So why is George Ford the best 10 in the world? | A Squidge Rugby Deep Dive
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- No shirt in rugby carries the prestige and history of the number ten. And so, with modern structures and new tactics changing the way the position operates, why is England and Leicester Tigers' George Ford the pinnacle of pivots for rugby in 2021?
If you've enjoyed any of the channel's content, you can also support Squidge Rugby on Patreon by visiting / squidgerugby , so I can build a 60ft model of Handre Pollard in order to remain in the good books of Springboks fans after publishing this video.
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Odd way of spelling Andy Goode
👏🙌
Fat Goode? You must be joking.
Yeah, this age like fine wine after that masterclass against Argentina
I paid way more attention to this than I have any of my lectures
I'm ashamed and proud of this at the same time 😅
I wish this was a class
Same
The key difference between this and my lectures is that I watched this
At first I was like "how am I going to get through 20 mins" then when I thought I was halfway through I was 17 mins through!! Amazing, amazing analysis.
Just watched the Argentina game... Yeah. I agree.
Squidge: George Ford is the best 10 in the world
Eddie Jones: *drops Ford*
Can’t wait for squidge’s analysis of the Calcutta cup match....
he has now actually been dropped lol
This aged well. Genuinely.
This video didn't age well at all. I'd love to see Eddie Jones' and the England management team's analysis of Ford compared to other fly halfs. Obviously, they have way more data and insight than Squidge, so it would be intersting to know why he's not getting picked if he's that great.
@@David-ud9ju I agree
I mean, I’ll watch the 40 minute cut. I’ve got nothing better to do 😂
He should work on a release date soon..
Hahahaha 😂
Big Facts
Facts. I'd also he down to watch it
Is that the one where you play this video at half speed so you can read the captions?
Ford suffers from the old “he’s so good that nobody really notices him being so good” and thus he’s so often underrated
Or maybe he isnt that good
@@randyschwaggins you watched the video yeah?
@@callumsmaile8815 yep I did...its a nice argument. But every world class 10 has been recognised as such by the masses...If Ford was a few inches taller, a stone heavier, a yard quicker and had more accuracy with his penalty kicking then I'd be more convinced...but so would everyone else.
I hope the lions choose him at 10, and Daly at 15, and Farrell at 12. Then the bokke are guaranteed the lions series.
@@randyschwaggins tbf to him fords kicking stats internationally throughout his career are 74.2% Pollard stat is 74.5% not much in it. Also if you take out of the equations fords disastrous kicking year of 2016 his stats go up to 79% not to shabby
Coming back to this after his performance against Argentina
Pretty quality rn
This video aged like a fine wine, sour at first but oh so tasty now.
Ntamack still has better hair
Haven’t watched yet, but my reaction upon seeing this was “oh this’ll be a tasty video”!
Squidge hasn’t let us down in 3 years so far so I’m excited
Eddie Jones is kicking himself that he didn't check Squidge's page before making team selection for the Scotland match...
Or perhaps for the RWC Final ! :-)
You are forgetting Duncan Weir
Release the afro
The man the myth, the hair, DUNCAN WEIR
@@B1son the hair, it gives him power
@@jack9315 The Scottish Samson
@@michealohaodha9351 What Samson? Samson Lee? 😁
Who else is back here after hearing Ford is starting the match against Argentina this weekend?
You're feeling pretty pleased with yourself now I guess
This aged well.
About bloody time some one has noticed how good he is
My sheer excitement when I saw this was embarrassing. I've been saying it for a while, but Ford is world class, and I understand there are flashier players, but man if you need someone to do a job and execute a gameplay, Ford is the guy.
Haha u r funny
Been saying the same lad. He’s not even as bad at tackling as everyone says
@@tomgrantham8473 hes not good and isn't very committed
@@jackevans1385 he is committed. i’ve seen him throw himself at lads twice the size and slow them down enough to allow someone else to tackle them. i’d agree hes not very good but that’s just how 10s are. farrell for example tends not to wrap in is tackles
I have always rated him for England, never understood why people dislike him...
I rate him. Wouldn't say he's particularly been on form though
People hate him because he’s from England and a Leicester tiger
He's small. Fair or unfair, small players have to put in a LOT more obvious highlight reel stuff to get recognition, otherwise they are dismissed with the usual small claims of "too weak, poor defender, concedes metres" etc. Massive players can actually be pretty poor but they will always have this perception that they COULD be deadly because of their size and have to actively be awful to have people perceive them as a liability. Small players are perceived to be a liability by default unless they can very obviously prove otherwise. Usually you need Shane Williams, Jason Robinson or Cheslin Kolbe level of excellence for people to overlook it.
