Mike Ford turns to rugby league’s chaos theory to fine-tune Bath’s attack

The union coach sent his players to train with Wigan because he believes that code is better at countering the smothering, suffocating defences

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“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.

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source Sport | The Guardian http://ift.tt/19bQouE