George Ford says he put love before money to join Sale and try to bring rugby union glory to his home region.
The England fly-half spearheads Sharks’ attempt to become English champions for the first time since 2006. He does so after swapping Leicester Tigers, last year’s Premiership winners, for a club with bags of ambition but precious little in the trophy cabinet
Oldham-born Ford insists the package Sale offered him was not what lured him back to the North West.
“If it was about that, the financial stuff, I wouldn’t have moved,” he insisted. “It was a bit more than that.
“The reasons were coming up to where I grew up, coming up to be close to family, coming to a team I knew had unbelievable potential and, hopefully, to start challenging for titles.”
Ford added: “Sometimes the easier decision as a player is to be more comfortable, to stick with what you know.
“But sometimes what brings the best out of you is coming out of your comfort zone, coming to a new team where you have to start influencing and proving yourself to a whole new group."
The emotion Ford brought to Sale’s semi-final win over Leicester, in front of the biggest home crowd the club has known, showed what it means to him.
“We understand the challenges of the football and rugby league teams around us, that’s not going to change, is it,” he said.“But we are trying to inspire people around this area and make them proud.”
For Sale to upset Saracens this afternoon without injured stars Ben Curry and Dan du Preez will require a monster effort.
Ford will have to draw on every drop of his Twickenham experience to wrest control away from opposite number Owen Farrell.
“The consistency Owen plays at very rarely dips,” said the 30-year old. “We understand we’re coming against a world class fly-half and a world class team. But we’re confident ourselves.”
Eddie Jones will watch the No.10 duel unfold with interest on his return to the home of English rugby as coach of the Barbarians.
“Owen’s an outstanding competitor, George more of a tactical player,” he said. “Not as physical, probably tactically more commanding than Owen who is more abrasive.
“It will be a nice contrast and interesting to see how they play as the one thing that’s changing is we’re getting quicker ruck ball and with that the role of the 10 becomes significant.
“His ability to flatten up, take the opportunity, keep the defence on the back foot is key.
“That old style of create a point to play is dead, It’s more about, as soon as you’ve got the defence going backwards how can you keep them going backwards.”
Saracens: Goode; Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Maitland; Farrell (capt), Van Zyl; Mawi, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Tizard, Isiekwe, Earl, Wray.
Replacements: Dan, M Vunipola, Judge, Hunter-Hill, Knight, De Haas, Taylor, Daly.
Sale Sharks: Carpenter; Roebuck, R Du Preez, Tuilagi, Reed; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Van der Merwe, Schonert, J-L Du Preez, Hill, T Curry, Dugdale, Ross (capt).
Replacements: Ashman, Rodd, Oosthuizen, Beaumont, Ellis, Quirke, James, O'Flaherty.
Referee: Luke Pearce.
