George Ford WILL be fit for England’s Six Nations campaign despite knee injury scare, insist Sale – with fly-half missing his club’s Champions Cup tie against Stormers due to issue

Sale has played down fears that George Ford could miss the start of the Six Nations, despite the England fly-half missing the club's trip to Cape Town for treatment on a knee injury.

The 30-year-old suffered minor ligament damage at the end of the Sharks' Premiership match with Northampton at the end of last month and was absent for the subsequent home defeat to Bristol last Friday. Now Ford has stayed at home rather than travel with the Sale team to take on the Stormers in South Africa in a Champions Cup tie on Saturday.

Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson explained the nature of the injury but gave an optimistic prognosis, saying: 'He has not traveled because he needs injections in his leg and in his MCL (medial cruciate ligament) to stiffen it. “I would have liked him to be here, but he just wants to do what's best for his knee, for us and for England – if he gets selected – and that's why he's had two injections this week.”

When asked how Red Rose fans should feel about the situation, Sanderson added: “They will be excited. They will be very excited. He'll be fresh.' It is understood Ford could be released to play for his club against Gloucester at Kingsholm on January 28 to prove his fitness ahead of England's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on February 3.

The veteran of 91 Test appearances is considered the frontrunner to start at 10 for the national team in the impending Championship campaign, but he is in a battle with Marcus Smith to claim that coveted shirt. The pair battle to fill the void left by Owen Farrell's decision to step back from his duties in England, to 'protect his and his family's mental well-being'.

While Sale expects Ford to recover in time for the Six Nations, Manu Tuilagi is currently trying to overcome another groin injury and is expected to be sidelined for the start of the Championship. The club are optimistic that their in-form wing, Tom Roebuck – who is also eligible for Scotland and is very high on their selection radar – will be called up to the England squad by head coach Steve Borthwick next week.

Meanwhile, a war of words continued yesterday between the RFU and Championship clubs over the union's plans to overhaul the domestic game by introducing a franchise system in the second tier. As the powers that be at Twickenham press ahead, the Championship – having already voted against the proposals – issued another strong statement yesterday.

It said: 'We emphasized our objections in principle to a franchise or squad-based Tier 2. Rather than attempt to discuss these and other objections, the RFU has chosen to threaten us with effective relegation to the National Leagues for non-compliance , while ignoring the rules. the unresolved questions about governance, commercial strategy, promotion/relegation, player welfare and the player development process. We have offered alternative proposals for the future to the Board of Directors, without response.

“The current RFU plan to submit recommendations to the council is extremely premature until such fundamental issues are addressed and consensus is reached so that the game can move forward through agreement rather than an ultimatum. We are calling on the council not to approve Tier 2 plans until our proposals have been discussed in detail and there is full clarity on these fundamental issues.

'We have discussed this matter with Sport England because without further clarity on funding and governance it will be impossible to ensure Championship clubs can repay their Covid loans. We think they share our concerns. We believe that no club can value an expressions of interest process (when forming a franchise) if there are so few necessary details.

'The eleven current Championship clubs request that the board set an urgent date to fully hear our amended proposals – proposals which share all the objectives of the RFU, albeit achieved through different routes which we see as achievable, pragmatic and full of vision for the future consider growth. of the game.'

The RFU quickly responded with its own statement saying: 'The RFU has been consulting with championship clubs for over a year. We have researched and produced a commercial strategy and provided clubs with confirmed funding at at least existing levels for the 2024/25 season and proposals for increased funding from the 2025/26 season.

“We will continue to engage with Championship clubs and sincerely hope they choose to be part of what could become a more thriving and sustainable second professional level.”