House of Rugby - Burgess on the Fords

[chipnchase]

Has anybody watched this weeks House of Rugby?

Some pretty damning comments about Mike and George Ford.

Worth a watch and interested to see what Mike and George have to say in reply.

[TigerMac3]

Well worth a watch, painted a damning picture of Ford Jr and Sr. Especially Mike. Got to admit, not got a lot of time for him, seems the type to throw his toys if things don’t go his way. Haskell didn’t deny any of it either which i thought interesting.

George isn’t the type to speak publicly but you’d think he’d be fuming at the comments

[westwinds31]

I thought they couldn’t beat the Nigel Owens one, but oh boy ! Brilliant ! Shows one of the possible reasons why it didn’t work in 2015. Honesty, passion, we missed a trick with Burgess and seems Ford Snr was pivotal in that, whilst trying to undermine Lancaster.

The funniest bit, the RFU got him involved n the debrief and lessons learned process....hilarious !

[anz3001]

Interesting listen, and probably some truth in it. Nonetheless, I'd say George's game and career are playing out quite nicely and he's giving everything we need from him, with or without the 'help' of his dad.

[strawclearer]

I anticipate a dignified silence!

[RagingBull]

So in burgess words how did Mike Ford undermine England?

[ads]

I haven't watched it but read the BBC article and I do get the impression that Sam Burgess is very bitter about the whole England thing. He thought Union was gonna be easy, but he failed to nail down a position. Maybe that was partly Mike Fords fault for playing him in the back row. But I don't think Burgess does himself any favours by bleeting on....

[Scuttle]

I anticipate a dignified silence!

Me too. The BBC may have asked Tigers for comment but it is nothing to do with Tigers, and Mike and George have no need to enter into a public dialogue.

[Tiglon]

If we're talking about throwing toys out of the pram, Burgess would fit that description. Still whining about it 5 years later, you can tell he struggles to admit that he failed at something.

It all sounds a bit narcissistic and self-satisfied to me.

[trendylfj]

I anticipate a dignified silence!

Me too. The BBC may have asked Tigers for comment but it is nothing to do with Tigers, and Mike and George have no need to enter into a public dialogue.

Totally agree - no reply needed for an RFU's mistake - great RL players don't always transfer into union successfully - this was an eg. Not really trained as a union forward or adapted to that role and not quick enough to be a back but a great RL player. With regard to Mike, I have always found him to be straight forward and he says things as he sees them. I have spoken to him away from rugby and do not recognize the description given of him by Sam. I hope neither of them replies - not needed

[fleabane]

In The Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/snak ... 022025dec0

Burgess sounds bitter, but Mike Ford doesn’t come out of it well, and Lancaster didn’t manage the issues.

[JP14]

What is he going to say next in 5 years time? Eddie Jones forced him to go back to union? Give it a rest!

[RagingBull]

How did Ford use Burgess like a Pawn in chess (Also maybe that pawn might have become a queen if he was played at flanker...)

Like is he saying Ford's media talk lost England the RWC?
If so then how does that suggest Lancaster was the right man, do you think the likes of Eddie Jones, Steve Hanson, Rassie, etc would've cared what a club DOR would say?

Everyone knew Lancaster lacked bottle and leadership when he picked Burgess and Barritt at 12/13 randomly for the biggest game of the RWC, it screams we do not want to lose instead of we are going to win.
Burgess states Eastmond and JJ are better centres than him, states how he preferred playing flanker in a roaming way and he played his best rugby in that position he was great in that premiership final.

“I felt people behind the scenes were playing a deeper game. Mike Ford wanted the England coaching job so his job was to sabotage Lancaster and his decision-making and his coaching methods. With George being in camp, it infiltrated into the camp. That’s my take on it.

LIs he saying George Ford cause England to lose to get his Dad the job? That's a pretty big accusation and the entire rugby world was question Lancasters poor decision-making and coaching methods he had the England forwards lose weight to play a more attacking style then at the tournament decided not to try and play that style because they had never played it before.

He's right about leadership, but as Tigers found out if your coaches are not leaders how can you expect the players too be.

But Mike Ford is to blame.
You might think Mike Ford might be squirmy, but Lancaster did this all himself.

[ads]

Just read that Times piece as well.
Sam Burgess really doesn't want to take any responsibility does he. Blames other players not turning up for Bath losing the premiership final, blames George Ford for England losing to Wales, and is blaming Mike Ford for England failures even though he had nothing to do with England at the time!!
He just wants to keep his name in the press and nobody is bothered the rest of his career...

[Mark62]

Burgess in rugby union was a disaster for all concerned from the RFU who recruited him through to Burgess himself.
Has Burgess got a book coming out?

As for Haskell at times he can be very entertaining but he and his Mrs are becoming very media savvy and he he knows when to speak and when to shut up