‘Never write them off’ – Martin Johnson issues stark Australia warning ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup
‘Never write them off’ - Martin Johnson issues stark Australia warning ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup
Martin Johnson has warned of dismissing Australia’s chances next year, when the Rugby World Cup returns Down Under for the first time since his England team broke Wallaby hearts.
The image of Johnson lifting the Webb Ellis Cup aloft after Jonny Wilkinson dropped the goal in extra time to win the 2003 final has haunted Aussies for more than two decades.
With a year tomorrow until the country hosts the 2027 edition, the Wallabies lie sixth both in the world rankings and on the list of favourites for the tournament. Odds of 12/1 are available.
But they are unbeaten under new head coach Les Kiss and last weekend stunned South Africa by beating the world champions with 11 men.
Johnson knows enough about playing in Australia to know that when that country unites on and off the field in sporting combat it becomes far greater than the sum of its parts.
“I can tell you from experience it is a very demanding sporting country,” said the man whose highly fancied British & Irish Lions side suffered a shock series loss to Australia two years before England enjoyed its greatest rugby day.
“They’re very patriotic towards their own teams in terms of supporting them and they really get into the opposition. They create as difficult an environment as they can for visiting teams.
“You have to know what you’re getting into. Because they’ll be into you. And if there’s nothing to get into you about, they’ll just make it up. And then everyone’s on the bandwagon.”
In 2003 England turned up as Grand Slam champions and ranked number one in the world, only to be insulted by their hosts – branded Dad’s Army by Aussie vice-captain Toutai Kefu due to the average age of Clive Woodward’s squad.
They were relentlessly mocked for being boring and reliant on Wilkinson’s boot; slammed for breaking the laws of rugby with a ‘truck and trailer’ rolling maul tactic.
Wilkinson was charmlessly dubbed “the rugby hermit” as the Aussie press sought to get into his head. ‘Stop Jonny’ T-shirts went on sale, and a cut-out-and-keep voodoo effigy of England’s talisman was published in a leading daily paper.
For all the good any of it did.
Bankrupt England legend Lawrence Dallaglio is selling his 2003 Rugby World Cup winner’s medal
“Never write the Wallabies off”
On Sunday, Johnson watched the Wallabies’ extraordinary 42-38 win over the Springboks, a fifth successive Test unbeaten for new man Kiss. It was of particular interest to English eyes as the countries are likely to meet in a World Cup quarter-final.
Asked if he expects them to challenge for the trophy on home soil, the Red second row legend replied: “One thing you learn about Australia is to never write them off.
“People forget in ’03 they weren’t favourites at all. New Zealand were probably joint favourites with us. Australia weren’t seen in that mix at all yet got to the final.
“I always say with Australia they are very, very clever rugby players. They’re very good at masking any weaknesses they may have and playing the game to their strengths.
“Even in the final they didn’t have a great scrummage, but they nearly won a World Cup. So never discount them.
“The Aussies are always smart players, great with ball in hand, capable of playing some great rugby. They bring their own style to it and can score tries from anywhere.”
With Australia first up for England at Allianz Stadium this autumn, the question for Johnson is how relevant that result will be in the psyche of the two teams if they do indeed meet in a last-eight showdown next October.
“The answer is it is and it isn’t,” he replied. “Win and it’s in the team’s collective memory. It’s part of your overall picture of confidence going into World Cup year, but lose and it doesn’t write you off for next year.
“Going back to 2003 we had a massive pool game against South Africa having put 50 points on them at Twickenham the autumn before.
“Did we walk out a year later thinking ‘We put 50 points on these guys’? No. Because it’s a World Cup game and every game needs to be won. And that pool match was as difficult a game as we had in the whole tournament.”
“If someone has a cardiac arrest, they’ve only got minutes”
Johnson was speaking to Planet Rugby at an event to highlight the issue of sudden cardiac arrest in sport. He is patron of JHMT, a charity set up in memory of Joe Humphries, a 13-year-old from Leicester who died from an SCA whilst jogging in 2012.
“Joe is the son of a friend of mine, Steve,” he explained. “And he has a SADS week every year to raise awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions and to educate people about sudden cardiac arrest.
“Joe had no symptoms that people knew of. So it can happen to anyone. Denmark’s Christian Eriksson is an example that people will know. A fit and healthy professional footballer.
“It’s a constant message you keep banging away. You need to learn CPR. You need to be comfortable using a defibrillator because that’s the only thing that’s going to save people.
“It is absolutely a fight against time. If someone has a cardiac arrest, they’ve only got minutes. You need to know what you’re doing. I know from personal experience if it happens it’s a huge shock. You’re not expecting it. But it’s amazing how that training kicks in.
“There’s a video on the UK Coaching website. Even just watching that will give you some understanding of what’s going on and how to react. It could make all the difference.”
SADS Week raises awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions, and The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust are working with UK Coaching to encourage everyone in sport, especially coaches, to get free, life-saving sudden cardiac arrest training. People can find out more at www.ukcoachinng.org