Jonny Wilkinson has thrown his weight behind George Ford’s bid to lead England’s Rugby World Cup charge at fly-half.
England’s 2003 World Cup hero Wilkinson expects head coach Stuart Lancaster to start Bath playmaker Ford ahead of Saracens’ Owen Farrell at the fast-approaching global showdown.
England open their Pool A account by facing Fiji at Twickenham on Friday week, with the country’s all-time leading points-scorer hailing Ford’s contribution.
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“The great thing about it is if you play George Ford he will grow and grow and grow in that shirt over a period of time,” said Wilkinson “But the same thing exactly goes for Owen Farrell.
“Ford’s secure at the moment though I think, and they will go into the World Cup really happy with what they’ve got.”
Sir Clive Woodward masterminded England’s 2003 World Cup triumph and believes Lancaster’s crop will benefit hugely from home advantage.
“Someone’s got to come to Twickenham and beat England,” said Woodward. “England had a strut about them on Saturday.
“We know they play well at Twickenham, and we saw with the Olympic Games what home advantage can do. Playing at home is a really big deal for England.
“This next few weeks will change their lives, one way or the other.
“Never, ever will they have a chance as good as this World Cup to do something special.”
Meanwhile, RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie has disclosed that England would release Lancaster for the British & Irish Lions if he was chosen to be head coach for the tour to New Zealand in 2017.
The decision on the coach is due to be made next year and Ritchie said it would be “an honour” if Lancaster was selected – and pointed out that much is likely to depend on England’s success in the World Cup which starts next week.
Lancaster’s contract runs until after the 2019 World Cup but Ritchie said the RFU would give him time off if the Lions came calling – as Wales did with Warren Gatland in 2013.
Ritchie said: “The timetable for looking at Lions coaches is into 2016, so no doubt everyone will evaluate that against the World Cup performance.
“We had Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree as assistant coaches on the last tour and I think it’s a great honour to be the Lions coach, so if Stuart was selected and if he wanted to do it, we’d regard it as an honour and of course we’d release him for it.”