News: Ford Motors to Franklin's Gardens

By COYSDC
April 13 2010

Northampton Saints today announced that Joe Ford will be wearing the black, green and gold next season. Over the past few months the 19-year-old fly half has emerged as one of the brightest English talents in the Guinness Premiership.

After coming through the ranks of the Leeds Carnegie academy, Ford burst into senior rugby with a man-of-the-match performance against Leicester in the LV= Cup last November. He scored 18 points that afternoon, including an eye-catching try, and has gone on to show an increased assurance in the Guinness Premiership, notably in Leeds' recent win over Saracens.

Ford joined the Leeds academy from Rishworth School and was part of the club's Under-19 team that won the Yorkshire Cup in 2009, beating four senior sides along the way. He is also regarded as a meticulous goal kicker and his 75 percent success rate is the fifth-best in the 2009/10 Guinness Premiership.

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder is delighted to have secured Ford's signature.

"This season Joe has been one of the stand-out young players in the Guinness Premiership," he said. "Although he is still in his teens he has demonstrated a good rugby brain in the games that he has played. He has also performed under pressure against some top teams and that points to a bright future in the game.

"Joe will be joining Stephen Myler and Shane Geraghty in competing for a first team shirt next season. Having three players of this quality will only be good for the club as we look to remain competitive at the top end of the Guinness Premiership and in the Heineken Cup."

Ford meanwhile is looking forward to the challenge ahead of him at Franklin's Gardens.

"I'm looking forward to joining one of the biggest clubs in the country and working with the coaches, Jim Mallinder, Dorian West and Paul Grayson," he said. "I've got a lot of things to work on and hopefully Paul can make me a better player and hopefully if he can do half of what he's done with Stephen Myler and Shane Geraghty it will be great.

"The Premiership has been a massive step up. It is also something I'm enjoying and I want to play more of it in the next few years. The possibility of playing in the Heineken Cup is also massive. But I'm not underestimating how hard it will be to get in the team. I'm going to get my head down and hopefully get my chance in the big games.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform and am always looking for that perfect performance. I just want to put the things I've worked on in the week into practice.

"Leeds have been great with me. [Academy manager] Diccon Edwards helped me with my development and Andy Key and Neil Back gave me my chance and put a lot of faith in me. I'm definitely fully focused on helping Leeds stay in the Premiership over the next few weeks."