When it was confirmed back in the spring that George Ford would be linking up with his dad Mike and joining Bath Rugby, there was some chat about whether the father-son connection could prove problematic in a club environment.
Would Ford junior have a hot-line to the head coach? Would his place on the team sheet be all but assured each week?
As things have transpired, George Ford's arrival at Bath has been nothing short of sensational.
The 20-year-old fly-half may be fallible – he missed five consecutive kicks on Saturday – but he has brought a control and poise to Bath's game that was agonisingly absent last season.
Ford embodies what Sir Clive Woodward referred to during his tenure as England boss as T-Cup: Total Control Under Pressure.
When under pressure to put in a clearance kick from around his own goal line, how many times have we seen Ford sell a dummy to breakaway forwards attempting a charge-down? It is a manoeuvre of physical poetry. Watching Ford marshall Bath around the field is a joy to behold.
There is no comparison between George Ford and last season's fly-half for Bath, Stephen Donald. While Ford has brought assured game management to Bath, Donald was haphazard and – by comparison – something of a loose cannon.
Donald, of course, is a World Cup-winning All Black. Ford remains uncapped by England.
That first cap may not be too long in coming, however.
With Freddie Burns going through a rough patch at Gloucester and with Toby Flood eyeing a move over the Channel, things are opening up for Ford ahead of the 2015 World Cup.
A call-up to the England Six Nations squad should not be ruled out. And as Bath first-team coach Toby Booth said after Saturday's win against Quins, Stuart Lancaster will never know how good Ford can be on the international stage until he tips him in the deep end.
It was no surprise that Ford was named the Aviva Premiership player for November. Graciously, Ford dedicated his success to his forwards. And it's true that Bath's pack has become a powerful beast. With the exception of the away games to Saracens and Sale at the start of the season, Bath have had the better of every pack they've come up against this campaign.
The combination of that rock solid pack and Ford's slick game management largely accounts for Bath's superb run of 11 straight wins.
But both the pack and Ford will be tested over the next fortnight. In Northamption and Leicester, Bath are up against two of the best packs in the Premiership. And, in Leicester, Ford will be pitted against his former club.
Pass those tests, and both Ford and a number of forwards in Bath's pack will make their case for international inclusion close to irresistible.
