George Ford: 'The feeling is more relief than happiness'
Leicester stand-in captain George Ford spoke of his relief after the Tigers survived a frenetic battle at Kingston Park to edge a 27-22 victory against Gallagher Premiership bottom club Newcastle.
Leading the side in the absence of the suspended Tom Youngs, Ford saw the visitors hang on for a vital win which eased their own relegation fears and added to Newcastle’s.
Ford admitted: “Clearly, the result is the most important thing for us at the moment. The feeling is more relief than happiness.
“I’m really proud of the boys. It’s such a tough game to come up here and I’m really proud they were able to see it through.
“Obviously, at the end, it could have gone either way and we’re not kidding ourselves. The forwards got us out of a tough end in terms of stopping them scoring and getting the result.
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“We raced away into a 13-0 lead and then let them back into it. When we stick to our stuff and execute we are a good team but we really need to do it consistently.
“Nothing changes really because in two week’s time we’ve got to beat Bristol, but winning this one means there is a better vibe in the changing room and it gives us confidence and momentum.
“There has been a lot of talk about where we are in the league and relegation but it’s a not a word that has come into our vocabulary or in meetings. We’ve always said there is 20 points available from the last five games and we’ve got four of them tonight.
“We’re looking to get better and improve. Once you start looking behind you, you tend to get caught in it even more.
“Newcastle were never going to stop coming at us and I said to the forwards what they did at the end of the game was totally inspiring.
“They kept getting up off the ground and going again and the fight they showed for each other is sometimes what gets you the result and that’s what happened when we got the penalty at the end.”
Newcastle, who lost out on a losing bonus point in a controversial TMO decision last week, probably feel the same with regard to Leicester’s final try by Guy Thompson which was also decided by the TMO.
They were also on the wrong end of some questionable decisions by referee Wayne Barnes close to the end of the match.
Guy Thompson scored two tries for Leicester with Jonny May getting the other and Ford kicked five goals.
Tane Takulua also got two tries for Newcastle and kicked three goals, with the home side’s other try coming from Chris Harris.
Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards was pleased with the way his side responded after a slow start.
He said: “The first 20 minutes they were all over us and controlling the territory but from there on in it was us who controlled everything.
“But we could not get over the line as much as we would have liked and the interception try cost us a bit of momentum. Then we clawed it back and we probably should have won it.
“There were a number of decisions at the end and Leicester have some wily characters in Genge and Cole and we probably didn’t get the rub of the green from a scrummaging point of view because we weren’t allowed to scrummage against them.
“Towards the end, we probably should have nicked it but accuracy cost us again and we have to look at that.
“Another try at the end there would have given us three points or possibly four or five, but I’ve said all along it will come down to the last game of the season.
“We dominated the game for the final 60 minutes and it was just a question of us getting across the line. The three tries we scored were lovely tries and were an example of that but we have to learn how to do it every time.
“We are in control of our own destiny and we’re not going to be reliant on anyone else’s results. There is still a long way to go yet in this season.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Yawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
22 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to comments