Healey says Farrell should be dropped as England need a Ford escort against Fiji

10 October 2023 , 16:26

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Farrell had a mixed game against Samoa as England came within a whisker of being beaten (Image: PA)

Steve Borthwick faces up to the choice that could well define England’s World Cup with Austin Healey urging him to drop Owen Farrell.

Farrell is Borthwick’s captain and has just become England’s record points scorer. Yet Healey says he should not even make the bench for Sunday’s quarter-final against Fiji.

“I wouldn’t have him in the 23 for this game,” argues the former Red Rose star. “If he and George Ford play together he de-powers Ford’s control. You can’t have two Prime Ministers, you can’t have two chief execs. Very rarely do you see a business sack a chief exec then keep him on to help the next one.

“I just think Ford, for this game, needs to be the chief exec, like he was against Argentina.”

Whether to play Farrell or Ford at fly-half or play them alongside one another at 10 and 12 has been the conundrum England head coaches have faced in World Cups since 2015.

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Stuart Lancaster could not solve it in 2015 and did not make the knockout rounds. Eddie Jones tried all three options in 2019.

Farrell and George Ford in conversation

“I’ve got nothing at all against Farrell,” Healey insists. “He’s a brilliant rugby player. I just think he’s had a bad run with his ban and injuries and he looks short of match fitness.

“Borthwick loves him for the standards he sets but currently his rugby ability is not world class. He looks a bit stale. Nobody is bigger than England getting to a World Cup semi-final so I wouldn’t have him in the 23.”

His is not a lone voice. Matt Dawson watched England’s hapless display against Samoa during which Farrell moved from centre to fly-half to replace Ford.

Ford was imperious in 14-man England's pool win over Argentina (Getty Images)

The World Cup winner concluded Farrell was "not at the races”, telling the BBC: ”I can't believe anybody in the coaching staff thinks Farrell is a better 10 than Ford now.

"At the moment he's not at the levels of the other players at 10 or 12 and no matter how much you try to squeeze that square peg into a round hole it isn't going to go.”

Healey says Ford has built his own case and should not need pundits and ex players to do it for him.

Fiji beat England when the sides met at Twickenham seven weeks ago

“It’s what’s best for England,” he adds. “They are going to need to force Fiji back with a kicking game. To have a better defensive unit in midfield and an injection of pace on the wing.”

For that reason his clear preference is Ford at 10, Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant back together in midfield and a recall for five-try Henry Arundell on the wing.

Alex Spink