He can’t defend and puts in little effort, he gets far too flustered on the ball and will happily chuck shit and the team go back so that he doesn’t get hit, his kicking from hand is very average and give opponents a free platform to attack, on the very rare occasion he does run it he’s very slow and has no step and generally in attack very predictable, I hope this helps you
@@Danimal13 he beats Farrell on pretty much everything you just said...
Excited for this video. Still remember when Eddie Jones said Ford can be the best 10 in the world when Ford was considering a move to France
Agree entirely. When everyone is trying to knock the door down Ford looks under the mat for the key!
Bold claim, let's go to the comments for analysis
Watch the vid first
@@SolarMumuns i know, it's a joke lad
@@SolarMumuns No mate always start with the comments
@@googleisdumb2557 I prefer to start with popcorn and THEN to the comments but to each their own I guess 😉
Congrats on 3 years Squidge
yh, totally forgot it's been 3 yrs since his 'what's wrong with Ospreys' vid aired.. I remember at the time thinking: Well, why should the ospreys be doing things right when they've slumped nearly every season outside of 2009/10 & 2011/12
“Jumbo-wasp sex crime” is the best so far 10/10
Squidge, this is the main reason I stick with the channel and why I subscribed in the first place. You can analyze and see things that many people overlook. Truth be told I'm still ignorant of a lot of things in Rugby because I've only ever learned about the game by watching or asking questions to friends who know the game better than me. American XD. However, you help me see the game on a deeper level and I hope you'll keep the content coming. Happy 6 Nations Week!
The best 20 minutes of anything of seen in ages.
Look forward to watching it again at 0.75 speed (as I often have too). Keep up the good work. Roll on the 6 nations....
yes it is really good at 0.75 speed
This is the best ive ever seen. Its like the complete works of Shakespeare crossed with Lawrence of Arabia but with better sex seans. Thank you so much for making it. I shall share it where ever i can
"sex seans" is poetry, tnx
I think I've found George Fords burner
@@johnpalmer2199 Sex Sean? There's gotta be a joke about "flicking the Bean" in there, surely
@@andyplatt4183 this make my list of my all time favourite yt comments
So glad you made this. I've been rating Ford for many years and always thought England played best with him on the park. The fact that Eddie Jones has pretty much consistently picked Ford at FH is probably the thing I am most grateful about having him as England coach. I can imagine so many others who would have just kept playing Faz at 10 and missed out on the amazing playmaking ability Ford has. Glad he's getting some well earned appreciation here. Thanks as always Squidge for thought provoking deeply analysed content.
As a tigers fan, I applaud you for being able to find this much footage of us playing at least sub-par rugby from the last few years
Ford is a perfect example of rugby league trained players translating their skills into union, he does text book league things like drawing in defenders effortlessly
Squidge, the man who speaks like he's just been told he's getting paid by the number of words he can cram into each minute
Squidge, I hear you loud and clear. I am listening, learning and will take time to reflect. But... HANRÉ flippen POLLARD!
2:39 in, and from just your intro and setup im getting giddy with excitement to here the rest of the breakdown. You too good. By far the best rugby analyst! 👍🏿✌🏿🇿🇦
France and England are blessed with their choice for 10's, at least we have all of the Byrne brothers.
my money's on Gabriel getting 30 mins against Italy.
@@SMacCuUladh who?
In fairness we've lent you a Burns
@@h.mc13 Kaiser Soze
@@Tom-eq7eh If his name is Burns then we lent you some people first, lol.
The real question is when will the video on support lines be published as promised many many videos ago
You have convinced me he's the best 10 for a team using Eddie Jones tactics, you have not convinced me he's a better 10 than Handre Pollard, or Richie Mo'unga, or Beauden or Finn Russell
100% agree!
Or Emile Ntamack
And the only team that England didnt have dominance in the pack in recent memory against south africa in the world cup final, he was substituted after 50 minutes. Easy to look good as a 10 when your pack is going forward all day
@@Cianl20 Same with Farrell as well when he's been at 10.
