Further improvement needed, insists Johnson

MARTIN JOHNSON has warned his England players that their heroics against Australia last week could easily be forgotten in today’s “instant society” should they not follow up their win with victory over Samoa.

The identity of Johnson’s England — both in terms of personnel and style of play — is finally beginning to take shape but the England coach has spent the week playing down the notion his squad has finally achieved its breakthrough victory.

“We are completely aware of what it can do to a team if you get ahead of yourselves,” Johnson said. “The world is so volatile. Some of the stuff I’ve had to deal with this week... we’ve won a game and played well. But it’s one game, so calm down. We have to back it up through this series and through the Six Nations.

“The perception of where you are is so high and so low, so quickly. It is an external thing and it’s not just in our sport or sport as a whole, it’s the world in general. We all live in an instant society where today’s heroes are forgotten tomorrow and vice-versa.”

Johnson may have a point, but England’s rugby supporters have suffered mediocrity for so long that an outbreak of optimism, after such an impressive performance, is entirely understandable.

Ben Youngs, 21, was named man of the match for his performance against the Wallabies and England had eight players in that starting XV who were aged 25 or under. They all have talent but Johnson looks for more than natural ability, as Danny Cipriani has discovered. Character is almost more valuable, as it cannot be coached.

“The guys who have come into the team have developed really well. I knew we could be a better team than sometimes we’ve shown over the last 18 months,” Johnson added. “People have to have the right character. You can’t play at this level without a huge amount of that and you need moral courage to play Test rugby.”

Johnson has made only four changes from the Australia game, handing flanker Hendre Fourie his first Test start and Matt Banahan a chance at outside centre. Bath prop David Wilson has come in for Dan Cole, while James Haskell will get his first run of the autumn at blindside flanker.