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How Sale signed Ford: 'He isn't on much more than what AJ is paid'
Alex Sanderson has promised he will celebrate on Wednesday night with a bottle of Malbec after Sale dramatically agreed to a lunchtime deal that will see George Ford, the 2019 England World Cup final out-half, join the Manchester-based club on a three-year deal from Leicester at the end of the 2021/22 season. The recruitment of the 28-year-old, 77-cap Ford is a massive coup for the Sharks and the transfer coup was completed in record-quick time as it was only last week when the need for a high calibre out-half officially emerged at the club.
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It was only last Wednesday when it was confirmed that AJ MacGinty, who has been with Sale since 2016, will join Bristol for the 2022/23 season. Sanderson, though, already had a couple of conversations with Ford by that stage and an agreement was swiftly concluded by Sale once it became known MacGinty was quitting for the Bears.
“I’m extremely excited, really excited, buzzing, jumping out of my boots excited. I’m excited,” enthused Sanderson at a hastily arranged media briefing after Ford had signed on the bottom line and agreed to become a Sale player from next July.
On the surface, the signing suggests that Sale must have forked out a shedload of cash to get the signature of Ford, but Sanderson insisted that wasn’t the case – although the transfer will have a ripple effect on the make-up of the Sharks roster which is braced to absorb the already-agreed 25 per cent reduction in the Premiership salary cap for next season.
“This signing of George Ford does have a ripple effect,” admitted Sanderson. “He signed half an hour ago so that is sitting with the stakeholders now, so it would be foolish of me in the extreme to comment now (on its budgetary effects). But in the next three or four weeks, it will become obvious.
George Ford, the out-of-favour England out-half, has confirmed he is quitting Tigers at the end of the 2021/22 season#Tigers #GallagherPrem
https://t.co/wfR4fNHjRP— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 17, 2021
“Look, it’s none of your business really but he [Ford] is not on much more than what AJ’s got paid, so do the maths there. We’re not losing out much there… I hate talking about finances, I am not an accountant, I am a rugby coach and I’m still learning my way as a director of rugby. I understand what a team needs, I understand the importance of not ripping the heart out of a team. These are my two aims.
“I want to push this team forward, get better. If that means better personnel then we will do that but I have no intention of ripping the heart out of a club that I was at 20 years ago, that I played in, that I love, so the next two or three weeks are going to be very challenging.”
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Sale have form for making a big signing from Leicester. Manu Tuilagi arrived in summer 2020 but if – like the midfielder – it wasn’t money that convinced Ford that his club career would be best served by joining Sale from next summer through to 2025, what was the attraction? “We offer more on the holistic needs as well as their ambitions for it to be a more attractive offer than just a paycheque. That is not on me, it’s on the men they are,” reckoned Sanderson.
“I was instructed through his [Ford’s] agent that he might be interested in coming home. Might I add this is the third conversation in five years that Sale has had with George Ford about the possibility he could come home. For other reasons unbeknownst to me – he will surely tell you – it just so happened that this was the right time.”
Ford is a regular visitor to his hometown of Saddleworth, which is just a short 24-mile spin away from the Sale AJ Bell Stadium, so coming home was indeed part of the pull for the out-half. “It was big but you have got to ask him about his motivations,” suggested Sanderson. “It [coming home] was mentioned. I talked about my own decision (moving from Saracens to Sale last January), as it was a big factor for me as well.
“These are things we spoke about: Where the club is at, the ambition of the club, what we are trying to build and what you can do to be a part of the fabric of the north. Which one of those had a greater influence? Being the man he is, I’d probably say the latter two. How could you argue with Leicester doing as well as there they are that it was purely about rugby?
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“If it was purely about the rugby he would probably have stayed where he is. Steve Borthwick has done a great job there. Leicester are building as well. They are on a journey. But my forever philosophy is that it has to be more than just a game to get the most out of a person, it has to be about the person.
“Negotiations from my end were very open, honest, casual. I have known of George for years but never truly met him, never sat down and had a coffee. It was about getting to know him, what drives him, what his aspirations are on and off the field… it is a big decision for anyone to move clubs.
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Sale Sharks is delighted to announce the signing of George Ford ahead of the 2?2?-2?3? #GallagherPrem season. ?
Read more here ?#SharkTime | @AO
— Sale Sharks ? (@SaleSharksRugby) November 17, 2021
“To do it in his pomp, to do it at this stage in his career, to come home to the north where he is from, it is a big decision. He gave it due diligence. There were a couple of discussions around that and around what we were trying to do. We didn’t aggressively go out and seek him. It was just a meeting of minds really.
