Latest news with #GeorgeFord
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sale hang on to beat Exeter and reach play-offs
Bevan Rodd (left) scored his sixth try of the season as Sale made the play-offs for the fourth time in five years [Rex Features] Gallagher Premiership Exeter (5) 26 Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Hodge, Haydon-Wood, Capstick Cons: Hodge 3 Sale (20) 30 Tries: Ma'asi-White, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford 3 Sale secured third place in the Premiership and a play-off semi-final at Leicester with a 30-26 victory over Exeter in a tense encounter at Sandy Park. Paul Brown-Bampoe's 20th-minute try briefly put the home side in front before Sale's superb attack kicked into gear as Rekeiti Ma'asi-White and Bevan Rodd went under the posts to help give Sharks a 20-5 lead at the break. Advertisement Josh Hodge pulled a try back for the hosts soon after the restart and, when Will Haydon-Wood cut the gap to four points Sale looked worried. Dan Frost had a fourth Exeter try disallowed for a knock on with 18 minutes left, but former Chiefs favourite Luke Cowan-Dickie forced his way over with 12 minutes left to seal victory for Sale. Richard Capstick got a fourth try for Exeter with three minutes left to set up a tense finish as the hosts ended the season with two losing bonus points. The win ensured Sale finish third in the table after second-placed Leicester beat bottom side Newcastle at home - ensuring a trip to Welford Road for the Sharks in next week's semi-finals. Advertisement An indisciplined start cost Exeter as George Ford kicked a first-minute penalty for Sale before they gave up possession a couple of metres from the Sharks line having had the better of the early play. Brown-Bampoe capped a flowing Exeter passing move to get the first try midway through the first half - although the unconverted score came at a cost as recently fit-again back Tommy Wyatt limped off having been hurt in the build-up. Ford's second penalty a minute later saw Sale retake the lead before Ma'asi-White capped off a superb passing sequence to go under the posts as Exeter struggled to defend against Sale's excellent offloading. It was more of the same eight minutes later as Rodd was the beneficiary after Ford and Arron Reed combined to create the gap for the Sale loose-head to score. Advertisement And it got worse for the home side when Ethan Roots was sin-binned shortly before the break for bringing down a maul, but despite being a man down they started the second half impressively. Exeter fightback falls just short Persistent pressure eventually told as Ma'asi-White was sin-binned after a number of penalties on the Sale line and soon after Hodge went over in the right corner as Exeter exploited the extra space. A third Ford penalty soon after calmed Sale's nerves with less than 30 minutes to play, but Haydon-Wood rounded off Exeter's best attacking move of the afternoon, Hodge and Henry Slade linked up to put the replacement over. Advertisement Exeter thought they had taken the lead five minutes later when Frost was forced over, but replays showed he had lost control off the ball as he dived over the line. Sale regained their composure and their double-digit advantage with 12 minutes to go as Cowan-Dickie forced his way over from close range. Sale missed out on a fourth try six minutes later when Gus Warr was sin-binned after replays showed a dangerous tackle in the build-up to a try from Reed, while from the resulting line-out penalty Exeter replacement Jimmy Roots was held up over the Sale line. But Exeter did get a fifth try when Capstick ran in after Slade and Tamati Tua combined. Advertisement Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Tua, Wyatt; Skinner, Townsend; Blose, Yeandle (capt), Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Molina, Vermeulen, Capstick, Roots Replacements: Frost, Sio, Roots, Tshiunza, Moloney, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Vintcent Yellow card: Roots (39) Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, J-L du Preez, B Curry (capt), D du Preez. Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dugdale, Warr, James, Wills. Yellow card: Ma'asi-White (47), Warr (74) Referee: Christophe Ridley
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Premiership finale - five teams in play-off hunt
Leicester, Sale and Bristol all occupy the three top four spots up for grabs on the Premiership's final day [Getty Images] Five teams go into the Premiership's dramatic final day still in with a chance of joining table toppers Bath in this season's play-offs and of winning the title at Twickenham in two weeks' time. Leicester, Sale, Bristol, Gloucester and Saracens could remarkably all still finish anywhere from second to sixth as they go into the weekend separated by just five points after 17 matches. Advertisement Johann van Graan's Bath side have come back from last season's final defeat against Northampton with a vengeance, winning 14 games this term and leading the table by 15 points. Such is Bath's dominance so far they secured top of the table and a home semi-final at the Recreation Ground with three rounds of games to go and will play whoever finishes fourth on Friday, 6 June, while second will host third on Saturday, 7 June. With something riding on all five games that