{"id":575815,"date":"2025-11-17T08:37:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T08:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/575815\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T08:37:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T08:37:22","slug":"dan-biggar-its-unfair-that-george-ford-doesnt-get-the-love-he-deserves-hes-a-true-superstar-who-inspired-englands-humbling-of-the-all-blacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/575815\/","title":{"rendered":"DAN BIGGAR: It’s unfair that George Ford doesn’t get the love he deserves… he’s a true superstar who inspired England’s humbling of the All Blacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

For large parts of his career as England No 10, George Ford<\/a> has had to deal with people saying there was a better option than him to be in the shirt.<\/p>\n

I know exactly what that feels like from my experience of playing in the same position with Wales. That is why I\u2019m so delighted for Ford. His performance in Saturday\u2019s win over New Zealand was as close to perfect for an international fly-half as you could wish to get.<\/p>\n

It was a total masterclass in how to control a Test match. Watching on, I could only admire Ford\u2019s display. Ford has had to deal with a lot in his 11 years representing his country.<\/p>\n

He hasn\u2019t always been seen as a go-to man. He played a lot of his early years alongside Owen Farrell<\/a> who is a dominant figure and made plenty of headlines. I don\u2019t think Ford got the credit he deserved for the huge successes England had between 2016 and 2020.<\/p>\n

People have often looked at what he can\u2019t do, rather than what he can. His size and defensive ability has been questioned. There\u2019s always been this perception that there\u2019s someone better out there than him to pick.<\/p>\n

That narrative has gained more traction in the last couple of years with the arrival of Fin and Marcus Smith on the scene as rival playmakers.<\/p>\n

\"George <\/p>\n

George Ford’s performance in Saturday\u2019s 33-19 win over New Zealand was a total masterclass in how to control a Test match. It was as close to perfect for a fly-half as you could wish to get <\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The narrative that there is a better No 10 than Ford has gained more traction in the last couple of years with the arrival of Fin and Marcus Smith on the scene as rival playmakers for England<\/p>\n

\"Daily <\/p>\n

Daily Mail Sport columnist Dan Biggar, who has played against Ford many a time for Wales, says: ‘You only have to\u00a0spend a few minutes with Ford to realise how knowledgeable he is’<\/p>\n

I know exactly what Ford would have been going through because I had to go through the same thing with Wales. In the goldfish bowl of Welsh rugby, there was almost constant opinion that one of my rivals would have been better off playing instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had it regularly over the years when I had to compete with guys like Stephen Jones, James Hook, Rhys Priestland and Gareth Anscombe. I\u2019d even get told down the local Tesco the back-line moved better with those players in charge than me! It made buying a pint of milk an even more unpleasant experience let me tell you.<\/p>\n

But Ford and I both have 100 caps for our respective nations, so we can\u2019t have done that badly! I played against Ford so many times.<\/p>\n

After Wales-England matches, we\u2019d often have a chat over a quiet beer post-match. I really enjoyed his company. Ford is very unassuming and down to earth.<\/p>\n

But you only have to spend a few minutes with him to realise how knowledgeable he is. Ford is a real rugby student. He understands the game inside out.<\/p>\n

There is a reason he is being tipped as a future England coach and I wouldn\u2019t bet against him doing that one day. Ford is an absolute expert in how to manage Test matches.<\/p>\n

Now 32, he has been there, seen it and done it all. Ford is not a flash 10. But he does all the basics so well and his reading of the game is on another level.<\/p>\n

You saw that against New Zealand with his two drop goals at the end of the first half and his 50:22 kick in the second. Ford brings so much confidence to this England team.<\/p>\n

\"His <\/p>\n

His reading of the game is on another level – seen by his two drop goals during the first half<\/p>\n

\"Ford <\/p>\n

Ford was overlooked for this year’s British and Irish Lions Tour – while Smith was called up<\/p>\n

It’s huge for a side when everyone on the pitch knows the No 10 is going to make the right decision at the right time. That\u2019s what Ford does. Against Australia, he carried out Steve Borthwick\u2019s game plan to a tee and could easily have been named man of the match.<\/p>\n

He was rested for Fiji with Fin Smith playing instead. I do feel for Fin Smith because he hasn\u2019t done a lot wrong. But Ford is now in control of the England 10 shirt.<\/p>\n

If you take in England\u2019s summer tour of the Americas and this autumn, Ford has produced at least four world-class performances on the spin.<\/p>\n

He’s at the top of his game and playing in a very, very good team. England didn\u2019t just beat the All Blacks. They put them away convincingly and did so without arguably their best back in Tommy Freeman and a key forward in Ollie Chessum. They also left points out there.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s an incredibly good position for England to be in and worrying for their rivals because they\u2019ll know they can still improve further. England are now 10 unbeaten thanks to their first home downing of the All Blacks since 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last week, I nailed my colours to the mast by saying England would win. I didn\u2019t expect them to do so as comfortably as they did, but I must admit I\u2019m glad I was proved right! In my time playing in the Six Nations, Ford, Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell were the opposite numbers I went up against most.<\/p>\n

