'Players would die to go on that Tour'- George Ford on significance of British and Irish Lions selection
Published 25/04/2025 at 22:58 GMT+1
Sale Sharks fly-half George Ford was at the heart of their 25-7 Gallagher Premiership Rugby win over Saracens on Friday night, firmly putting his name in contention for a spot on the British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia this summer. The 32-year-old has yet to wear the famous red jersey but has emerged as a candidate for selection in a year when the competition at fly-half has been fierce.
Ford says 'Lions is the pinnacle' as he reveals hopes to make squad
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George Ford said players "would die to play" for the British and Irish Lions on this summer's Tour to Australia, after delivering an outstanding performance for Sale Sharks in their 25-7 Gallagher Premiership win over Saracens.
The 32-year-old fly-half has emerged as a genuine contender for his first Lions selection, and could stand to take advantage of the lack of a clear leading fly-half among the home nations.
The emergence of Fin Smith saw Ford's England role diminished during the Six Nations, but the Sale playmaker has continued his strong performances domestically and could be the perfect veteran in Andy Farrell's squad.
"Who knows?" Ford said when asked about a potential Lions selection. "As a player who is part of the England team and has an opportunity to play for England… the Lions is the pinnacle. If you ask anyone, they would die to play on that Tour.
"But as we know, selection is subjective and it’ll be on the coaches to pick the best possible squad to go to Australia. For the time being, it’s about trying to play as well as I can for Sale."
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'Sale at their absolute best!' - Ford scores 'quite brilliant' try against Saracens
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Ford's try against Sarries was surprisingly his first for the club since joining from Leicester Tigers.
He added two conversions and two penalties in a complete performance that will help immensely in Alex Sanderson's bid to lead his side to another Premiership final.
"It was a long time coming," Ford added. "The boys have been giving me a lot of stick for it. I suppose all I had to do was run in and put it down.
"We started well. It was a good start to the game; we wanted to start fast. That doesn’t necessarily always mean on the scoreboard, but thankfully today it was. It got a bit scrappy in the second half I thought. It was a good win, we’ll take it.
"We want to make sure we’ve got options in the line. We don’t know what we’re going to do till we’re in that moment. You’ve got people like Reedy and Tom Curry either side of you. It’s easy for me, I just defend."
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Sale managed to contain Saracens to just seven points in a ruthless defensive effort on the defensive, something which Ford attributes to the club's "DNA."
"That’s what we’re pleased about the most. Seven points against a team like that. That’s what we pride ourselves on - our defence. It’s part of our DNA. That’s the first thing we touch on before a game and the last thing before we come out. We want to keep our defence as tight as possible."
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Try of the season? Reed scores 'stunning' solo breakaway effort for Sale
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Arron Reed, likewise, had a stellar game, scoring a stunning solo try that could be a potential try-of-the-season contender.
The winger revealed that physicality was the aim of the game for Sale as they push for the play-offs.
"We had a big emphasis on being as physical as we possibly could be," Reed revealed. "That showed from the boys, they were absolutely whacking the Sarries lads. Towards the end of the season, all the games are big. We want to push for the play-offs. It’s massive.
"When the pressure comes on, we seem to perform. We’ve got really good game-drivers who push us at this point of the season, like Fordy. It’s that extra bit of motivation to get it over the line.
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Highlights: Reed scores potential try of the season as Sale power past Saracens
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"We’ve put an emphasis on getting the ball out wide and into our hands because we’re dangerous players. In that moment, I thought, 'You know what, there’s acres of space in front of me, I’m going to call for it'.
"I called for it, and then it all ended up happening. Most of the time, it’s just muscle memory."
One last push for the play-offs for Sale takes them to Welford Road to face Leicester Tigers in two weeks, before finishing the regular season against Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs.
Watch and stream the Gallagher Premiership on TNT Sports and discovery+
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