The biggest bully of them all: Martin Johnson

ENGLAND like to bully teams. It’s their modus operandi. Throughout international rugby history, successful English sides have usually been aggressors.

The formula is simple. Use a massive pack as a battering ram to smash the opposition forwards. This creates the platform for a kicking out-half to put points on the board: three, six, nine. Then later in the game the space will open up for a quick back three to inflict further agony. Death by a thousand cuts.

Tim Rodber, Martin Bayfield, Rob Andrew, and Tony Underwood played the lead roles through the 90s. They were perfect fits for the English modus operandi and they helped their team dominate the Six Nations year after year. However, contests against the southern hemisphere countries were less fruitful. They could withstand the physicality of the English forwards, wait until they tired and then strike out wide.

That was until 2003. England’s glory era has been spoken about ad nauseam. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was an occasion when the available personnel fitted the English formula like a hand in a glove. Jonny Wilkinson was a supreme ten. He kicked all available points and shepherded his monstrous pack around the pitch. Jason Robinson was the livewire on the wing. His electric pace was a constant source of danger and he nearly always snatched a five pointer. And, of course, their pack was full of beef. Central to that they also had the biggest bully of all: Martin Johnson.

England’s current coach is notorious for his often less-than-gracious presence off the pitch. There have been several examples of his bad behaviour. In 2002 he ignorantly refused to move to his correct position in Lansdowne Road for a presidential address. It was an intentional snub to this country but he showed no remorse for his actions, and received no sanction. In the same year, following Leicester’s victory over Munster he defended Neil Back’s ‘hand of God’, explaining that Leicester had previously had two tries disallowed. It didn’t seem to matter to him that they had broken the laws of rugby while scoring the dubious tries.

Martin Johnson, as a captain, inflated confidence in those around him. The English never had any problems with self belief but Leicester, and England under Johnson, were arrogant. And they had the right to be. The 2002 final is a painful memory. I was part of a Munster team that hoped to win. Leicester knew they would win. The moment they took to the pitch their brash attitude was immediately evident. In the first minute a garryowen went up from Austin Healey’s boot. There was confusion at the back and the ball bounced outside the 22. I was first at the scene and leapt to retrieve the ball. Before I grabbed it, I was impeded by an illegal push from Tuilagi, who gathered the ball to ‘score’ the first of Leicester’s disallowed tries.

LATER, Johnson himself ran over unchallenged long after the whistle had been blown for another offence. After the game he would not admit to any wrongdoing. Johnson could only bemoan the fact they had been punished for bending the rules for the two disallowed tries, such was his belief in his team’s right to win.

Johnson’s start to his coaching career has been pretty shabby by his high standards. After their victory over Wales at Twickenham, a renaissance was evidently in the offing. Johnson followed the formula that brought him so much success as a captain: bludgeon the opposition pack; let Jonny kick the points; and the outside backs will pull them clear in the end.

However, their second Six Nations match in Rome highlighted the cracks in this flawed strategy. England don’t have the domineering pack that they had seven years ago. Steve Borthwick is no Martin Johnson. Although Jonny Wilkinson’s form has been reinvigorated by his stint in Toulon, he is no longer the majestic player he was when England won the World Cup.

And Ugo Monye does not have the killer instinct near the line of a Jason Robinson. England don’t have the resources to rely on the old game plan.

If Ireland are to beat England today, they must at least achieve parity up front. Donncha O’Callaghan’s inclusion in the side is an astute call. O’Callaghan’s physical presence at the breakdown was sorely missed against the French. Shane Jennings’ inclusion on the bench gives Kidney the necessary impact if Ireland are struggling at ruck time. Outside the forwards, Ireland have the edge. O’Gara and Sexton are both in better physical and mental shape than Wilkinson and either would win the battle of the tens. Outside of ten, Ireland has the superior backline. It’s time to expose the bully’s vulnerability.