New defence coach Mike Ford tells Mark Smith how attitude and enthusiasm are providing the launch-pad for Newcastle Falcons' survival push.

AMID all the hubbub around Alan Tait’s departure and Gary Gold’s appointment as director of rugby, the hugely significant arrival of Mike Ford at Kingston Park has passed virtually under the radar.

Discarded quietly by England in the unseemly public flogging which was their World Cup post-mortem, the 47-year-old still retains his position as one of the most respected defensive brains in the business.

So much so, in fact, Gold instructed Newcastle to go out and recruit the ex-rugby leaguer ‘at any cost’.

The reasons were obvious, with Newcastle nine points adrift at the bottom of the Aviva Premiership and only the same number of league dates to go.

Shipping 28 points and three tries per game, the flood-barriers had collapsed.

“It has been great and it is a challenge I am relishing,” said Ford, leaning forward in his chair at Kingston Park during his first media outing since taking on what many would regard as rugby’s mission impossible.

Travelling to France for last weekend’s 21-13 loss at Lyon, he said: “Myself and Gary were fairly hands-off in terms of the game itself.

“We really wanted to see the team in the match-day environment and get an idea of where they are.

“We have since come back, taken a more active role and have been pleased with what we have found.

“We have taken two sessions this week and the players have been fantastic.

“Their enthusiasm is brilliant and they have really responded to what we have done.

“The most important thing to say is the lads really look engaged when the coaches are talking to them.

“Their body language is excellent and they are on the edge of their chairs absorbing it all.

“You can see they are desperate to stay in the Premiership for next season purely from their work ethic and the eagerness they have to take in what we are telling them.”