'He is one of, if not the best, coaches around': George Ford on Steve Borthwick
George Ford has sung the praises of Leicester boss Steve Borthwick after Tigers’ blistering start to their Gallagher Premiership campaign.
Leicester’s gripping last-gasp victory over Bristol at Ashton Gate made it 10 wins from 10 Premiership starts this season, matching Harlequins’ feat in 2011.
And it represents a spectacular transformation under former England forwards coach Borthwick, who took charge at Leicester less than 18 months ago.
Tigers ended the 2019-20 campaign in 11th place, and they were only saved by Saracens being relegated following their salary cap breaches.
Now, though, Leicester will enter 2022 unbeaten in domestic and European competitions, seemingly poised for a major double trophy push.
“I have obviously been coached by him at England and at Leicester, and he is one of, if not the best, coaches around,” Leicester fly-half Ford said.
“I think we had built good foundations in our game, and I think we have taken our game to a new level in terms of those foundations, but also a little bit of the way we attack – a bit of variety in our game – and we are a bit better disciplined.
“But I think the main thing is we have taken the way we prepare in training to a new level.
“The way Steve gives us a plan, and then the way we go about it and practise it in the week. When you go out on game-day, you feel so ready to go and play and win.
“For a player that’s all you can ever ask for. I have never not had enough clarity, going into a game, and that’s down to Steve and the coaches.
“I know it’s a cliche, but we take each game as it comes. Steve won’t let us do anything other than that!
“We are that engrossed in trying to be better and trying to win this game, and then Newcastle next weekend. We are just enjoying it. Obviously, winning helps that.”
Ford is in his final season at Leicester before joining their Premiership rivals Sale Sharks next summer.
And his outstanding form has proved instrumental to Borthwick’s team seeing off allcomers so far this term.
“I will do everything I possibly can to finish on a high,” Ford added.
“I love the club, the coaches here are brilliant and they support me. I want to do my job as well as I can for the rest of the time I am here.”
Substitute Guy Porter’s 84th-minute try saw Leicester edge out Bristol 28-26 and Ford said: “You can never question the fight, this year especially.
“No matter what is going on in the game – the scoreboard, whether something good has happened or something bad has happened – we focus on that next thing, which is a great way to be as a team.
“One minute we are down in our half with a minute left, and most people think the game is done and dusted, but the ability for us to stay in the game in the moment, get that one opportunity and execute it was brilliant.
“Wins like that, you remember them and you have to bank them.
“Sometimes, that’s the way you win a game – sometimes, you win a bit more comfortably – but when situations like that happen at the end, you have got to bank it because when you are in those situations again, you need to come back to those moments.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
26 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
26 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
26 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
26 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
26 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
26 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
26 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments