Tom Curry reveals how George Ford regained favour as England’s first-choice fly-half

George Ford’s desire to ‘never settle’ and ‘always want more’ are the key factors behind his re-establishment as England’s first-choice fly-half, according to longstanding teammate Tom Curry.

Ford’s boot was vital in England’s 33-19 victory over New Zealand on Saturday, with two nerveless drop goals keeping the hosts in contention in the first half and his tactical kicking an integral part of his side’s aerial strategy.

The 32-year-old, who earned his 100th cap over the summer, is just as valuable an influence off the field and Curry was full of praise for a player he has worked with at close quarters for club and country over several years.

“What sets him apart as a leader from a lot of other people, is that what he says reflects exactly with what he does," he said. "He never settles and he always wants more.

“There have been times where he has asked more from me as a leader to speak but you know that is coming from a good place as that reflects his personal values and how he drives it.

“He is one of the most authentic leaders, the way he speaks about the game and how passionate he is about it, that is just him, that is not him trying to be anyone other than himself.

“That is why it is so powerful when he speaks. He is so articulate - and the northern accent also adds a bit of grit and determination to what he is saying.

“To get your point across so clearly so that a 100-capper and a 1-capper will both understand what you are saying is a really impressive thing.”

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Ford and Curry are not the only Sale players to have played important roles in England’s autumn success, with Tom Roebuck building on a strong start to his international career.

The wing put the cherry on the cake against the All Blacks by gathering Henry Pollock’s kick to score the final try and Curry has been delighted to see the 24-year-old seize his opportunity.

“He just looks at home in that England shirt,” he said. “It just looks natural to him, everything looks very easy, which is unsurprising as physically he is so gifted.

“I’m so proud of what he has done. To see him go from Chester to Sale to here, to be a part of that journey has been really special. Hopefully there is much more to come.”

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Curry was speaking to mark the launch of the Allianz Kickstart Programme, an initiative designed to introduce primary school children to rugby.

The six-lesson programme contains a combination of exciting games, cooperative learning exercises and videos to help kids discover the sport.

“It is so important to get teams and people into the game,” Curry said.

“Rugby teaches you that ability to crack on with things even when it is going against you.

“You have so many interactions with different sorts of people, so you learn a lot about yourself, how to interact as a team and rely on other people in that team. That is such an important skill.”

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