EXCLUSIVE: Ford set to make England debut against Ireland as Bath No 10 starts challenge to childhood friend Farrell



England will begin to address their urgent need to develop more Test No 10s prior to next year’s World Cup by selecting uncapped Bath prodigy George Ford as a replacement against Ireland.

Head coach Stuart Lancaster has decided to voluntarily tackle a lack of depth in this position after being forced to do so at tighthead prop, following the injury to Dan Cole. While there are several contenders jostling for the right to challenge Owen Farrell’s status as the undisputed first-choice playmaker, none of the front-runners have a significant international CV.



At senior level, Ford has none at all, but the 20-year-old has forced himself into contention with the relentless consistency of his performances for Bath this season, since moving to the West Country from Leicester. The rookie fly-half did not feature on the bench in the first two rounds of this RBS Six Nations campaign and was sent away to prove a point in club colours.

Old friends: Owen Farrell will start at fly-half against Ireland with George Ford (right) on the bench

Well accustomed: Ford and Farrell played together as juniors before representing England age-groups

Decisions: England coach Lancaster has turned to Ford with one eye on next year's World Cup

ENGLAND TEAM TO FACE IRELAND

ENGLAND: M Brown (Harlequins); J Nowell (Exeter), L Burrell (Northampton), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell (Saracens), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath); J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton); T Wood (Northampton), B Vunipola (Saracens), C Robshaw (Harlequins. capt).

REPLACEMENTS: T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola (Saracens), H Thomas (Sale), D Attwood (Bath), B Morgan (Gloucester), L Dickson (Northampton), G Ford (Bath), A Goode (Saracens).

He responded with the latest in a series of man-of-the-match displays; this time as Bath beat Exeter at Sandy Park in an Aviva Premiership encounter last Saturday. That appears to have given Lancaster and his assistants the final, compelling proof that Ford is ready for the prospect of a debut in what could be the pivotal game of this championship.



For the last two matches, England did not include a specialist stand-off among their reserves, in the knowledge that either inside centre Billy Twelvetrees or the outside back on the bench, Alex Goode, could step in at No 10 if necessary. But there has been much debate in recent times about the need to develop alternatives to Farrell and, with that in mind, Ford has been selected in place of Saracens centre Brad Barritt, who came on as a substitute against France and Scotland.

Lancaster will officially announce his line-up for the Irish encounter on Thursday, but several players will be released back to their clubs on Tuesday evening and Barritt will be among them. There will be just one change to the starting XV – which was already anticipated – with Bath tighthead David Wilson replacing Cole, who has a bulging disc in his neck. The inclusion of Ford is destined to be the sole change among the replacements.

Backs coach Andy Farrell all but confirmed Ford's inclusion on Tuesday afternoon, telling media that the Bath play-maker is ready to make his international debut.

Nimble: Danny Care is put through his paces in England training at Pennyhill Park on Tuesday

Heavyweight problem: Bath prop David Wilson will start against Ireland in place of the injured Dan Cole

Keeping form: Northampton centre Luther Burrell will be hoping to to score his third try in as many starts

‘We want to give everyone the chance to impose themselves on the squad and George is no different,' said Farrell. 'He is comfortable in this environment. He knows all the players, all the systems – kicking-wise, attacking-wise, defensively, exit strategies – once you’re comfortable with that then you can bring your own game to the party. He is certainly ready.’

Ford has long been identified as English rugby’s next sensation; since becoming the country’s youngest professional debutant in 2009, at the age of 16 years, 237 days. Two years later, having blazed a trail through the national age-group teams, he was acclaimed as the IRB’s world Young Player of the Year. But in the club game, his path to the Tigers’ first-team was blocked by Toby Flood and it took a move to Bath at the end of last season to ignite his push towards Test recognition.



His progress has been assisted this year by Flood’s decision to join Toulouse in the summer, thus taking himself out of contention for England selection. With a place in the senior EPS squad up for grabs, Ford was chosen ahead of a resurgent Danny Cipriani of Sale and Northampton’s Stephen Myler. Since then, he has continued to flourish for Bath and with out-going Gloucester fly half Freddie Burns enduring a difficult season, he has surged into position to challenge Farrell, the former team-mate in junior rugby who he has been friends with for so many years.

Making way: Stuart Lancaster has dropped Brad Barritt from the bench to make space for George Ford

Rival: Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns has fallen down the pecking order after his poor club form

Recall? Sale playmaker Danny Cipriani is another player who has been in contention