We’ll get bite back at Tigers says Ford
GEORGE FORD defended his performances at Leicester this season after finally showing why they paid a king’s ransom to bring him back to Welford Road.
The England stand-off delivered a full house of try, drop goal, three conversions and two penalties in a man-of-the-match display in the 35-13 win at Sale that salvaged Champions Cup qualification from a season of collective under-achievement.
It was Ford’s best display since returning to the club from Bath in a £700,000 deal last summer according to Leicester head coach Matt O’Connor, but the 25-year-old says external criticism of him has been unfair.
Ford said: “The basics of my game have been good. These days people always look for the big plays you make – the line breaks and the tries – but over a Premiership season you just have to be consistently good at your basics.
“The extra bits on top of that will come when the team are playing better. Against Sale I could run around the ball a bit. We made a few line breaks.
“We have to make sure we consistently get more opportunities like that as a team. Off the back of it people like Ben Youngs, Telusa Veainu, Manu Tuilagi and Jonny May will get those opportunities and be the X-factor players they are. That’s where we’re aiming to go.”
It was the lessheralded Jonah Holmes who touched down twice for the Tigers in an ‘if only’ performance that provided satisfaction and frustration in equal measure.
“It was a positive day but a disappointing season,” said Ford. “We were saying in the sheds how we would love a crack at the semi-final but obviously we are not there and we have not been good enough to be there.
“But this team will stick together, go away, work hard and work smarter – coming back a better team.”
Bath made it to the Champions Cup too with a hat-trick from the departing Matt Banahan in a crushing 63-19 win over relegated London Irish.
Gloucester, who have also qualified via the Challenge Cup, suffered a 62-12 hiding at Saracens, who will host Wasps in the Premiership semi-final a week on Saturday after Dai Young’s side clinched third with a 39-22 win at Newcastle.
The Falcons will go to Exeter in the second semi-final the same day.
Exeter topped the final Premiership table for the first time, finishing eight points clear after a run of seven consecutive wins, including Saturday’s 41-17 victory at Harlequins that brought a sad end to John Kingston’s tenure.
“The future for Harlequins is very positive – I believe the squad here is the strongest in my 17 years at the club – but we’ve lost confidence somewhere along the line,” said Kingston.
THE final Champions Cup qualification place will be decided by a play-off between Ulster and Ospreys on May 20.