I won't be stopping at 100 caps - Ford

GEORGE Ford is set to become just the seventh man to play 100 Tests for England when he tours Argentina this summer, but the fly-half believes he still has a lot more to give.

- PAUL EDDISON

At 32, Ford is now more than a decade into an international career that has seen him win a hat-trick of Six Nations titles, reach a World Cup final and win a pair of Premiership crowns.

The emergence of Fin Smith saw him restricted to just 20 minutes of action during the Six Nations, but the Saints fly-half, along with namesake Marcus, will not take on the Pumas after being selected for the Lions Tour.

Ford, who co-captained England in the non-capped match against a France XV yesterday, would have been a worthy inclusion in Andy Farrell’s squad but missed out once again, the one accolade missing from a storied career.

Instead, he is set to bring up his century for England in La Plata next month, and where some positions in rugby might lend themselves to a shorter career, Ford believes that the longevity of fly-halves mean that he is a long way from hanging them up.

He said: “To get anywhere near 100 caps for your country shows the level of consistency you need to do that. It’s a milestone and one I'd be very proud to achieve.