@@Cianl20 so if you're teammates are top notch you are not able to be the best 10 in the world? Seems like that's what you are trying to say with Pollard
Make another one this is the best thing I’ve watched all week
If anyone else had a headline stating this I'd laugh in their faces but it's damn robbie!! If he says it it has to be truth
SQUIDGE IS ALWAYS RIGHT
He’s the rugby equivalent of the Daily Mail
@@kenrehill8775 even if squidge said that mario itoje is the greatest scrumhalf of all time! he will somehow find a brilliant way of prooving it
@@notw22 your point being that he can talk utter bollocks you’ll believe it? Good luck with your life.
@@kenrehill8775 wow is that what you took from my comment. You must have the intelligence of a pigeon
This is a fantastic video!! Love the (as always) perfectly comprehensible analysis of such a complex and fast-moving game. The simplicity you bring to your videos is fantastic, all your points are so well made. It's not only made so easy to follow but its also so endlessly engaging!!! I've noticed in a few of the recent Squidge videos that sometimes the audio can jump in volume quite suddenly at times. You could possibly fix this by compressing and raising the gain of your spoken narrations to match the level of the commentary clips that are occasionally spliced in. Then add a limiter to the master channel of your audio to help ensure the audio as a whole doesn't clip, this will also help to level out the volume. Video is fantastic though!! The analysis of the way George Ford reads a backline is so interesting to watch!!! Been absolutely loving all the recent vids mate keep it up!
Release the Snyder cut!
I'm waiting for the Sinkler cut
Thanks for making this. Really enjoyed it and learnt so much. All hail George!
Worth it for the sheer variety of nicknames for a 10. "Primary egg slapper" won it for me.
Ford is class and I understand he’s class but as soon as he raises his leg to kick the ball I can’t help but groan
Because it turns you on so much.
Eddie Jones (yesterday) : "I'll show this Squidge bloke he's wrong" (leaves out Ford)
Eddie Jones (today) : "Oops"
I think when Eddie said "I didn't prepare the team properly" after the Scotland match, this is possibly what he meant.
'Hear their name a lot in commentary, but not in the punditry'. Perfect way to put it.
if anyone asks you what the definition of infinity is, tell them its the number of ways squidge can pronounce jonathan sexton
i love these videos, the ones where you explore a topic more interesting than just a single match analysis (which i also love, i just love these ones more)
This video is the kind of content I love most about your channel. I know its hard to a deep dive like this and still be able to stay monetarily ahead but I am here for it if you figure out how. Loving the content as always!
Genuinely is so slept on when it comes to fly half’s! Think he embodies the idea of being so good he goes unnoticed sometimes IMO - wish he was welsh lmao
The amount of effort going into these videos is insane. Great video.
Was about to ask about Pollard right as you said to wait😂😂
The analysis level is way above anything else I've found - so interesting, thanks Squidge
@@dalenewton9697 Thanks for the link - is this your channel?
@@henryburton6529 No I just found it the other day.
I was literally about to comment some shit about Pollard when he stopped me XD
I've always thought him wildly underrated. It's nice to hear someone who has forgotten more than I know about rugby agrees with me.
Always learn something new about rugby every time I watch one of your videos, and this one was the gift that kept on giving. Thank you
Naas Botha enters the chat.
Naas: "Well technology speaking... technically"
Excelent and insightful analysis. Keep it up squidge
Harsh on Sam Norton-Knight
Sam Norton-Knight is easily my favourite Aussie rugby player.
I loved this. Absolutely brilliant. But I can't be the only one who wants to see the 45 minute, directors cut of this video.
George Ford must be up there of fly halves with the best win percentage at test level.
Came back to cry. Going to miss him so much 😭
That was one of the most fun and entertaining videos, packed with info and examples. Incredible work. Thanks for the continuous education.
His spiral kicks against bath were something else
We saw what happened to England’s attack against Scotland without a mastermind behind it
Been saying and think this for a while. But you've explained it with such great detail. He is a coach on the pitch, always scanning, waiting in the pocket and he's a masterful executioner. He knits everything together. Personally for me my favorite England performances have been him at 10 without Farrell at 12, but I understand why Eddie trusts them together so much.
Wow. Incredible work. Very thought provoking....and has no doubt educated many of Ford's critics.
The thing that has impressed me the most watching Ford is his offensive awareness/reading of the game.
