Ford setting his sights on Europe glory

SALE fly-half George Ford says he is more motivated than ever to enjoy glory in a European competition.

Ford, 29, has twice been a beaten finalist in the Challenge Cup, losing with Bath in 2014 and his previous club, Leicester, in 2021.

“I’d love to lift the Heineken Cup” said Ford, who is due back in late December from a ruptured Achilles sustained guiding Tigers to victory in last season’s Premiership final.

“It’s one of the more difficult tournaments to win. If you do give yourself a chance to get to the knockout stages, you want to take it there and then.

“I’ve tasted defeat in the final in the Challenge Cup. On the day you’ve got to perform. That’s why whoever are European champion totally deserve it.

“It’s probably the most hotly contested tournament you can play in. If you’re lucky enough to make it through the group stage, the knockout stages are probably the closest to Test level you can come to.

“We’ve got Ulster at home first and they’re going really well, so we’ll be focusing on that and trying to get that momentum into our pool stage straightaway.”

Ford insists his side must be flexible in the way they play in Europe due to the variety of teams in the competition, including the addition of three South African clubs.

“You come up against different teams from different countries who have different ways of playing, so you probably have to be a bit more of a rounded and adaptable team to do well in this tournament,” he said.

Ford is looking forward to teaming up with former Tigers mate Manu Tuilagi and says he knows how to get the best out of the England powerhouse.

“Manu needs deception around him,” Ford adds. “He needs to get the ball when he is not the only option to get the ball, he needs to have other people around him so you can create a one-on-one for him.

“If you create a one-onone for Manu, or half a shoulder for Manu, he is impossible to tackle.

“Also, it’s about how we can get Manu with time, with space, and with those opportunities in phase play, not just off a set-piece. You can design a play off a set-piece but you need to get Manu with the ball in his hands when it is a little bit more unstructured.

“That’s not just giving it to Manu and ‘there you go, take the whole team on’. It’s about your team mindset and philosophy.”