Johnson stays focused

ENGLAND skipper Martin Johnson has brushed off taunts from South African counterpart Corne Krige branding him one of the “dirtiest captains in world rugby”, saying his only focus was beating rivals on the pitch.

“I’m not going to respond to it, I’m just going to play the game and enjoy the tournament,” Johnson said when asked about comments by Krige and Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli ahead of the teams’ World Cup clash on October 18.

In a South African newspaper interview earlier this month, Krige made his “dirtiest captain” remark with Straeuli then adding that Krige’s chequered disciplinary record compared favourably with Johnson’s.