all kick-off at 15:05 BST this Saturday, here's what each club needs to do - and in some cases hope for outside of their control - to seal a semi-final spot. Second: Leicester - 56 points, 10 wins Leicester were well beaten at Bath last time they played two weeks ago [Getty Images] For the Tigers, the task is simple - beat Newcastle at home and second place in the table along with a home semi-final is theirs. One point is enough to secure the top four. Advertisement The league's most successful side are on the prowl for their record-extending 12th title and have a two-point cushion over third-placed Sale. Leicester have the most amount of wiggle room if they do lose and drop points, as at least three results would need to go against them for them to drop out of the top four. However, they will be confident of getting the job done against a Falcons side who have won just two league matches in the past two seasons and finished rock bottom of the table in both. Third: Sale - 54 points, 11 wins England fly-half George Ford has been in fine form for Sale [Getty Images] If the Tigers do slip up, the Sharks will be circling. Sale visit Exeter, with the Chiefs already assured of a ninth-placed finish and nothing to play for on the day. Advertisement A repeat of December's win over the Chiefs and Alex Sanderson's team will cement third place regardless of other results. A loss with two bonus points would still be enough for the top four. It's been 19 years since the club's sole Premiership title. But the Manchester side have a trick up their sleeve in that they have the most league wins of any club aside from Bath, meaning if they end the season on the same number of points as any of their competitors, they would finish above them by virtue of having more league victories. The Sharks also have England fly-half George Ford arriving at the end of the season in stunning form as they have won three of their past four Premiership games. Advertisement In the unlikely event that Tigers draw and Sale win, or Leicester lose and Sale draw, the two sides could finish level on points but with Sale on top. Fourth: Bristol - 53 points, nine wins Wing Gabriel Ibitoye has scored 12 tries in 16 appearances for Bristol this season [Getty Images] Currently occupying the final play-off spot are Pat Lam's Bristol Bears and they face a highly unpredictable Harlequins side. Victory would guarantee a top four finish but anything less than that and the Bears will be looking over their shoulders, with Gloucester and Saracens ready to strike. Ashton Gate holds a special place in the hearts of Quins fans as the scene of their epic semi-final fightback victory at "Bristanbul" in 2021 en-route to claiming their second Premiership title. Advertisement Any slip-ups at Welford Road for Leicester and Sandy Park for Sale would mean Bristol could still yet finish second and book in another memorable home semi-final. Fifth: Gloucester - 51 points, nine wins Gloucester won away at Newcastle to keep themselves in contention going into the final day [Getty Images] Gloucester go into the game knowing nothing less than victory over reigning champions Northampton will do. Do that and they will only need one of Leicester, Sale or Bristol to lose without any bonus points and they sneak into the top four at the finish line. In what would be an astonishing story, the Cherry and Whites could mathematically still secure a home semi-final at Kingsholm if they all suffer defeat and pick up no bonus points. Advertisement If they were to secure a bonus-point victory over Saints they would jump up to 56 points, level with Leicester. Given both teams would have 10 wins, Gloucester would likely finish above the Tigers due to their superior points difference (currently Gloucester +74, Leicester +72). Northampton have suffered a disappointing defence of the title they won last season but fly-half Fin Smith and co have shown the immense quality they possess in their run to the European Champions Cup final last weekend. Sixth: Saracens - 51 points, nine wins Saracens could finish [Getty Images] Saracens' host Bath at StoneX Stadium with their destiny out of their hands as they bid to avoid missing out on the top four for only the third time since 2009. Advertisement Those two occasions were 2020 when they were relegated in the wake of the salary cap scandal and the following season when they played in the second tier. It has been a season of rebuilding for Mark McCall and his coaching staff after the departures of legendary players including Owen Farrell and Billy and Mako Vunipola last summer, while full-back Alex Goode has announced he would retire at the end of the season after making a Sarries record 400th appearance earlier this month. Their play-off hopes were struck a huge blow at Northampton a fortnight ago with Tarek Haffar's last-second try stealing a 28-24 victory for the Saints that left the Men in Black's hopes dangling. Their task is similar to that of Gloucester, as they go into the game with the same number of points and wins as they Cherry and Whites, but they have a substantially lower points difference of +30. Advertisement They need results above to go their way and to win by a big margin to have any hope although they are facing a substantially lower strength Bath side who are fielding seven debutants in their matchday 23.
