Nick Cain talks to Mike Ford about his vision for the revitalisation of Bath

Mike Ford is not promising miracles. Bath's new head coach has been around too long to fall into that trap, notably as England's defence coach from 2006 to 2011. He is also as aware as the most stalwart Bath supporter that the club that dominated the English domestic scene throughout the 1980s and early 1990s has not won a single Premiership title in the last 10 years.
The closest Bath came was a 10-6 defeat by Wasps at Twickenham in 2004, and although they have finished in the play-off places on another four occasions they have failed to make another final.
The picture is not especially bleak, but, with five placings between fifth and ninth in the table over the past decade – including finishing seventh last season – it is one of middle-of-the-road mediocrity.
Along the way there have been scandals, including the cocaine busts of Matt Stevens and Justin Harrison in 2009, which must have left their staunchly loyal fans wondering whether they are supporting a professional rugby team or a bunch of lads on a perpetual Friday night binge in one of Britain's most bespoke party towns.
That lads on the lash image was reinforced a few weeks ago when new signing Gavin Henson was floored by a punch from back rower Carl Fearns during a pub crawl in the city. Mobile phone footage of the incident filmed by a member of the public went viral with Henson knocked cold and sprawled on the floor after a session in which the former Wales centre admitted this week that he quaffed the best part of 20 pints.
All of which means that Ford, who has taken over the day-to-day coaching duties from Gary Gold after just one season at The Rec – the South African has moved into a more strategic position as director of rugby – has been promoted at a sensitive time.

Sensitive because Bath's wealthy owner, Bruce Craig, is a rugby man who is known to take a hands-on interest in the club's workings. After three years of substantial investment – including superb new training facilities at Farleigh House – Craig is eager for a greater return than he has had so far.
Sensitive also in the sense that Bath have just recruited Ford's talented son, George, fresh from a championship-winning season with Leicester. His arrival comes with the potential for charges of nepotism, especially as Bath already have the Scottish international No.10 Tom Heathcote in residence, not to mention Henson.
It is safe to assume that the Henson-Fearns fracas went down like a lead balloon with Craig, and Ford admits that one of the main tasks facing the coaching unit of Gold, himself, and first team coaches Toby Booth and Neal Hatley, is to create the right culture at the club.
“You're right that the culture has to change, and I'm pretty confident that those players we've retained and recruited understand that,” Ford says. “We have been working hard at putting the right standards in place, but words are cheap, and codes of conduct are written on paper – and we know that it is actions that speak loudest.”
He continues: “Ultimately, it has to be driven by the players. When the coaches are not there, and the players are socialising, they have to make sure that they are behaving by the standards they have agreed. It is a work in progress, and does not happen with one meeting. We pull them out of the water if they slip, and keep it inside the group.
“What I want to believe is that they have all come to Bath for the right reasons, i.e. to make them the best they can be. This group of lads are hungry for success. It's a great city, Bruce Craig has spent millions on the club, and it gives us a great opportunity. Hopefully, we are now all pulling in the same direction.”

