International - RFU stick by Johnson

Reuters - Sun, 22 Nov 12:14:00 2009

Six years ago England won the rugby World Cup to cement their position as the sport's dominant power but that success now seems to belong to a distant era after another hugely disappointing November series.

2009 England-Argentina Martin Johnson - 0

As the captain who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, and the last man to skipper a side to victory over New Zealand earlier that year, Martin Johnson was a national hero. Now, as the manager of a team struggling on all fronts, he is fighting a desperate rearguard.

Saturday's 19-6 defeat by the All Blacks showed a big step up in attitude and intent from the previous week's poor show against Argentina but the result, following an earlier loss to Australia, left Johnson with a record of eight defeats from his 14 matches.

In five November internationals against the Tri Nations teams under Johnson England have scored one try.

The high point of his spell in charge was an effervescent Six Nations victory over France and, even taking into account a welter of injuries in all departments this season, there seems to have been little progress since.

While media analysts, including some of his former team mates, have been cranking up the pressure on "Johnno", Martyn Thomas, head of the Rugby Football Union's management board, gave him his full backing on Sunday.

"I'm perfectly comfortable that Martin Johnson is the right man," Thomas told BBC Radio 5-Live.

"At the moment Martin has made it clear he is happy with his coaching team. We don't go around firing coaches. We tend to sit back and look at what's happening.

"At the moment he has my confidence to continue and carry on. Martin will lead us into the World Cup in 2011 for sure."

Johnson had earlier said his coaching team would remain in place.

"Considering what they've been through, they've done a brilliant job," he said after Saturday's loss, England's eighth in a row against the All Blacks. "Absolutely this is the (coaching) team I want for the Six Nations.

"As a group we've gone forward. We came into the series with a lot of disruption," he said. "If it's not visible on the field at times, then off the pitch this group is a lot further down the line than in the Six Nations.

"Although it's not particularly pretty there's a great deal of substance - this is a group of people who trust each other now and we go forward with a lot to build on."

Johnson and attack coach Brian Smith have been widely criticised for the team's lack of attacking flair or invention.

The unprecedented injury list has made smooth planning difficult and it must be tough to change the mindset of players who during their regular Premiership duties are bogged down in the game's ultra-conservative malaise.

However, Johnson's selections also have the look of safety first. Mathew Tait, probably England's brightest back, featured for only the last few minutes of Saturday's game having been left out of the previous two, Shane Geraghty was dropped to the bench for the All Blacks game and replaced by the sturdy but uninspired Ayoola Erinle while fly-half Danny Cipriani remains persona non grata.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 13 of 13

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  1. England could do worse than watch the video of Scotland­ V Australia and take notes. All they have to do then is­ factor in the odd attacking move and hey presto!

    From John L, on Mon 23 Nov 12:16PM

  2. ok we are not the same side that won the world cup, let­ me say that again it sound so good, "the side that­ won the world cup" but we are trying to get back­ to that it will take time remember how many times we­ reached the final and i believe we remain the only team­ to have won both the soccer and the rugby (real­ football) world cup so to all you "johnny­ foreigners" up yours we will be top of the tree­ again and mr johnson will lead us there and no doubt­ when we get there you will all be saying its luck, or­ we were handed it, or the competition was poor, we have­ heard them all and dont care WE WON IT

    From phil, on Mon 23 Nov 10:10AM

  3. ok we are not the same side that won the world cup, let­ me say that again it sound so good, "the side that­ won the world cup" but we are trying to get back­ to that it will take time remember how many times we­ reached the final and i believe we remain the only team­ to have won both the soccer and the rugby (real­ football) world cup so to all you "johnny­ foreigners" up yours we will be top of the tree­ again and mr johnson will lead us there and no doubt­ when we get there you will all be saying its luck, or­ we were handed it, or the competition was poor, we have­ heard them all and dont care WE WON IT

    From phil, on Mon 23 Nov 10:10AM

  4. JONNO, BADGER, TOMMO, SHAWO , WILKO,

    OH NO its a­ bunch of WANKO's back to public school for you­ inbred english twats. Too much incest and lack of balls­ what a pathetic bunch, bet your all @#$% , oh sorry i­ mean Bankers.

    From king penguin, on Mon 23 Nov 9:17AM

  5. You have to remember this is not a full strength­ England side , far from it.
    Lets hope all are fit and­ well for the 6N and we'll see who will be laughing­ then.

    From cartman, on Mon 23 Nov 8:45AM

  6. "Ireland and Wales are way ahead of­ England"­ We'll see in a few months' time..... maybe­ they are, but maybe they ain't. England are still­ improving.

    From Donald D, on Mon 23 Nov 8:19AM

  7. It's a combination of poor players poorly managed.

    From ptothej, on Mon 23 Nov 7:55AM

  8. keep him there lol, makes it all the more easier for­ the other teams, England have some great players (and­ thats is coming from a Welshman) but your management is­ poor all the better for us in the six nations

    From Michael, on Mon 23 Nov 3:33AM

  9. The high point was "an effervescent Six Nations­ victory over France".
    France didn't show up­ that day. Our school under 13's would have beaten­ them. England beat a terrible Italy and a woeful­ Scotland to finish 2nd in the 6 Nations last year, but­ anyone who believes they were the 2nd best team is just­ kidding themselves.
    Ireland and Wales are way ahead of­ England. Johnson picked a team to try to nulify them­ both last season, without creating anything themselves.­ The Lions selection showed where the best players are,­ clearly.
    England were much improved on Saturday but NZ­ were poor. They were there for the beating and a good­ team would have beaten them on Saturday. Whilst the­ Guiness premiership is played the way it is, England­ will not produce a winning team. Very few tries are­ being scored at all. With the emphasis on total defence­ they do not have the attacking skills to trouble teams­ and unless they are handed penalty after penalty will­ not trouble anyone. That worked back in 2003 but the­ game has moved on. Woodward's England had­ everything at their disposal, which other countries­ only dreamed of at the time but other countries are­ more professional now. They are bigger and fitter than­ back then and cannot be worn down that way, skill is­ now required.
    It is not Johnson's fault. He can­ only work with what he has, and he does not have much­ to work with.
    Unless a large number of top foriegners­ qualify in the next year or so on residency, England­ are going nowhere fast.

    From d, on Mon 23 Nov 12:41AM

  10. who said they'd win the 6 nations? They must have­ been joking surely?
    Looks like the first nail in­ johnsons coffin if they have to publicly support­ him.
    England would be better off without him, but the­ longer he lasts the longer England remain toothless,­ and the longer the rest of us dont have to worry about­ them in the 6N.

    From Ads A, on Sun 22 Nov 10:37PM

  11. Have faith Johnson will get them there for the next­ World Cup.

    From englishman, on Sun 22 Nov 10:04PM

  12. after the match some of the pudits were say that­ england will win the 6natons if not the grandslam. cant­ wait

    From cazkillowent, on Sun 22 Nov 7:59PM

  13. Who wrote this article ? Two months ago the so-called­ 'experts' were commiserating over the England­ increasing injury list. How short their collective­ memories seem to be. Players forced out of position,­ third choice front rowers, safety players brought in to­ do a damage limitation job ?

    And all we hear is­ criticism. This bloke doesn't know his arse from­ his elbow. He seems happy to follow the band of media­ vultures who, rather than offering some positives along­ with a bit of genuine insight, are happy to write­ negatively to sell their newspapers.

    And by the way­ mate, you spell 'Johnno' J O N N O .But you­ wouldn't know that. You ignorant twit.

    From greenstandard, on Sun 22 Nov 4:47PM
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