Gamble on Leicester Tigers exit has paid off says George Ford

It is hard to avoid drawing comparisons between George Ford and Owen Farrell – two of the brightest young things in England at present.
Both marshal their respective clubs from fly-half, both have made their names under the watchful tutelage of their fathers, who have Rugby League backgrounds and have spent time on the England coaching staff.
And together they formed a 10-12 axis at U20 level a couple of years ago that many see as the solution for an England side full of courage but lacking chutzpah.
In truth, however, they are polar opposites. Farrell is unflappable, particularly at Test level, his kicking is nigh-on metronomic and he speaks like a man far older than his 22 years – dad Andy's influence is evident.
Ford, meanwhile, is two years younger, precocious, erratic at his worst – most notably in the past from the tee – but beguiling at his best, taking the ball to the line and unlocking defences in a manner that Farrell does not.
An amalgamation of the two would have Stuart Lancaster salivating but just as Farrell is improving in attack, so Ford is bringing a consistency to his game that suggests the 2015 World Cup may not come too soon.
Ford said: “For me, coming to Bath over the summer it feels like my decision has been vindicated, I've been involved in all league matches and made a huge amount of development.
“It was extremely difficult to leave Leicester, they are the club that you set your standard against, but it was a case of being somewhere that I could get as much game time as possible.
“That's what I knew that I needed and I believe my skillset has improved since I've arrived. It's about getting the consistency of performance and of kicking and things like that which you only get playing regularly.
“I've been happy with performances but a lot of the credit has to go to the forwards. We're quite a young side at Bath but it's exciting times for the club.
“It's been really good [teaming up with dad Mike, the Bath coach], there hasn't been any awkwardness or anything like that. But if I don't playing well I don't expect to be playing.”
It is a matter-of-fact approach that the Fords take to their working relationship, as Mike recently said: “Put simply, if I pick George and the other coaches disagree, we will go with the majority decision.”
And it is an approach that mirrors that of the Farrells.
Ford was always favoured at fly-half to Farrell, despite being two years his junior, but how the Saracens and England No.10 has developed is by no means lost on the Bath youngster.
“I've got to put myself out there and play well, just like Owen has done for Saracens, England and the Lions,” he added.
“It's a good example that it shouldn't really affect things and that it can work.”
Just as Farrell did, Ford is avoiding accusations of nepotism by producing on the pitch – on two occasions he has scored all of Bath's points in their surge to the top four and a virtuoso display against London Irish prompted calls for an autumn international call-up.
Such has been the quality of November's Premiership player of the month's performances that Tom Heathcote, another of his junior age group rivals is Bath's forgotten man, yet few feel the need to bring favouritism into it.
And Ford arguably saved his best for the victory over old club Leicester early on in the season.
Richard Cockerill would never admit it but Ford found himself stuck in a rut at the Tigers, not getting enough game time to iron out his erratic tendencies and therefore continually stuck behind the ever-reliable Toby Flood.
Ironic then, that should Flood move to the continent, Ford, currently in the Saxons squad, may be the beneficiary and move to the senior side, assuming Lancaster's conservatism ensures Danny Cipriani is not fast-tracked straight back to the EPS fold.
“I haven't really had any contact with England, only when we were all together over the summer when they just told me to go away and play, basically,” added Ford.
“It was clear that time on the pitch was what I need and what I still do need. It's obviously every kid's dream to play for England and I'm no different.
“I do look at the guys that I played age-group rugby with and plenty of them are doing well for the seniors and I'm really happy to see them there, hopefully, I can join them.”
GERARD MEAGHER