“In the true sense of the word it [the exit of MacGinty last week] speeded up the process. I had a conversation with George only a day or two before, that soon before, and it was an open conversation, not one where fees or anything was put on the table. It was where are you at, where are we at, what are your aspirations.
“And then AJ was adamant he wanted to leave so we were in the market for someone of real calibre. Who wouldn’t be in the market for George Ford? As soon as AJ left and there was a bit of a gap there, there was a necessity for someone of his ability to take us forward and it went from a simple chat into a more serious discussion.
“I don’t know how much of what George told me is sensitive to the public. It’s no secret that we are looking to spend more time and resources on the mental side of the game and as a senior player George is fully aware of the importance of that, staying in the moment, the closed skill of kicking for which he already employs a mental coach for.
“All of these things here at Sale are part of the schedule whereas in other places they are an extra resource but not here. We include that here, welcome it and we will look to have some guidance on how to improve it when he does come in. He was attracted by that part of it.
TRANSFER NEWS: The out-of-favour England No10 has been contacted by the Sharks about a possible move away from Leicester #Sharks #GallagherPrem #Tigers #England
https://t.co/tX4d7uFgXM— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 11, 2021
“He is also very keen to bring our young lads on, two young fly-halves (Kieran Wilkinson and Tom Curtis) who he can have a massive influence on. That is huge. You are not just getting the player, you are getting the person who is looking to buy into what we are doing… We actively encourage players’ extra-curricular activities and George has got a coffee shop in Saddleworth next door to his girlfriend’s Italian which they are renovating.
“We are going to help them with that because it is important that people are industrious off the field as it transfers on the field. It is important you have something going on so if you have a bad day, the sky doesn’t fall in and it [another interest] brings you around a bit quicker. They were the kind of conversations we had,” continued Sanderson about a player he described as one of the best out-halves in the world.
“What will it do for the club? Our aspirations are quite transparent, something that is lasting, something that will go beyond my tenure and possibly George’s. But George wants part of that, he wants to be part of an organisation that is successful and not just in terms of silverware but its transcendency. They are big words but if you don’t aim to such heights you are never going to reach them.”
Ford hasn’t featured for England since a humbling Six Nations defeat to Ireland last March, Eddie Jones since favouring Marcus Smith. Sanderson, though, believes Sale can help him get back into the Test fold. “Absolutely it will help him get back, without a shadow of a doubt. I want every one of our players to aspire to the highest level of rugby they can achieve.
“We talked a little bit about his England career and it’s not Tom Curry here alone anymore, it’s a Tom Curry, a Bevan Rodd, a Manu on the outside, a Raffi (Quirke) on the inside and we have only just started. There is more to come. Not just signings, but the potential we have got within these four walls.
TRANSFER: Pat Lam will finally get to work again with his coveted Connacht PRO12 title winning out-half…#USA #GallagherPrem #Bears #Sharks
https://t.co/cNG9rn7dX2— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 10, 2021
“I haven’t actually called him for a week because I just wanted him to make his own mind up, not pester him and push him,” added Sanderson about the mechanics of the deal being finalised. “There was going to be so much noise around the lad, so much noise from everywhere, and I didn’t want to be another voice in that decision. The rapidity of how it has happened is a little bit of a shock to me but going back to the AJ MacGinty scenario, there were lots of little discussions and it never seemed right.
“When I stayed at Saracens for 17 years all in, the length of negotiation was about two minutes. Are you happy? Yeah. Do you want a new contract? Yeah. Done. It should be that easy. If you want to be at a place it should be that easy once you have got all the facts in front of you… This (Ford deal) has happened in almost less than a week and when they get drawn out you are going back to the wrong reasons. Generally, it’s because you are squabbling over cash terms or whatever, but if it’s right it’s right and the rest is detail.
“I’ll celebrate, I’ll have a bottle of wine tonight but to think this place is just me, how narcissistic is that. Thank you for the compliment, but it really isn’t just me. There are 75 people, 45 playing staff and the rest behind the scenes, maybe going up to 100 with the commercial.
“What makes up an organisation is far more than the man and that is exactly what I said to Simon Orange when I was coming in, I had no magic wand, I have come here to add and to help and maybe I was just that extra little bit of weight that tipped the scales (with Ford) in the right direction… it still isn’t about me but I will take the compliment and will have a bottle of Malbec, but I am not taking the credit.”
There was an apprehension last week when the uncapped Bevan Rodd, 21, was flung in for a debut England start at the 11th hour… #England #ENGvRSA #AutumnNationsSeries #Springbokshttps://t.co/brGF2luJX8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 16, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments