Opinion: No time to panic, George Ford is still the man for Steve Borthwick and England
Opinion: No time to panic, Ford is still the man for Steve Borthwick and England
George Ford is undeserving of the huge amount of criticism he’s gained since England’s dramatic loss to Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday in the second round of the 2026 Six Nations.
English fans have been left reeling, calling for widescale changes to the squad, while Scottish fans have been gloating in the warmth of yet another victory over their old rivals.
England were up against a revitalised, aggressive Scotland side ready to bounce back from their shock opening round loss to Italy. Under pressure early after falling 17-0 behind, England never really looked in control of the match. As soon as they conceded the first points, they were chasing the game against a side that was outperforming them all over the park.
A bad day to be an English 10
One of the biggest topics for conversation has been the performance of the usually outstanding Ford at fly-half.
England number 10s are always coming under the most severe of scrutiny, not least because of the impact that they can have on a game, but more so the integral part they play in the English system. Ford has over a hundred international caps, but in the past, he escaped much of the media and fan limelight as he worked almost silently in the shadows of the assertive Owen Farrell.
But now, with Farrell seemingly out of favour within international selection, Ford faces the brunt of the questions:
- Why could he not control the game?
- Why did he attempt the drop goal?
- Should Fin Smith have started?
- Should Marcus Smith have been on the bench?
His decision to slot a drop goal, which was charged down, resulted in a breakaway try by Huw Jones. This was slammed by Wales legend Dan Biggar, who said: “I actually think that England had enough momentum 10 metres out from the line to keep playing it.”
The issue with this statement is that England simply could not keep hold of the ball for multiple phases. Throughout the game, mistakes were rife. They conceded a catastrophic 20 turnovers over the 80 minutes, which suggests that although England were in the opposition 22, the likelihood of them ploughing through enough phases to reach the try-line was very minimal.
Their momentum was slowing at the time, so it made sense to reduce the scoreline deficit as they looked to claw their way back into the match. The decision itself had merit; it was simply the execution that left a lot to be desired. Even the great World Cup winner, Jonny Wilkinson, analysed it himself, claiming that if Ford could do it again, he should “go a bit deeper.”
This leads to the lack of quality go-forward ball for Ford. While there were periods when he could pull his various well-tuned strings, his time with the ball in hand was often limited to the back foot. This was a team issue, not a Ford issue.
England were solid at the set-piece, giving a great platform for the backline to work from, but mistakes shut down any sort of forward momentum.
Ask any playmaker in world rugby to change a game off back foot ball, and the answer won’t be a pleasant one. Perhaps Ford should have adapted to Scotland’s line speed, but the whole squad looked like deer in headlights, and it requires a full team effort.
The wrong Smith?
England head coach Steve Borthwick made the bold decision to leave the game-changing Marcus Smith out of the matchday 23, and instead selected the safer, more pragmatic Fin Smith to come off the bench.
A similar player to Ford, Fin Smith replaced Henry Arundell after his 20-minute red card had run its course, but perhaps Marcus Smith would have been better suited.
The Harlequins man is arguably one of the most electric, exciting players in the English PREM, and with a wealth of international experience already, he would have been the perfect arrival onto the pitch as the Scots were tiring.
Instead, due perhaps to Borthwick’s assumption that the scores would have been closer around the replacement stage, he was forced to throw on a man more suited to closing out a game than rescuing one.
Although it could be argued that he didn’t know how the game would pan out, the inclusion of two similar 10s has baffled many England fans.
Stick with Ford or revert to a Smith?
With the pressure now on Borthwick and England to bounce back, there will be selection conversations that need to be had, but not necessarily acted upon. Change at 10 will be discussed, as it always will be, but the answer should be simple.
Ford has set such a high standard, particularly within the past couple of years, that dropping him after one subpar performance shouldn’t reach any more than a resounding no.
He should not be punished for one mistake born out of intelligent game management. He should have enough credit in the bank – even without his plethora of successful drop goals in the past – to retain the England shirt and the fans’ trust.
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Both Smiths are brilliant players and will continue to have excellent England careers, but for now, the experience and expertise of Ford shines above all others.
Selection debates will rage, they always do when England lose, but abandoning Ford after one flawed afternoon would be reactionary rather than rational. His game management, experience and tactical control have delivered too often to be discarded at such a pivotal stage in England’s Six Nations campaign.
England’s problems at Murrayfield ran deeper than one charged-down drop goal, and solving them will require more than simply changing the name on the teamsheet.
