George Ford: Sale boss Alex Sanderson hails impact of returning fly-half

George Ford kicked two conversions on his first Sale Sharks appearance of the season against Gloucester

Sale Sharks' director of rugby Alex Sanderson has hailed the impact of George Ford on his return to domestic action after the World Cup.

Ford, 30, played his first club game of the season as they beat Gloucester.

Last season, the England fly-half played a key role in helping the Sharks to the Premiership final for the first time since 2006.

"It's not just what George brings on the night, it's what he brings in the week," said Sanderson.

In addition to the returning Ford and England prop Bevan Rodd, there was also a debut for Argentina hooker Agustin Creevy, who had been in France with Los Pumas.

With captain Ben Curry playing his first game in six months following a hamstring injury, Sale grabbed a bonus-point win to go top of the Premiership.

Sanderson now has Sale's England players at his disposal until 28 January before they reconvene for the Six Nations.

"George raises standards in training," he said. "There is an increase in energy and small talk, even away from the training ground, through WhatsApp.

"His rugby intellect is unsurpassed and he's a good lad to boot.

"We saw his kicking game, his ability to shift the point of attack and his consistent ability to drive energy, he's the first person to go round high-fiving and backslapping even when things go wrong.

"That's a really important trait to have as a leader, and George is a great leader."