Johnson: Gatland’s Hartley jibe shows he’s feeling heat

MARTIN JOHNSON yesterday waded into the furore over Dylan Hartley and branded Warren Gatland’s attempts to wind up the England hooker as the actions of a man under pressure.

Wales coach Gatland lit the blue touch-paper ahead of a potentially explosive RBS 6 Nations showdown in Cardiff next Friday by branding Hartley a choker and questioning his temperament on the biggest stage.

Johnson is not easily goaded into a pre-match war of words but the England team manager returned fire with force.

Gatland signed a new four-year contract with the Welsh Rugby Union in October but Wales head into the 6 Nations without a victory in their last seven Tests.

And Johnson said: “It’s about pressure and how people react to it.

“Where Wales are, they are under pressure as a team with their performances and not winning a game for a while.

“Warren’s had a blast. He has said a lot of things. It is not particularly subtle. It’s pretty obvious what he is trying to do. Dylan will take it in his stride.

“We rally around guys when they’ve been singled out. You are potentially giving ammunition to the opposition. It brings the team together.

“With the opening game in Cardiff, they will be desperate to win. So are we.”

Gatland, typically, dismissed Johnson’s suggestion that he was feeling the heat with a jibe, which referred to the 6 Nations target set for England by new Rugby Football Union chief executive John Steele.

“Coaches are always under pressure in this game. At least my chief executive has not come out and said that I have to finish first or second,” Gatland said.

“There is always a bit of spice between England and Wales and we will see how (Hartley) responds.”

Gatland is clearly trying to provoke a reaction from Hartley, the combative Northampton captain who has been known to sail close to the disciplinary wind.

Gatland said of Hartley on Monday: “He’s always got a lot to say, hasn’t he? Let’s see what he has got to offer and how he fronts up against us on February 4.

“He was responsible with some of his evidence for Richie Rees being banned for a long period, and he was not prepared to step outside to the back of the stand with Gareth Williams when invited to do so, so we will see how he fronts up against us.”