Jess Thirlby hailed her England squad after they produced a sensational second-half display to defeat world champions New Zealand 55-45 to level up the three-game Cadbury Series and set up a thrilling finale in Christchurch on Friday. Sale Sharks have confirmed the signing of George Ford ahead of next season after the England fly-half decided against extending his stay at Leicester Tigers. Of course, Patricio has not enjoyed a long career at the top without having strengths of his own. Now at Roma, he was always regarded as a reliable performer at Wolves and remains a renowned shot-stopper. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made four changes to his starting XV for Saturday's Test against South Africa.