Martin Johnson
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| Martin Johnson | |||
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| Martin Johnson, from the cover of his autobiography | |||
| Full name | Martin Osborne Johnson | ||
| Date of birth | March 9, 1970 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Solihull, West Midlands | ||
| Height | 2.01 (6'7 ft) m | ||
| Weight | 119 (262 lbs) kg | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Position | Lock | ||
| Professional clubs | Caps | (points) | |
| 1989-2005 | Leicester Tigers | 300+ | |
| correct as of 12 Sept 2006. | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| 1990-2003 1993,1997,2001 |
England British and Irish Lions |
84 7 |
(10) (0) |
| correct as of 12 Sept 2006. | |||
Martin Osborne Johnson CBE (born March 9, 1970) is a former England rugby union player and captain. Johnson, who has been called 'arguably England's greatest ever player' [1] was known for his strong leadership and "no-nonsense" approach to the game. Johnson led the England side to a Grand Slam and World Cup in 2003. He toured three times with the British Lions, becoming the only man to have captained them on two separate tours. He also led his club Leicester Tigers to back-to back Heineken Cup victories and won the league six times.
[edit] Biography
Johnson was born in Solihull in the West Midlands, the middle of three brothers - his younger brother Will plays back row forward. In 1989, Johnson was approached by former All Black Colin Meads to try out for King Country side in New Zealand. Johnson's try out was successful and he played two seasons for King Country. In 1990, he was selected for the New Zealand under 21 side which went on a tour of Australia playing a side that included another of the all time great second rowers John Eales. However, in late 1990 he returned to England as his New Zealand wife Kay wanted to live in the UK. He played for Leicester Tigers from 1989 to 2005.
He then went on to become part of the side that won the 1995 Grand Slam. He was also called up to the 1993 Lions tour as a replacement, playing twice.
In 1997 with the retirement of Dean Richards, Johnson was made club captain but only captained the side when Richards was not playing. In 1997 Leicester won the Pilkington Cup and reached the final of the Heineken Cup. Despite not having international captaincy experience, he was selected by Ian McGeechan as the captain of the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa. The Lions as underdogs won the series 2-1.
Returning to domestic rugby, Lawrence Dallaglio was appointed England captain by new England coach Clive Woodward. However, Johnson took the captaincy in 1999 after Dallaglio was caught in a honey trap by the News of the World. Under Johnson's leadership England moved towards the 15-man rugby that Woodward originally wanted them to play, instead of the old forward-dominated side which England used to play.
Johnson was again asked to captain the Lions tour to Australia in 2001, becoming the only man to captain them twice. The tour was hugely successful financially; however, they lost 2-1 to a seasoned Australian side captained by John Eales and coached by Rod McQueen.
In 2003 England won the Six Nations Grand Slam that had eluded them with a 42-6 victory over Ireland at Landsdowne Road. The match was not without controversy with England's perceived snub of the President of Ireland at the pre kick off presentation. After leading the England team onto the field at Landsdowne Road, Johnson refused to re-position the England team thus forcing the Irish President to walk onto the grass to greet both teams. Johnson maintains he was not at fault and had not received special pre-match instructions. The Irish Rugby Football Union apologised to the Irish President on his behalf.
The 2003 Grand Slam season was followed by a successful warm up tour to New Zealand and Australia. Among the highlights of a successful tour was the 6-man England scrum (with 2 back row forwards in the sin bin), which held off pressure from the All Blacks as Johnson famously told his comrades in the scrum to "get down and shove". In England's 25-14 victory over Australia, Johnson also performed at a monumental level, leading the Australian captain, John Eales, to commend his display as 'among the best ever by a lock forward'. They took this into the 2003 World Cup, where they won crucial matches against South Africa, Wales and France, beating Australia in the final to win the cup with an extra time drop goal, with Johnson's captaincy and Wilkinson's playing displays widely acknowledged as the driving forces behind the English triumph. Johnson retired from international rugby in January 2004 but continued to play for Leicester till 2005.
Under his captaincy (1997 to 2003) the Leicester Tigers won four Zurich Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups.
He was made a CBE in the 2004 New Year honours and was second in the Sports Personality of the Year awards behind Jonny Wilkinson.
