“We were concentrating on chaos attack,” says Mike Ford, a glint in the Bath coach’s eye, as he explains why his players spent two days training with Wigan’s rugby league squad in midweek. “That’s an attack from a turnover or when the opponents kick the ball to you – and rugby league does it better than anyone.” This is typical Ford: probing, provocative, constantly wrestling with how to wring the most out of the talent around him. Just as he did as a half-back during a league career that began at Wigan more than 30 years ago.
While Ford built his reputation in union as a defensive dementor par excellence, sucking the life out of opposition with clever schemes imported from league, his three years at Bath have shown he is pretty adept at ensuring his players are creative with the ball. However, he believes his players can become even better at cracking those smothering, suffocating defences that have become commonplace in union by turning to league for help.
Hence the trip to Wigan. “Does it not make sense that if the rugby league guys have put these systems in place then possibly the best people to break them down are the rugby league attack coaches?” he asks. “So far we are only scratching the surface but we feel if we can get the execution right then we are going to cause other teams problems.”
They are going the right way, judging by some of Bath’s performances in Europe – and particularly their 35-18 win in Toulouse – and Ford believes his side’s influence on England’s backline is increasing, too. “You can see a little bit already,” he points out. “The try against France where George [his son] throws it in five metres from his own line. That’s what we are doing here at Bath. The ability to play from chaos. I know it is a lineout but people don’t expect you to do that and that’s the best time to attack because when 15 men are on the field in the right position defensively it is very hard to break them down. There’s no space. If you can play with that ambition, play with that freedom and play with that courage that’s the best time.”
Ford insists that such a mentality comes from the Bath way: both in their preparation and their mindset during matches. During the week he insists his players must train right, eat right, do their pilates and stretch properly, and have a laser-focused attitude. During games, however, he wants his players to enjoy themselves.
“Our boys went out and played without fear for England,” he says. “We put pressure on the players in the way they prepare Monday to Friday but at the weekend they are kids and they need to have fun. What pleased me most was all of them went out and played. Anthony [Watson] caught every ball and scored a great try. JJ [Jonathan Joseph] was sublime and Dave Attwood was fantastic. I think the Bath boys have had massive influence on the way England play.”
Ford is also “unbelievably proud” of his son who was rated by some as man of the match against France and had a superb Six Nations. “I was texting him the night before each game and each time he came back to me and said: ‘I’ll be the most composed player on the field. I’ve prepared as best as I can,’” says Ford. “And I think he did that.
“Rugby is a game where it is difficult to have every play as perfect as possible because there is someone trying to knock your head off. He understands that but I thought he was composed in everything he did. One or two things didn’t go right for him but he just gets back and that’s his greatest asset.”
Could other Bath players yet squeeze into the England reckoning for the World Cup? Ford believes Kyle Eastmond, Semesa Rokoduguni and, yes, Sam Burgess have a chance given fortune and a fair wind. He gives short shrift to those sceptics who say Burgess will never make a successful transition from league to union. “Sam has been with the England camp the last two weeks, so their management rate him very highly,” he says. “He will reach the heights in his time in rugby union. He will get to be a fantastic, world-class player. I’ve no doubt about that.”
The influence of Bath in England’s backline this season is also somewhat of a personal vindication for Ford, who left the national team set-up after their poor Rugby World Cup in 2011. When he is reminded that one unnamed player suggested “half the time we had no idea what he was talking about,” Ford chuckles, before mounting a spirited defence. “We had the best defence at the World Cup,” he says. “The three Six Nations, 2011, 2010 and 2009 we had the best defence. Out of the 30 players interviewed who did that survey I think it was nine people who came back. Of the nine they cherry-picked the quotes. It is what it is.
“There was no getting away from it, the World Cup was disappointing and we got things wrong. You pay the price and the team with Martin [Johnson] and the other coaches took our medicine and moved on.
“But I never lost confidence. I remember walking down the steps at Twickenham after handing in my stripes, credit card and my computer and my car keys, and the phone rang and I got another job as I was walking down the steps.”
Understandably, Ford wants to focus on what lies ahead – and particularly Saturday’s European Rugby Champions Cup quarter-final trip to Leinster. It is arguably the game of the round and Ford insists his players won’t be overawed. “What a challenge that is,” he says, relishing the prospect of a packed Aviva Stadium in Dublin. “I think 12 of their team played in the Six Nations. We respect everybody but we believe that if we play the way we know we can, we can beat anybody.”
Leinster have been warned: they should expect chaos.