Mike Ford, an assistant coach with
England at the recent Rugby World Cup, spent a day this week visiting the Cornish
Pirates at their Mennaye Field training base.
Now
42years of age, the former Rugby League scrum-half who played 10 times for Great
Britain was invited to provide some coaching by Cornish Pirates head coach Jim
McKay, who is a close friend
Mike hung up his boots as player-coach
at Oldham in 2001, was a year later appointed as Ireland's defence coach, and
then had a spell working at Saracens.
Having coached the
successful midweek British & Irish Lions side in 2005, Mike joined the England
senior team in 2006.
Mike
Ford meets Graham Paul
A 'Pirate' who played Rugby League for Hull
Jim
commented: "Mike's a good friend of mine and he's come down and done
a bit of development work with us coaches and also done a few sessions with the
players. It's good that he has been able to add some input to the team."