FORD FOCUS
Sharks coach: George is getting his teeth into new challenge... and coaching as well
GEORGE FORD is getting his teeth stuck into life at Sale Sharks and his new side are feeling his bite in his new role as a coach.
The fly-half will not play until December because of an Achilles injury which cut short his Leicester swansong in Tigers’ Premiership final win over Saracens in June.
Oldham-born Ford has moved back up north after his summer switch, got hitched to girlfriend Atdhetare Hoxha and is already bending the ear of his team-mates and boss Alex Sanderson (below).
Ford, 29, is tipped to be a coach of the future, like pal Owen Farrell, and he is using his injury lay-off to sharpen up Sharks.
Soapbox
Sanderson said: “He has got married, there was a teething and bedding process of coming in, coming back up north and coming into a new squad and I was conscious of putting him on a pedestal and getting him on a soapbox too early.
“I wanted him to feel his way but he stood up in front of the boys on Tuesday and spoke with excitement and passion that inspired all the coaches and all the lads. It wasn’t really prompted, and he is now stepping up into a role of influence when he can look at everyone else around him and he is like a coach.
“There is a level of detail George brings in regarding the kicking game. He is a coach and a great lad and that will help evolve us in how we kick, when we kick and he has brought some simple things that will improve our game management.”
Ford is not the only big gun to land in Salford this summer with lock Jonny Hill, who starred on England’s summer tour down under, also making the move from Exeter. Sanderson took Ford and Hill to Ireland to watch the recent pre-season game against Connacht and the pair have collared the gaffer more than once.
Sanderson added: “Jonny in the summer just got better and better. He is a quality player, a great athlete and he has already been calling the lineout.
“Him and George sat me down last Friday, at their behest, and chatted about what they had observed in training. They are not just here to pick up a pay cheque. We took them to Connacht the other week and they came and found me and said,
‘These are things we noticed we don’t do that we did do at Leicester and did do at Exeter. Little nuggets based around communication, which really empowered me.
Impact
“The fact they are coming to me rather than me going to them shows their impact. We have signed a few real social animals in Jonny, Jason Woodward and Tom O’flaherty. They are mad off the field and brilliant on it.
“We want people to be respected for how they play and loved for who they are and they have done that in the short time they have been in.”
Sharks kick off on Friday against Northampton with England big gun Manu Tuilagi expected to be fit.