Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes has suggested that coach Stuart Lancaster has made the "wrong call" by replacing George Ford with Owen Farrell for their Rugby World Cup clash with Wales on Saturday.
Lancaster will reportedly make two changes ahead of England's second Pool A fixture, with Sam Burgess in line to replace the injured Jonathan Joseph at centre, and Saracens fly-half Farrell to replace Ford, and Barnes believes that England will miss the Bath man's creativity against Wales.
"It's the biggest call of Stuart Lancaster's career," Barnes told Sky Sports News. "George Ford struggled in the last game but the pack were going in the wrong direction, had Owen Farrell started and Ford come on I think the impact would have been exactly the same.
"Ford has made himself England's number one player. He's got vision, he's got great technique, he can run a field. But Stuart Lancaster's decided to go for psychological warfare against Wales. I think it's the wrong call, but it's a brave call from Lancaster and his head is on the line with this one.
"The problem for Wales has been Ford's ability to weight that pass and delay it late, because Wales play a very aggressive rushed defence, and [Wales coach] Shaun Edwards will tell you: if you have great technique against a rushed defence you can tear it to pieces. England have given up on that technique."
Ford has made 14 appearances for England, scoring 132 points.
Stephen Topping
