Johnson resigns as England manager
Martin Johnson said on Wednesday he was resigning as manager of the England rugby team following a disappointing World Cup campaign blighted by ill discipline.
“I won’t be renewing my contract at the end of December,” Johnson told a Twickenham news conference.
“It’s not a decision I have come to quickly or easily, but I just think it’s the right decision at this time,” Johnson said.
England failed to reach their stated minimum objective of a semi-final spot in New Zealand, losing in the quarter-finals to France.
England’s campaign was dogged by a series of off-field controversies which suggested Johnson had lost control of the squad.
“The off-field things during the World Cup didn’t help. We gave people the opportuinity to report on us as they did. But it’s not a kneejerk reaction,” Johnson said.
After England had struggled to win their opening pool match, coming from behind to beat Argentina, Johnson — England’s 2003 World Cup winning captain — allowed his players a night out in Queenstown, having said beforehand he would treat his squad like “adults”.
But the night out became infamous for images of senior player Mike Tindall apparently drunk in a Queenstown nightclub.
Tindall, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter Zara Phillips, was fined and dropped from the England squad for his conduct relating to the drunken night out.
Players were also fined for “inappropriate” remarks they made to a female member of hotel staff in Dunedin.
At the time, Johnson defended Tindall, who was forced to apologise for misleading the England management about his movements that night.
The off-field antics continued to hit the headlines even after England were knocked out of the tournament, as Manu Tuilagi was detained by police and fined by his England bosses for leaping off a ferry into Auckland harbour.
Johnson was appointed to his high-profile post three-and-a-half years ago despite a lack of senior coaching or management experience, with then Rugby Football Union (RFU) chairman Martyn Thomas saying he had been brought in to “instill a discipline and direction in the squad”.
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The Crowd Says (15) | Page 1 of Comments
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November 17th 2011 @ 8:54am
john griffiths said | November 17th 2011 @ 8:54am | Report comment
More proof that great players dont make good managers.
November 17th 2011 @ 10:03am
mace 22 said | November 17th 2011 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Maybe he would have made a better coach than manager.
November 17th 2011 @ 11:29am
Colin N said | November 17th 2011 @ 11:29am | Report comment
Before people jump to hasty conclusions, you should ask: was he really a failure? He led England to their most successful Six Nations in eight years, their first away victory againt one of the big SH teams in quite some time (I think that’s eight years as well) and then introduced excellent young players like Foden, Ashton, Youngs Lawes, Corbisiero, Cole, Tuilagi which is something that the two previous regimes failed to do an the reason Johnson started his time in the role in a mess – he effectively had to build from scratch.
Again, he had a plan, a structure to build England. He made mistakes, none more so in the World Cup but at least he’s laid a platform for the next incumbent to build upon, again something Johnson never had when he took the job.
November 17th 2011 @ 12:55pm
mattamkII said | November 17th 2011 @ 12:55pm | Report comment
very well said Colin.
November 18th 2011 @ 12:29am
Ben S said | November 18th 2011 @ 12:29am | Report comment
Seconded.
November 17th 2011 @ 11:56am
Gary Russell-Sharam said | November 17th 2011 @ 11:56am | Report comment
Too close to the players, he wanted to be still one of the boys with them and that don’t work at this level. And his selections at times were mystifying something like Deans. I wonder who they will get??????
November 17th 2011 @ 12:25pm
HardcorePrawn said | November 17th 2011 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
I had grave misgivings about Martin Johnson at the time of his appointment, and his tenure as manager did nothing to dispel them.
Under him England lost the professionalism of the Woodward era, something that I thought both Andy Robinson and Brian Ashton had managed, or at least attempted, to retain, and returned England to the bad old days of a touring boy’s club: all heavy drinking, party games, and a “what goes on tour, stays on tour” attitude (not something that can be done in these days of digital technology & social media).
I would hope that the RFU will now bring in someone who can re-instil that sense of discipline and pride, so obviously lacking in the team whilst in New Zealand.
I think that the only people who will miss Johnson as manager will be the players themselves, at least, those that still harbour ambitions of boozy old-school tours.
November 17th 2011 @ 12:57pm
mattamkII said | November 17th 2011 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Still amazes me that a bunch of blokes acting like normal blokes are hung out to dry…..while the w@nkers who leak the images and stories are patted on the back.
November 17th 2011 @ 1:12pm
mattamkII said | November 17th 2011 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
oh, and then keyboard and bar talk hero’s buy into the over dramatization of the stories, mount their high horses and talk about how shocking the behavior is… all the while ether acting the same in their private lives or no doubt in the past.
November 17th 2011 @ 5:09pm
Mike said | November 17th 2011 @ 5:09pm | Report comment
“I would hope that the RFU will now bring in someone who can re-instil that sense of discipline and pride, so obviously lacking in the team whilst in New Zealand.”
Perhaps the RFU need to face up to their own share in the responsibility first.
November 17th 2011 @ 10:43pm
Ben S said | November 17th 2011 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
‘Under him England lost the professionalism of the Woodward era, something that I thought both Andy Robinson and Brian Ashton had managed, or at least attempted, to retain, and returned England to the bad old days of a touring boy’s club: all heavy drinking, party games, and a “what goes on tour, stays on tour” attitude (not something that can be done in these days of digital technology & social media).’
Really? Do tell.
November 18th 2011 @ 10:13am
thurl said | November 18th 2011 @ 10:13am | Report comment
Did the bad old days ever leave. The English toured NZ as Johnson was appointed coach, but he didn’t actaully make the trip. Rob Andrews was in charge and there were serious off field allegations of a sexual nature on that trip too.
November 18th 2011 @ 12:09pm
mattamkII said | November 18th 2011 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
Is there such a thing as the bad old days let alone a return to it? or is it just touring?
I’ve been fortunate to spent plenty of nights out with some of the games biggest names. Most of the things the English guys have be copping stick for are just run of the mill….not just for pro rugby players but for any bloke with a decent/fun social life.
Fact of the matter is the media simply followed the English team trying to cause trouble.
November 18th 2011 @ 12:24pm
kingplaymaker said | November 18th 2011 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
Looks like the RFU will do anything to get Mallett, as there seem few obvious alternatives:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/twickenham-goes-hammer-and-tongs-to-entice-mallett-6263914.html
November 18th 2011 @ 12:56pm
Colin N said | November 18th 2011 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
I don’t know why the RFU would want Mallett, he took Italy backwards during his tenure.