Ford says that the coaches have identified a leadership group to bring peer pressure to bear in raising standards.
“We have involved Stuart Hooper, who is a tremendous pro, Dave Attwood, Rob Webber, Paul James, Peter Stringer and Francois Louw. We are asking them to lead by example, and based on my past experience – and I started playing pro rugby when I was 17 – if the leaders are doing the right things, everyone follows. And, if those leaders tell them they are not meeting standards to remain part of the group, then we as coaches will listen.”
Ford says that the club has also put mechanisms in place to defuse any chance of him being accused of favouring 20-year-old George. He says that his son's arrival at Bath led to a lot of soul-searching, and that it was not a decision taken lightly.
“We talked a hell of a lot with Bruce (Craig) and Gary (Gold) about George coming here, so we have gone into it with eyes wide open. There will always be people who will say, ‘George is his son', but I just have to be honest and truthful. That's why I've sat down and talked with Tom (Heathcote) a couple of times, and with Gavin (Henson), and I've assured them they are very much in the frame for selection at fly-half.
“You soon get found out as a coach if you are not honest with players, but the club has also put additional checks in place to protect itself in selection. Put simply, if I pick George and the other three coaches disagree, we will go with the majority decision.
“They also have a process in place to intervene if there is a pattern of selection that the other coaches disagree with, and I am comfortable with that. If you are honest in selection it won't arise.”
Ford describes Bath as a work in progress, but he qualifies it by saying that although it will be very hard to break the grip of Leicester, Saracens, Northampton and Harlequins as the Premiership's top four, there is great ambition at The Rec.
“We will improve, and we will be stronger because our recruitment has been good. We now have strength-in-depth, and we also have a good foundation in the fundamentals of defence, set piece, breakdown and discipline.”
Ford has also stressed that Bath are going on the offensive.
“Gary made a conscious decision last season that we had to get our defence right, and also have a kicking game good enough for us to play in the right areas of the field. But now we have to spend more time looking at our attack. Last season we had some very good teams in our bracket, like Gloucester, Exeter and Wasps, and we were aware that they could all score points, whereas we were not as incisive.”
“Our backs are exciting, and every one of them can attack. I'm a glass half-full person, and I'm confident we can play fast, and go at them with hands, feet, speed and brain.”
“Attack is about creating the right environment. You cannot coach flair into a player, but you can definitely coach it out of them. I don't want us to become too structured because you must let the ability and flair possessed by players like Tom Biggs, Kyle Eastmond and Nick Abendanon express itself.”

He says Eastmond typifies what Bath are capable of. “I don't think he'd get into the South African team because they prefer big direct centres, but as a first receiver he can create gaps, break the line and create chances, and he has the speed to go from 50 metres. In my experience with England we went for bigger guys in the centre, but if we had had Kyle, I would have picked him.”
Ford says that Bath's new recruits will add potency to the attack. “Matt Garvey came into the pro game late and London Irish took a gamble on him, but he will create pressure for places in the back five of our pack. He is a big athlete, and he can still improve tenfold.”
“Jonathan Joseph is another who has joined us from Irish, and he is an England centre who can be exceptional ball in hand. George is also crucial in getting this exciting Bath backline going, and his head-to-head with Tom Heathcote should mean we get the best out of it.
“Peter Stringer is always at the forefront in training, but the arrival of Micky Young and Martin Roberts this summer has ensured fantastic competition at scrum-half.”
Ford's enthusiasm is underpinned by a belief that Bath are close to finding the right blend of forward clout and strike force backs.
“Our front row is pretty good. David Wilson came through strongly for England in Argentina, Paul James is a warrior come rain, shine or snow, and, with Rob Webber, Nathan Catt, Anthony Perenise and Charlie Beech also available we have some real characters. There are not too many packs that can blow us away.”
He flags up the importance, too, of openside flanker Louw, currently on duty with South Africa in the Four Nations Championship, signing a new three year contract.
“For Francois to commit to Bath was a great fillip, and it shows that he has confidence that the club will do well. He is a humble bloke, considerate, and a joy to work with. He is part of the backbone of the team, and very good on the ground as well as on the ball. You definitely need a good old-fashioned openside in the team – in fact, you need two.”
Ford says that his own tactical mindset has changed, and he promises the Bath crowd plenty of cut and thrust.
“In my time with England we were good defensively, and it helped us to one Six Nations title and to a World Cup final in 2007. But really we won nothing – and that was mainly because we didn't attack enough. I'd rather lose 34-33 and attack, than rely purely on defence.”
“My advice to Stuart Lancaster is to pick a team to score points. Pick a team to meet your points-scoring target, and give yourself a chance to win.”
By the sounds of it, Mike Ford intends to put his own advice into practice at Bath.