So what you're trying to say is that he's not a half-back or a first five-eighth. He's a quarterback
You're right and you should say it.
(Thank you for a brilliant vid and please drop that 40 minute cut - unlisted if needs be, but I know I'm not alone in longing to see it!!)
Naas Botha, Handre Pollard and Chuck Norris say hi.
Amazing insight that seems to have been missed for a number of years. England are better when he plays, not because he is their best player but because he makes everybody around him better
Squidge: Why George Ford is the best fly-half in the world
Also Squidge: and my TOTY fly-half is... *Romain Ntamack*
He does go some way to explaining it tbf. Maybe try think of it as Ntamack being the best player who happened to play at 10 last year, rather than THE best 10 maybe?
Both absolutely class though
Excellent analysis. I have always thought very highly of Ford and have wondered why so many players at 10 get a higher billing than he does. I recall that after he came on in the first Australian test match in 2016, the English boat steadied and went on to three wins out of three.
Watched it, absorbed it, and still would take Pollard & Ntamack over Ford every day and twice on Sunday. These 2 ARE the modern game.
Then explain why
Mo’unga aswell 😹😹
Or Barrett, the rugby Ford plays/ makes his team play is not very entertaining
Pollard doesn’t deserve to be in the same sentence as ntamack
I’m not even sure Ntamack is our best N 10 right now, and don.t get me wrong he’s crazy good, stay tuned and watch France during the 6N because Ntamack won’t play he’s wounded.
Brave man- love your analysis have shared with Scottish mates. With mr Russell in no 1 they’re convinced he’s the world current best!
I re-watched Englands win over The All Blacks in the world cup today, and Ford was ridicules.. It's like if an ice cube played rugby..
Go watch the final and see ice cube melting.
Watch George Ford’s performances against the Pumas in 2017. Behind a weakened pack On the back foot he drove the team forwards constantly, delivered clutch passes when under pressure and is a joy to watch in space. He is massively under valued.
Totally agree. I really hope he starts being a permanent fixture at 10 for England. After our performance against Scotland we really need players like him.
i cant lie if you disagree with this you dont know rugby. Only stat you need when leicester where getting relegated in their worst season ever where saracens were relegated. George ford was the top point scorer in the Prem...
Richie Mounga is playing like a god for the crusaders this year
Pollard is the only World Cup holder right now though! :) EDIT: I posted this before you asked me not to, sorry not sorry.
Just noticed Vinapola was blocking Russell, for that Ford try.
Because George Ford is really, really good at rugby
You have a case for best sports youtuber, rugby is a niche community but the quality is pure world class. Better than most “professional” or traditional rugby coverage
What I got from this video was that Ford isn't the most talented 10 in the world, but he does more than any other player does. He is the best 10, not the best player that happens to be a 10
For all the haters out there go and look at England’s win % with Ford at 10 vs without.
And before you scream but he only starts against the mino nations... you’re wrong about that too ;)
brilliant analysis
I love this channel, very entertaining. But Squidge giving players waaaay too much credit.
Personally I think it's lingering from 2015, when it was a warranted criticism that he wasn't good on the back foot and a poor defender. But he was also 21/22 at the time. So he's gotten better.
Even then he wasn't a bad defender. Never lacked for heart, rarely missed tackles, he just lost a few yards when massive no. 8s targeted him. It's not ideal, but I'd rather that than a straight up miss that many would do.
@@rugbydan761 Well in fairness that is still a defensive issue. A high tackle completion rate isn't particularly valuable if you get push back 10 meters behind the gain line every time.
Just look at teams like England and Saracens. They don't have particularly high tackle completion rates, yet they have consistently been among the best defences in the world.
So maybe he wasn't a "bad" defender, but he certainly wasn't a very effective one either.
@@thearmchairpsychologist27 England's tackle percentage is around 90%, same as most international sides (3rd out of last year's 6N, behind Scotland and Wales) . They're not giving up more missed tackles to be a dominant front line defence like most people mistakenly assume, they're just really good. George Ford's tackle efficiency makes him a reasonable defender, as opposed to a poor defender who just gets run over. Conceding a few yards and bringing a man down is almost always better than letting a man fly past you.
The problem is to understand this, you really do have to rewatch games closely, preferably with a lot of angles. You slowly then see the decisions a player has, and whether they're making the best one (and then can they execute).