His testimonial match and farewell to competitive rugby, held at Twickenham on June 4, 2005, was one of the biggest rugby events of the year. It was historic in another way; the match marked the return of All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu after a recent kidney transplant. Johnson's XV defeated Lomu's 33-29. All proceeds from the match went to children's and cancer charities.
On 26th November 2006 it was rumoured current England head rugby coach, Andy Robinson, was to be sacked and Johnson was one of many names speculated by the press to replace him as the Head Coach although the RFU eventually selected Brian Ashton for the role.
A fan of American football, Johnson is a supporter of the San Francisco 49ers and worked as a studio analyst for ITV at Super Bowl XLI on 4th February 2007.
[edit] External links
- Nobok Sports Martin Johnson page and videos
- Testimonial website Closed
- Leicester Tigers profile
- Sporting Heroes
- Six of the best Martin Johnson performances
- Observer article on Martin Johnson's visit to the San Francisco 49ers
- Pictures of Martin Johnson and his team mates
| Preceded by Lawrence Dallaglio |
English national rugby union captain 1999-2003 |
Succeeded by Lawrence Dallaglio |
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| Forwards: | Bayfield • Burnell • Clarke • Cronin • Dooley • Galwey • Johnson • Leonard • Milne • Moore • Popplewell • Reed • Richards • Teague • Webster • Winterbottom • Wright |  |
| Backs: | Andrew • Barnes • Carling • Clement • Cunningham • Evans • Gibbs • Guscott • Gavin Hastings (c) • Scott Hastings • Hunter • Jones • Morris • Nicol • Rory Underwood • Tony Underwood • Wallace | |
| Coach: | McGeechan & Best | |
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| Forwards: | Back • Bayfield • Clarke • Dawe • Johnson • Leonard • Mallett • Moore • Richards • Rodber • Rowntree • Ojomoh • Ubogo • West |  |
| Backs: | Andrew • Bracken • Callard • Carling • Glanville • Guscott • Hopley • Hunter • Morris • R Underwood • T Underwood | |
| Coach: | Rowell | |
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| Forwards: | Back • Wallace • Dallaglio • Davidson • Hill • Johnson(c) • Leonard • Miller • Quinnell • Regan • Rodber • Rowntree • Shaw • Smith • Wainwright • Weir • Williams • Wood • Young | |
| Backs: | Bateman • Beal • Bentley • Dawson • Evans • Healey • Howley • Jenkins • Gibbs • Greenwood • Guscott • Grayson • Stimpson • Tait • Townsend • Underwood | |
| Coach: | McGeechan & Telfer | |
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| Forwards: | Archer • Back • Cockerill • Corry • Dallaglio • Garforth • Greening • Hill • Johnson (c) • Leonard • McCarthy • Grewcock • Rodber • Rowntree • Ubogu • Vickery • Worsley | |
| Backs: | Beal • Bracken • Catt • Dawson • De Glanville • Grayson • Greenwood • Guscott • Healey • Luger • Perry • Rees • Wilkinson | |
| Coach: | Woodward | |
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| Forwards: | Back • Bulloch • Charvis • Corry • Dallaglio • Davidson • Greening • Grewcock • Hill • Johnson (c) • Leonard • McBryde • Morris • Murray • O'Kelly • Quinnell • Smith • Taylor • Wallace • West • Williams • Wood • Vickery • Young | |
| Backs: | Balshaw • Catt • Cohen • Dawson • Gibbs • Greenwood • Healey • Henderson • Howe • Howley • James • Jenkins • Luger • Nicol • O'Driscoll • O'Gara • Perry • Robinson • Taylor • Wilkinson | |
| Coach: | Henry | |
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| Forwards: | Back • Corry • Dallaglio • Hill • Grewcock • Johnson (c) • Kay • Leonard • Regan • Moody • Thompson • Vickery • West • White • Worsley • Woodman | |
| Backs: | Abbott • Balshaw • Bracken • Catt • Cohen • Dawson • Grayson • Gomarsall • Greenwood • Lewsey • Luger • Robinson • Tindall • Wilkinson | |
| Coach: | Woodward | |
