Murphy leaps to Fords’ defence after Burgess sticks boot in
TIGERS COACH SAYS CRITICISM IS ‘STRANGE’
LEICESTER Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy has defended George Ford and his father Mike f ollowing Sam Burgess’ controversial comments about the pair.
Rugby league turned union star Burgess caused a stir after an explosive interview he gave on the House of Rugby podcast last week. Burgess revealed his relationship with George Ford turned sour after he was selected ahead of the No.10 for England’s crunch pool stage match with Wales at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Burgess claims Ford stopped speaking to him after that shock 28-25 defeat to Warren Gatland’s side at Twickenham. Burgess also said Ford’s father Mike, then his club coach at Bath, set out to “sabotage” Stuart Lancaster’s England regime.
Following the controversial comments, George Ford’s brother Joey hit back at Burgess.
He wrote on Twitter: “For what it’s worth, and I know he’s my brother, but George is the most selfless individual I have ever known. It’s crazy to suggest otherwise.
“69 caps is an awful lot to get if you’re
not all about the team. I know countless team-mates will agree.”
Mike Ford is now part of the Leicester Tigers coaching team while England fly-half George is in his second spell at Welford Road.
Murphy has given his support to the duo following Burgess’ extraordinary claims.
“It is really strange and it has come at a strange time to be dragging things up from five years ago,” the 42-year-old told Leicester Tigers TV.
“I have known Mike Ford for a very long time, I’ve known George Ford for a very long time.”
Mike Ford worked with Murphy when defence coach at Ireland and the British and Irish Lions in the 2000s, before the latter added him to the Tigers coaching staff in 2019.
George Ford played alongside Murphy in his first spell at the club, with the fly-half making his Tigers debut as a teenager in 2009.
Murphy said: “Mike coached me when I was an Ireland player. He has been through the world of rugby. He is incredibly experienced.
“He has been great for me in my role, in his support of me.
“And George as well has been incredible for Leicester throughout his entire career.
“He has got a hell of an amount of caps, he is renowned as being an unbelievable team man.
“So to have bits and pierces dragged up is slightly confusing. I’m certainly very confident that both of those guys are very, very well received at Leicester and they are doing a great job.
“So it’s not really for me to comment on that any more than for me to say that I’m very happy with the two Fords.
“People always have opinions and that’s life. For whatever reason people say different things and we are just very happy to have both of the guys, we are very confident that they add to our environment.
“As I said, Mike has been great for me personally and a great support over the last couple of seasons and longer. I have known both guys a long time and they are both good human beings.”
In his controversial comments, Burgess described how he called Mike Ford a “snake”, accusing him of using him as a “pawn” in a game of politics aimed at landing Ford the England coaching job.
He said he “lost respect” for Ford during the 2015 World Cup campaign.
Burgess said his relationship with George became strained after he was named in the England side for the crucial World Cup game against Wales, claiming that George “would not talk to me, he was a bit sulky” after being left out of the line-up.