Decisions available to Ford in most phases are:
1. 9 box kick
2. Off 9 forward pod carry.
3. Off 9 forward pod, pull back pass to Ford.
4. off 9 forward pod, pull back pass to 12, to come out to Ford.
5. Straight from 9 to Ford.
After that, Ford has to then decide from kick/pass/run (in truth, as squidge points out, he's likely already decided this when the phase is starting). Most of these decisions have to be fluid as players are in motion. Picking out the right runner is far from simple when dealing with the tenths of seconds these players work in.
Each phase has all of the above decisions, and only one of them is "right", making the right decision frequently is massive, considering the timeframes involved. You could analyse a single phase for 20 minutes, and perhaps only pick out one or two alternatives, that may be on par with what he chose.
He also has the skills to execute those decisions successfully the vast majority of the time, which is just another layer altogether.
It doesn't look flash because that's rarely his role. His role is to keep the team going forwards, until there's a real chance for a break, which he spots regularly.
the thing is, if you swap ford's name with any other top 10 fly half this text is still valid, however you'll find that those player also add some sort of flare or x factor such as fins fuckery , richie's angelic touches or bb line attacking
@@vicentet23 yeah Ford's thing is his astonishing ability to pick the right time and place in the line to pop up, whether it's at first receiver or outside 13, and he always distributes well from wherever that is
@@JonnyissoAwesome Elton janjies does that always
I disagree with the overall claim, I would imagine his club side would be significantly more successful if he was actually the best 10 in the world however he’s definitely a slept on player and the analysis is great. Ford’s passivity is a great quality but it’s only on a side that is loaded with weapons like england where this patience is particularly effective in winning terms or salient as a factor that elevates him as an international 10
Tigers has a back line loaded with weapons. Ford couldn't get them going.
Tbf george ford is more of a get the best out of your players fly half and that's pretty hard to do when your team is literally Leicester tigers
Excellent video Squidge! Ford is definately the best playmaker when he's got front-foot ball, he just always seems to select the right pass. His game management is also well up there and he's been the shining light in a struggling Tigers side dragging them to wins. Like you say, people highlight Russell for his highlights reel plays but Ford does the basics, controlling the tempo and just shifting the ball to the best option the best. I still think Farrell is the best Fly Half in the world, he is the most rounded with passing ability, kicking, goal kicking, leadership and physicality. He definitely plays at his best when he is at 10 but he is sacrificing some of his game for the benefit of the team when playing 12 for England. I think Ntamack is going to be world class and I can't wait to see how he develops!
Um he’s not!
Such an interesting video. I have not rated ford for a long time but I will watch with this in mind as the analysis makes sense. Thanks for posting.
Handre Pollard
Even if you don't agree (I do by the way)... This is beautifully written and edited.... And funny! Top work.
Laughs in about 7 southern hemisphere playmakers
Feel like I've gained a new appreciation for Ford following this video and can also see why Eddie continually insists on picking him. However, I feel like this video proves that Ford is the smartest 10 in the world rather than that he's the best 10. He gets around his limitations (not as big, fast or as reliable a goal kicker as his competitors) by being able to read the game better than everyone else and make good decisions. At the moment, I'd have to say Richie Mo'Unga is my choice for best 10 in the world as he's consistently brilliant at so many things while Beauden Barrett is the best 10 (and player) in the game on his day, but I feel Ford's reputation will have improved for highlighting a lot of things that your average rugby fan doesn't necessarily notice. Great video!
Barret has a gifted acceleration, because of his ability to step and accelerate out of trouble the AB had in the past got aways with throwing him shit balls and once he is not there the margin of error totally diminsh.
I'd like to see Ford play alongside a 12 who is not farrel and let the two compete for the 10 spot. I think England can either have a fly half farrell or captain farrell but not both
Couldnt there be a contra arguement that says other 10s are not as good as Ford but get around it by being better kickers (doesnt have to be a 10s job), quicker on the foot ( but slower in the head, as per Kenny Dalgleish), or bigger, ( forwards can be bigger). As Squidge says, Ford has what the modern 10 needs, and the demerits you mention arent as vital as they used to be.
he is a mastermind creating opportunities. even the little things he does like hanging on until the last second before throwing the pass forcing 1 or 2 players to commit to the tackle and opening up a gap in the oppositions defence for the next carrier.
There should be a squidge all star charity game against the barbars. He has such an eye for the sport he could make a world class team