I want to make memories with England, not count minutes - Ford

First Test: Argentina v England

Date: Saturday, 5 July Kick-off: 20:40 BST Venue: Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, La Plata

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app

As he sits connected nan brink of 100 Test appearances, George Ford says his first remains "the proudest representation of my career".

Albeit a short one.

"I wasn't connected nan section very long! I managed to sneak connected for a minute," he says.

"I was trying to beryllium coming successful nan moment.

"As a kid you dream of it, it is simply a spot surreal erstwhile you really do it, particularly astatine Twickenham successful beforehand of 80,000 group and your family."

It was March 2014 against Wales successful nan Six Nations. After replacing Owen Farrell, Ford fed Billy Twelvetrees a short shot and kicked agelong up to guidance helping George North successful his 2 involvements earlier nan last whistle.

But while Twelvetrees and North are now seeing retired their careers successful second-tier nine rugby, Ford, who is 32, is still a Test operator.

"The crippled has changed a batch successful 11 years," he says.

"There was a batch much clip and abstraction backmost then. Defences bring much statement speed, nan physicality seems to person gone up different level and nan velocity of nan crippled has gone up.

"Forwards are ending up for illustration backs and backs are ending up for illustration forwards these days.

"In Test rugby, each area is truthful contested - nan breakdown, successful nan aerial aliases nan set-piece - if you are not rather connected it, you get punished.

"Maybe location was a spot of separator for correction 11 years agone but location decidedly isn't now."

And location won't beryllium separator for correction this Saturday.

England are taking connected Argentina successful nan first of 2 fiendish summertime Tests. It is being staged astatine nan 32,000-capacity Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, location of top-flight shot broadside Estudiantes.

And nan Pumas, 5th successful nan world and caller from beating nan British and Irish Lions, will beryllium being urged connected to declare a sweet, long-sought-after bid triumph complete England.

"To locomotion into an ambiance for illustration that is incredibly exciting," says Ford.

"Argentina are a really vulnerable team. They person physicality up front, pinch immoderate passionate, affectional players who guidelines their crippled connected being physical.

"But they person added accomplishment and X-factor and tin make you salary if you are loose, striking accelerated disconnected turnover and transition.

"They person decidedly taken steps forwards successful nan caller past. But we consciousness for illustration we are successful a bully spot ourselves, moreover pinch a fewer caller faces and a fewer guys missing.

"We person a scheme and judge we tin origin them immoderate problems."

Ford has impressed successful nan past against Argentina.

He was a prima performer erstwhile England, again without their Lions players, won some matches connected circuit successful 2017.

He was man of nan lucifer erstwhile England hit Argentina successful nan 2019 Rugby World Cup.

And he was again erstwhile he booted each 27 points to steer 14-man England safely to triumph complete nan Pumas successful their 2023 tourney opener.

Similarly stellar displays this summertime would beryllium timely.

Ford was successful England's starting 10 done nan 2024 Six Nations but, pinch an Achilles problem ruling him out, Marcus Smith supplanted him connected circuit successful New Zealand, earlier Fin Smith emerged arsenic first prime successful 2025.

Both Smiths are distant pinch nan Lions astatine nan moment. Possession is nine-tenths of nan law. Opportunity apparently knocks.

Ford has agelong since stopped seeing it for illustration that though. He has been some successful and retired of favour since 2014. A decade and much in, he takes nan agelong view.

"Throughout my world career, 1 point has been a changeless - nan debate, chat and sound astir who plays number 10 for England," Ford says.

"It is ever there.

"Of people we each effort to create and improve, and I will make judge I americium putting my manus up. Of people I will.

"But nan main point present is – and I don't deliberation group rather understand this - that we are each trying to make England win.

"The mindset for maine is that I americium portion of an England squad and squad. Whatever my domiciled is astatine that time, I will do to nan champion of my abilities to make nan squad to win.

"That is why we are here. Those are nan memories you create erstwhile nan squad wins. It is not astir really galore minutes you play arsenic an individual astatine 10. It is astir really galore games you triumph pinch England.

"That is my full mindset towards each this.

"Fin and Marcus are distant doing unbelievable things pinch nan Lions and my domiciled this summertime mightiness beryllium different to what it was successful nan Six Nations but what I do time in, time retired and nan consistency of that won't change."

That level-headedness and single-mindedness is thing Ford is trying to impressment connected his younger team-mates.

Without their Lions, England are short of experience. Nine of Saturday's starting XV person less than 15 caps. Will Muir and Seb Atkinson will beryllium making their Test debuts, pinch Guy Pepper apt to travel disconnected nan bench.

"Maybe america knowledgeable lads tin lend immoderate proposal astir what a Test lucifer arena tin consciousness for illustration astatine times," said Ford.

"When you are nether pump, nan unit is connected and nan guidance crowd are connected their feet... You whitethorn beryllium nether accent aliases unit but it won't past for illustration that everlastingly and you tin move nan game. That is what acquisition gives you.

"You person gone done it capable times to thrust those peaks and troughs and complete nan afloat 80 minutes hopefully beryllium capable to power it capable to get nan consequence astatine nan end."

Eleven years on, 100 caps in, immoderate nan sound astir him, Ford is zeroed successful connected nan win.