Ford could start at Fly-half for the tigers

Just been reading that George Ford could be starting ahead of Jeremy Staunton and Billy Twelvetrees providing he proves himself in pre-season training. I think it'll be great to see how he handles the senior game.

What are other people's thoughts? Who would you have start out of the 3?

If I were Tigers I would have picked up better fly half cover by now.

Of the choices you should pick Staunton as the experienced option. Twelvetrees is a centre no?

George Ford would be smashed in my opinion. He needs more time to develop. Isn't he only 18?

I'd put Ford in. No question.

36 is not a FH.
Staunton is just not good enough. But I'd keep him for an injury back-up.

nathan wrote:Just been reading that George Ford could be starting ahead of Jeremy Staunton and Billy Twelvetrees providing he proves himself in pre-season training. I think it'll be great to see how he handles the senior game.

What are other people's thoughts? Who would you have start out of the 3?

I think the key thing is

proves himself in pre-season training

- if he keeps developing he's going to be a very special player but he's still not ready physically. During the WC I'd probably go with 12trees with Staunton on the bench - it is playing 12trees out of position but for me he's still a better fly half than Staunton is.
Ford I'd look to give some limited game time to but not as a regular... unless he is stunning in pre-season training.

This reminds me of the situation that Newcastle have with Joel Hodgson, he literally looks like a choir boy and had/has the same dimensions 5ft 10in & 11st 2lb (He makes Ford look like a bruiser!). I watched him play ten a few times in the Amlin cup and he was never really smashed. The thing is, if the coach worries about a player’s defensive abilities, there are ways to hide him in the backline. Cipriani at Wasps was a classic example of this, they hid him in the backline so he couldn’t be targeted by crash ball forwards. As far as Ford goes, if I was a Leicester fan I would want him on the bench at the very least, the lad is a talent and needs game time to express himself.

Where did you read that? I'm excited about Ford's prospects but, like almost everyone else it seems, I'm slightly concerned he might get broken if he started playing the Premiership before he's beefed up a bit.

Just a further clarification on what I said - I don't think he needs to beef up, though it would be useful if he did without losing his mobility but rather needs to get used to the greater level of physicality. He's a smallish player currently and stepping up to first team level I think he should be eased in so he can get used to looking after himself with much bigger/ faster players than he is used to playing against - I think the big problem for Tait on his England debut wasn't that he wasn't big enough but that he'd not had enough chance to adjust to senior rugby, so he wasn't prepared yet to look after himself physically.

Eustace H Plimsoll wrote:Where did you read that? I'm excited about Ford's prospects but, like almost everyone else it seems, I'm slightly concerned he might get broken if he started playing the Premiership before he's beefed up a bit.

Read it on the Leicester Mercury website. Cockerill was also talking about Fords defence comparing it to Floods.

Here's the link

Agree with most that the question isn't necessarily his size, but can he cope with the step up in physicality. I think we can safely assume that Cockerill won't start him before fully testing that out.

If he does get the nod and Tuilagi goes to NZ, I'd love to see them play Ford, 36 & Allen together with Staunton on the bench.

10. Ford
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tait

Looks a mighty decent and promising combination to me.

I think Cockerill has to be careful with him, but if he thinks Ford is ready then he should give him the full World Cup period, starting him every game. It's a nice little window with Flood to come back in afterwards, and if Ford knows he'll be starting 4-7 games he'll have the freedom to express himself but, should it not go entirely according to plan, Cockerill won't have to drop him as such as Flood will return and take his place back in the starting line-up (unless Ford REALLY shines). So it's almost a no lose period, if he thinks Ford can handle himself and is mature enough to play at this level.

funnyExiledScot wrote:10. Ford
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tait

Looks a mighty decent and promising combination to me.

With, A.Tuilagi & Agulla (possibly Murphy too) going to the WC, I suspect Tait will more likely feature in the back three.

funnyExiledScot wrote:10. Ford
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tait

Looks a mighty decent and promising combination to me.

I'd prefer too see Allen in there, to give a bit of experience and organise the defense -

9 Young (/Harrison?)
10 Ford

12 Allen
13 12trees

Then a back three of Smith, Tait and Hamilton

Snoopster - looks good to me, I'd overlooked Allen for some reason. I agree that Allen should be able to assist young Ford through the openning stages of the season, not that he really looks like a lad you needs a minder. Twelvetrees can obviously do the punting duties.

Micky Young was a great signing. He'll really come into his own at the Tigers, especially given the commitments of Ben Youngs to England (who may well return pretty shattered).

36 may not be a FH, but he did pretty well there last season when given the chance. I reckon it would be a brave decision to leave him on the bench and bring in a player who is going to be heavily targetted. Ford is not ready to play AP, and whether he'll ever have sufficient presence to so is remains to be seen.

As for Hodgson in the Amlin, the Falcons SH solved the lack of physical presence issue by basically not passing to him. At time sit was embarrassing to watch. Hodgson needs to focus on 9, just like Morgan does in Wales.

Personally, I'd prefer 36 at IC and Allen outside him (he's always looked just as comfortable at 13 as 12). You make the most of 36's distribution and kicking at IC, and Allen has more time and space for his strengths, his running lines and footwork, particularly with centre/back 3 players like Smith & Tait breaking into the line around him.

Yes, Allen outside Twelvetrees would be ideal, but Cockerill showed last season that he'd rather start Allen in every game at IC if fit. Therefore until Allen gets injured Twelvetrees' is best utilised at 10. He could play 13, but that's just wasting his talent.

I can't believe Twelvetrees will still be at Tigers this time next year. In the meantime I just hope he gets game time in a decision-making role.

Is it not worth noting that a certain James O'connor made his super 14 debut at 17 and 82kg (Ford currently weighs about 80kg), and yes he did take a few heavy hits early on but look at him now...
It could well help Fords development getting game time during the world cup, rather than hinder it.

The tigers have some big boys of their own...and im sure in training they've already put him through a few little tests...

Leicester are traditionally one of the big teams for a reason. If he's good enough they'll play him.

johnpartle wrote:Personally, I'd prefer 36 at IC and Allen outside him (he's always looked just as comfortable at 13 as 12). You make the most of 36's distribution and kicking at IC, and Allen has more time and space for his strengths, his running lines and footwork, particularly with centre/back 3 players like Smith & Tait breaking into the line around him.

Possibly, the advantage of playing Allen at IC is it means you've got a steadying presence between the fly half and and 12trees, which is going to be useful with either Staunton (decent if limited usually, a shocker during the run in though) or Ford (very good but lacks experience) and 12trees in the team. I'd hope Cockerill will have a good look at it though - Allen is going to be needed to steady things and organise the defense so he needs to be played where he can do that best.