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Lions icon claims Marcus Smith should've been snubbed in favour of England rival
Marcus Smith is among the three fly-halves included in the British and Irish Lions squad but Keith Wood believes his England counterpart George Ford should've got the nod British and Irish Lions legend Keith Wood believes Marcus Smith should've been snubbed for this summer's tour to Australia with George Ford instead taking his place. The Harlequins fly-half is one of three No 10s heading Down Under. His inclusion was the subject of debate in the weeks leading up to the squad announcement but Andy Farrell picked him alongside Finn Russell and Fin Smith - who were always expected to go following stellar seasons with Bath and Northampton respectively. The Harlequins star has lost his starting spot with England but still got the nod ahead of Ford. The veteran fly-half has excelled with Sale in recent weeks with his experience coming to the fore in the final period of the Premiership season. Ireland pair Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley were both overlooked by their international coach. Smith's versatility may have been crucial to his inclusion with the 26-year-old capable of covering fullback. But Wood would've picked Ford, who could win his 100th cap for England on this summer's tour to Argentina, alongside the two Fins. He told Genting Casino: 'The three out halves I feel should be going are Finn Russell, Fin Smith and George Ford in the manner in which he has come back to form. 'I'm a huge fan of Prendergast. I love the way he sees the game. He is raw but has skills others don't have. He would have needed to have continued his upward trajectory to be at the steepest level possible to get on the tour. He has gaps in his game that he needs to rectify and that is what I am sure he is going to work on now. 'Jack Crowley would have been very close. He had a dip in form at the start of the season, but if he had got more game time I think he would have been on the plane.' Ford's snub means he will likely end his career without ever being a Lion having been overlooked in 2017 and 2021. He is regarded among the finest players to have never worn the shirt but admits the previous disappointments made this year's experience easier to digest. He told the Telegraph: 'Your ambitions as a player are to achieve everything you possibly can, so when you don't get selected for something you are disappointed. But selection is very subjective at the same time. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn't." Ford could yet get called-up should injury strike. Smith himself received the call to join the squad in 2021 when several players were sidelined and the Sale fly-half will need to remain primed. Logistical issues for the first warm-up game in Dublin against Argentina on June 20 also means Farrell may have to call-up several players for the game as a number of the current Lions will be involved in finals with their clubs.
Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
England squad: Steve Borthwick picks 14 uncapped players
Steve Borthwick has named 14 uncapped players in his England summer training squad, while Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Ford and Jamie George are also included after missing out on British & Irish Lions selection. The head coach has called up 33 players for a two-day camp at Pennyhill Park, Surrey on Tuesday and Wednesday to begin preparations for the summer internationals. An England XV will face a France XV at Twickenham on June 21 before a two-Test series in Argentina, plus a final match against the United States in Washington, on the first three Saturdays in July. The squad does not include the 13 English players selected by the Lions this summer, nor anyone from Northampton Saints or Bath, who are preparing for European finals this
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Cheat code' Ford driving Sale to play-off place
So, we need to talk about is because George Ford turned in another player-of-the-match display as Sale Sharks beat Bristol Bears 41-27 to boost their hopes of a play-off is now five wins in six games for Sale since the Premiership resumed after the Six Nations and Ford, 32, has been instrumental in all of latest performance was labelled a "masterclass" by Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam and led to him being described as a "cheat code" by club captain Ben Curry. Ford's own boss, Alex Sanderson, has been beating the drum for two months for the fly-half to be included in the British and Irish Lions squad for the tour of coach Andy Farrell opted not to pick him, going for Scotland's Finn Russell and England's Fin Smith as his two regular number 10s, with Marcus Smith as cover for both that position and Farrell said he was keeping a couple of places spare in his squad, to be filled at a later date, with many assuming that his son, Owen Farrell, was one of those targeted for these he has not played much rugby in a Racing 92 team that is really struggling in France's Top Ford keeps playing as he is for Sale in the closing weeks of the season, his name is not going to go away. 'We tried to put him under pressure but he's class' On Friday night, Bristol boss Lam said he had altered his side's normal tactics to opt for a kicking his side could not match Ford, whose ability to manage the game had Lam purring in respect."We didn't execute it anywhere near as good as George Ford did his," said Lam. "He had a masterclass in that."George drives Sale's game so well. When you watch him play for Sale and England, his ability to turn teams and make good decisions, he's in a real rich vein of form and he's doing what he's very good at."We tried to put him under pressure but, at the moment, he's class." Ford 'needs more recognition' Sale's win over Bristol took them up to third in the Premiership with one game to away to Exeter Chiefs in their final game will assure them of a play-off spot for a third consecutive season, with all of those finishes since Ford joined the club from Leicester Sale do make the play-offs, it would also keep the tantalising possibility of a clash between them and Bath - and a battle of the number 10s with Ford against Russell. For captain Curry, having someone like Ford, a veteran of 98 England caps, makes his job easier."Fordy is a little cheat code," he said. "For me being captain, life is so easy - you just sit back and let him do his thing."He is unbelievable. It's not just his rugby or what he says on the pitch. He is a proper standard-bearer, he just seems to get it right."I don't think there are many players in the world like him."Everyone keeps talking about how good George is, but he needs more recognition."
