Nick Cain: Stay put George, it’s your best move of all

George Ford had a weird training week as part of the England team preparing to take on South Africa. First, a rumour emerged that the Bath fly-half was considering a move to Toulon to join up with his father, Mike, who has recently been appointed head coach of the star-laden Top 14 club.
This was followed by Eddie Jones warning Ford that if he was contemplating a move across the Channel to play for a French club then he could kiss his England career goodbye until he returned to good old Blighty.
This forced Ford to issue a statement that he had no intention of moving to Toulon, adding that he had not spoken to the clubs volatile owner, Mourad Boudjellal.
“I don’t know what was going on there… it was news to me anyway,” Ford said. “I’ve never met Mourad. Obviously, my dad’s there, but I want to play for England – so I want to play in England.”
The Bath player added that after the rumour broke he had a quick chat with Jones, saying: “I told him, ‘I don’t know where all that’s come from’. It escalated a little bit, but none of it is true, and I just want to crack on.”
What was puzzling was why Ford, who was in England camp and therefore within a couple of minutes walk of being able to talk to the head coach at any time, was not simply asked if there was any truth in the Toulon rumour. That way Jones could have said it was unfounded, without the drama of Ford having to be issued with a dire warning of excommunication from the England fold if he decided to ply his trade in France.
It seems that on Jones’ watch the RFU strictures against playing in France – or anywhere overseas – have hardened. One sign is that the loophole clause during Stuart Lancaster‘s tenure that a player could be selected in “exceptional circumstances” seems to have disappeared from the script.
You cannot help but reflect that if Jones had been bound by the same restrictions as a coach as those currently put on England’s players, he would never have enjoyed the diversity of experience around the world that he has – and might not have developed into such a high-calibre coach.
As for Ford, he showed that spark of individuality that you need as an elite fly-half when he said that at the end of his career he would consider doing a Jonny Wilkinson, and play in France, adding: “It’s a different way of playing and living – you’d probably see the sun and beach a lot more… I’ll see where I am in a few years time.”
In the interim you can bet that the offers from other clubs will flow thick and fast in Ford’s direction, but my feeling is that for the moment he should stay put.
Whatever Ford’s misgivings about the dismissal of his father as Bath coach at the end of last season – and his unhappiness at the decision was not exaggerated – club-hopping is rarely the right answer.
Most players need a settled, stimulating environment in which to improve, and they also need coaches who believe in them.
Ford certainly has that if new director of rugby Todd Blackadder’s glowing initial assessment of him as a player is to be believed, with the New Zealander comparing him with the great Dan Carter. Blackadder spoke as a coach with unrivalled inside knowledge, having coached Carter at the Crusaders.
Nor did Blackadder hide that he was desperate to keep Ford from the clutches of rival clubs, with his concern more focused on those in the Premiership than France.
Northampton, for instance, are known to be on the hunt for a new fly-half now that Stephen Myler is moving into veteran territory.
A player of Ford’s calibre would add massively to the Saints armoury and the ambition of the club to put silverware in the Franklin’s Gardens trophy cabinet on a regular basis.
Nevertheless, Blackadder has a head start because Bath’s virtually all-international backline has more fizz to it at the moment than Northampton’s.
What Blackadder – and Bath – could do with most is for Mike Ford to bury the hatchet with the club, and its owner Bruce Craig, and give his son his blessing to stay at The Rec.
That would have the dual benefit of not only allowing the 23-year-old to develop in an environment without the complications of family ties, but also continuing to tap into the expertise of Blackadder and former Crusaders backs coach, Tabai Matson.
The ball is in Mike Ford’s court, and the right move for his son is almost certainly the one he wants to approve least.