will play the understudy with aplomb once more.
Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
American Mayer announces candidacy for FIA president
SILVERSTONE, England, July 4 (Reuters) - American Tim Mayer announced on Friday he will stand against Emirati incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a December vote for president of the FIA, motorsport's world governing body. The 59-year-old, who served as a Formula One steward until last year, is the son of former McLaren team principal Teddy Mayer. "I believe I am the right person, at the right time, in the right place," Mayer told a press conference at a hotel near Silverstone, the British Grand Prix circuit. He added that he had been working on his campaign for six months. "What I see is a failure in leadership right now," he said. "Instead of reform, we've seen performance. Behind the stagecraft, we've been left with the illusion of progress; and the illusion of leadership, while the most senior team he appointed has departed." Mayer said last November he had been dismissed as a steward via text message by an assistant to Ben Sulayem. The FIA disputes that detail. The American said standing was not an act of revenge but about driving the organisation forward -- with his campaign branded FIAforward. There was no immediate response from the FIA. Ben Sulayem, who has made much of returning the governing body to profit, has been a controversial figure since his election in 2021. There have been battles with Liberty Media over commercial matters and accusations of sexism, and there has been a high turnover of senior staff. Critics also say statute changes , approved by FIA members, limit the powers of audit and ethics committees and make it harder for rivals to stand against him. Mayer described his bid as a Herculean task with the deck stacked in Ben Sulayem's favour, given recent statute changes, and only five months to campaign and win votes from member federations. Mayer did not say who would be on his presidential list, a requirement for standing, which he admitted still had some open positions. He said he had good support from Motorsport UK and had informed Stefano Domenicali, chief executive of Liberty Media-owned Formula One, of his plans. "The job now is to go out and explain to lots of small clubs around the world ... why we can do a better job," said Mayer. "Explaining how we can bring value and restructure the FIA to do a better job. "I do feel restructuring needs to happen." Ben Sulayem has already announced he is seeking a second term and until Friday had no declared opponent, with Spain's double world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr. recently deciding not to stand. Mayer said he would have stood even if Sainz had decided to run. He also dismissed any suggestion of a conflict of interest regarding the historic family connection with McLaren. The FIA is the governing body for F1, the world rally championship and Formula E among other series.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton sets pace in first practice to aid hopes of ending podium drought
Lewis Hamilton raised hopes of ending his podium drought at Silverstone this weekend by setting the pace in opening practice for the British Grand Prix. Hamilton has a remarkable record at his home race, winning a record nine times at Silverstone including victory in the rain last year. The 40-year-old has also finished in the top three in all of his last 11 appearances here but is yet to stand on the podium in Ferrari colours. The Scuderia delivered an improved performance in Austria last weekend, with Charles Leclerc third ahead of Hamilton in fourth. Hamilton, whose streak of 11 races without a podium finish is the longest of his career – continued that progress by finishing 0.023 seconds ahead of compatriot Lando Norris. Norris trails McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by 15 points in the championship standings following his victory in Austria and is bidding to secure back-to-back Formula One wins for the first time. The 25-year-old has his own grandstand at Silverstone, hosting 10,000 of his fans, and they would have enjoyed seeing a British duo at the top of the standings during Friday's opening running. Piastri was third fastest, 0.150sec off the pace, ahead of Leclerc in fourth. Max Verstappen, who is now 61 points behind Piastri in the standings after his first-lap elimination in Austria, again complained about handling issues with his Red Bull. The four-time world champion was only 10th fastest British driver Arvid Lindblad drove the other Red Bull during first practice – becoming only the second driver under 18 to take part in a Grand Prix weekend, after Verstappen. The 17-year-old delivered a respectable lap time to finish 13th. George Russell, whose future has dominated talk ahead of the weekend, was fifth for Mercedes. Second practice gets under way at 1600 BST.
