Ross Ford hails coach after signing new Edinburgh deal

Simon Berghan, left, Ross Ford, and Allan Dell, right, have all signed new deals with Edinburgh. Ford was quick to hail the influence of forwards coach Steve Scott, below, on the Capital outfits pack

Ford, 31, joined Edinburgh back in 2007 and has made over 150 appearances for the Guinness PRO12 outfit.

The Borderer, who is closing in on 100 Scotland caps, will now be staying in the Capital until at least May 2019 and he is delighted to have his future sorted out.

Ford admits there were a number of other clubs keen to sign him, but he wants to be part of a strong pack and he believes that is being achieved under head coach Alan Solomons and Scott.

“I think Steve has been brilliant for the forwards at Edinburgh,” Ford said. “When he first came in he put a big focus on the scrum and lineout.

“He has always loved that area of the game and he is always looking at videos and seeing where we can improve.

“He’s good at getting his thoughts across and I think he has developed as a forwards coach beyond the scrum and lineout.

“He just loves coaching and is always looking for new ideas and new things to do. We are fortunate to have him.”

Ford, who toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2009, feels Edinburgh are going places and will be even stronger in 2016/17.

“We’ve started this season well and we’re building on that. We want to be in the European Rugby Champions Cup next year and we want to be in the Guinness PRO12 play-offs this year,” he said.

“It’s still in our control at the moment, which is credit to everybody involved. We want to take another step forward again next season and I believe that we can. The Edinburgh pack just now is a pretty good one, the front-row is good, and I’m quite happy with the way we’re going. We can still get better.

“I’m very happy with how the club want to go forward and how the young boys are coming through.

“That’s only going to continue, and I want to be part of that. I like the vision Alan has got for the club.

“It’s taken some time to get there, but going forward I want to be part of a winning Edinburgh team, a team that is winning trophies, and I think we’ve got an opportunity to do that. It was an easy choice to stay.

“I’m playing well, I’m healthy and I’m fit. I want to be able to go on for as long as possible and help Edinburgh move forward. The three years allow me to pass on a bit of knowledge to newer boys as well, and hopefully that helps everybody.”

Meanwhile, fellow front-rowers Allan Dell, 23, and Simon Berghan, 25, have also re-signed with the club.

Dell, who arrived at BT Murrayfield in 2014, has signed a new two-year deal. “I’m getting good game time under my belt just now and I want to keep giving everything for the team when I get the shot and play to the best of my ability,” said the South African-born, Scottish-qualified loosehead prop.

Berghan, who arrived at the club from New Zealand in 2014 and is also Scottish-qualified, has landed a year-long extension, keeping him with Edinburgh until the end of next season. He said: “I’m looking forward to another season at the club and building on what the team has achieved this year and I’m also looking to build on what I’ve achieved personally.”