England’s George Ford delightfully sharp in attempt to dispel the gloom | Michael Aylwin

Bath No10 certainly took his opportunity to impress against Samoa but a rain-sodden night under Twickenham floodlights was not an occasion to render any findings definitiveYou can’t fault him. George Ford was given his opportunity; George Ford duly took it. But it was not the kind of occasion to render any findings definitive. Not that that was his fault. Alongside his indefatigably excellent skipper, Ford was the best player on the field, finding space in the Samoan defence even with time up. Had his team-mates’ handling been sharper he might have orchestrated a rout. If only it had ever been…