All three guys were players you looked to disrupt. The reason for that is because they were so key to their team\u2019s overall performance that if you got to them individually, you had a good chance of disrupting the entire side. Ford maybe hasn\u2019t been seen in the same category as Sexton and Russell. But I think he should be. That\u2019s how good he is and<\/p>\n

England fans and the rugby world are now seeing just that. He seems to be getting better with age too. He\u2019s in a great position to be the leading figure for England at the next World Cup in 2027. That would be his fourth global showpiece which takes some doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Last <\/p>\n

Last autumn, he missed both a late penalty and drop goal which would have beaten New Zealand and many would have been sure that would have been the end for him with England<\/p>\n

\"Many <\/p>\n

Many have tipped Ford to be the next England coach, including current boss Steve Borthwick<\/p>\n

A lot of people have said Ford is one of the best ever not to win Lions selection. I\u2019d go along with that. I thought he was unlucky not to go to New Zealand in 2017 at a time when England were flying. The Lions is often about timing. For whatever reason, it hasn\u2019t worked out for Ford on that front so far. But if there was a tour tomorrow, it would be impossible to leave him out. The last year or so hasn\u2019t been smooth sailing for Ford.<\/p>\n

He’s often been left out of the 23 altogether with first Marcus Smith and then Fin Smith preferred. Last autumn, he missed both a late penalty and drop goal which would have beaten New Zealand. I\u2019m sure many would have seen that as the end for him with England.<\/p>\n

But it shows his resilience and strength of character that he\u2019s come back and is now one of the first names on the team sheet. It\u2019s about time he\u2019s getting some credit because the recognition he\u2019s got after his performance against the All Blacks is something his wonderful career deserves.<\/p>\n

Evans\u2019 late heroics paper over Wales\u2019 struggles<\/p>\n

I have teamed up with R\u00e9my Martin VSOP Cognac to highlight Moments of Excellence on and off the pitch from this month\u2019s Quilter Nations Series. As a former Wales No 10, I know all about the pressures of kicking goals to win matches for your country. Doing so comes with immense mental strain.<\/p>\n

As a kicker, there is no hiding place. At the highest level, matches can be decided by those who use the tee. They can come down to the width of a post. Kick successfully and you\u2019re the hero. Miss and you\u2019re the villain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why my moment of excellence for this weekend\u2019s action was Jarrod Evans\u2019 last-minute penalty to help Wales beat Japan. It was a hugely dramatic end to the game at Principality Stadium as Steve Tandy\u2019s side snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. If I\u2019m honest, the better team lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Japan deserved to win. Eddie Jones\u2019 players will have been gutted to lose a game like that. Evans\u2019 kick was a stand-out for me because he only entered the field in the 79th minute, replacing Dan Edwards when all looked lost for Wales. Then, just four minutes later and with the clock in the red, Evans had to step up and win the game for his country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Evans\u2019 <\/p>\n

Evans\u2019 kick was a stand-out because he only entered the field in the 79th minute, replacing Dan Edwards when all looked lost for Wales – and managed to secure a last-gasp victory<\/p>\n

\"Evans <\/p>\n

Evans needs to take a lot of credit given Wales’ disappointing performance prior to his kick<\/p>\n

As a kicker, that\u2019s always an incredibly difficult position to be in. But that\u2019s even more the case when you\u2019ve only just come on because your muscles have only really just got going. Evans needs to take a lot of credit. But on the whole, Wales\u2019 performance was very disappointing. What\u2019s funny about Test rugby is that there were more Welsh positives in the defeat by Argentina than there were in the win over Japan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the team display was a retrograde step, even if the victory was vitally important with the 2027 World Cup draw in mind. There are two incredibly tough games with New Zealand and South Africa to come now for Wales. They can\u2019t win those matches. But for the scorelines to remain respectable, they will need to drastically improve their performance from this weekend.<\/p>\n

Weary Australia wilt while Ireland rediscover their rhythm<\/p>\n

Australia look very, very tired to me. After losing to both England and Italy, they were beaten comfortably by Ireland in Dublin. The Wallabies\u00a0ran the Lions very close in their Test series in the summer, but they\u2019ve run out of puff quite badly.<\/p>\n

Joe Schmidt\u2019s side have played a lot of matches and done some serious travelling through the Rugby Championship. Emotionally and physically, they look spent and I thought it showed against Ireland. I\u2019m sure the Australian players will be counting down the days until they can get home to the beach!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Things don\u2019t get any easier for them mind with France in Paris to come this weekend. I thought Ireland looked much more like their old selves. There was a bit more swagger in their play and Sam Prendergast was excellent at No 10. Ireland against South Africa on Saturday is the game of the upcoming weekend.<\/p>\n

Dan Biggar is a R\u00e9my Martin VSOP Cognac ambassador. Please Enjoy Responsibly. https:\/\/www.remymartin.com\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For large parts of his career as England No 10, George Ford has had to deal with people…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575816,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4102],"tags":[37482,92,4211,704,11082,4151,4204,93,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-575815","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-all-blacks","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-england-rugby","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-owen-farrell","13":"tag-rugby","14":"tag-rugbyunion","15":"tag-sport","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115564135480943757","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}