George Ford aiming for trophy-laden season with Bath

Andrew Baldock 07:24 19/12/2015
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  • Match-winner: George Ford.

    England star George Ford has revealed his “burning desire” to win trophies with Bath ahead of another key European Champions Cup weekend.

    Ford’s touchline conversion with the final kick of last Sunday’s Pool Five clash against Wasps gave Bath a potentially critical away win in an intense group that also features Champions Cup holders Toulon and three-time European champions Leinster.

    If Bath beat Wasps again in Saturday’s Recreation Ground return, they will be undefeated group leaders going into a demanding January schedule that features home and away appointments with Toulon, either side of tackling Leinster in Dublin.

    And fly-half Ford is relishing Bath’s latest challenge during a week when he committed his future to the Aviva Premiership club by agreeing a two-year contract extension.

    “I never thought about going anywhere else,” Ford said. “It is a great environment for me to be in. I love the mindset we play the game with.

    “We have had a couple of good years in my first three seasons here, but we have not come away with any trophies, which is a burning desire of mine and the other lads. I am really excited about the future here.

    “We know how important this game is on Saturday. To go into the new year with three wins from three (in Europe ) would not be a bad position, but we also want to back up last week.”

    While Bath and Wasps maintain quarter-final ambitions, Leinster’s European campaign will be over if they fail to beat Toulon in Dublin. Three successive defeats have left Leinster facing a potential European pool stage exit for only the second time in 12 years.

    “Mathematically, we are not out just yet,” Leinster full-back Rob Kearney said. “This week is just about a performance. A win this week would do great things for the club, for the team. The chances are that a win and a performance will go hand-in-hand – it’s unlikely you’re going to beat Toulon and play really poorly.”

    Runaway Pool One leaders Saracens host Oyonnax, six days after posting a 45-10 success against the tournament newcomers in France, and another bonus-point victory would effectively secure a quarterfinal place.

    Elsewhere, Ospreys visit Bordeaux-Begles in Pool Two, Scarlets tackle Glasgow in Pool Three and Stade Francais entertain Pool Four basement team Treviso.

    Sunday’s Champions Cup action, meanwhile, is dominated by two mouthwatering clashes featuring English challengers Exeter and Leicester. Exeter are chasing back-to-back victories over French heavyweights Clermont Auvergne after scoring 21 unanswered second-half points against them last weekend.

    Leicester, meanwhile, will continue their domination of Pool Four if they follow up last Saturday’s impressive away win against Munster.

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