Bristol ready for bidding war to make England ace a Bear

BRISTOL BEARS have made a cheeky enquiry about the future plans of England star George Ford who is into the last year of his Leicester Tigers contract.

Bears boss Pat Lam has put a top-class fly-half at the top of his shopping list for the 2020-21 season and has been quick to sound out Ford.

Lam is keen to get an early handle on who is and who isn’t available even though he cannot officially make an offer until the New Year.

Rugby League clubs have also been looking into their chances of luring Ford, 26, away from Welford Road and into Super League. That was always going to be a bid that was doomed to failure with Premiership clubs cash-rich from the investment CVC made in the sport earlier in the year.

Ford returned to Tigers in 2017 after a four-year stint with Bath and we understand  Lam has been told he has no immediate plans to move. Especially now his dad Mike is part of Geordan Murphy’s coaching staff working as attack coach permanently after joining up last season.

Blindside believes that Ford’s advisors have opened talks with the Tigers about a new deal and that talks are moving in the right direction.

NEIL FISSLER