LOCAL RUGBY union player George Ford was named man of the match in his first-ever start for England in a RBS 6 Nations match.
The boot of the 21-year-old kicked 11 points – three penalties and one conversion – as England triumphed 21-16 against Wales in Cardiff in the opening match of this year’s championship.
And Ford, who played amateur rugby league for both Saddleworth Rangers and Waterhead, directed operations superbly from fly half as injury-hit England pulled off a surprise victory.
The assured performance of Ford, who was raised in Grasscroft and attended Knowsley Primary, won plaudits in what was only his seventh cap for England and third start for his country.
And England have won all three games in which Ford has started against Samoa, Australia and Wales.
“Ford was man of the match and showed a remarkable maturity,” declared former England pack man Brian Moore who was commentating on the match.
There was also fulsome praise from Sir Clive Woodward, England’s World Cup winning coach of 1993, who wrote in his newspaper column: “Ford impresses me more with every game. He is not playing by numbers, England are letting him run the show and, under intense pressure, he produced a mature performance.
“That big match-clinching penalty at the end will have done his goal-kicking confidence a power of good. Players remember moments like that when they present themselves again.”
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