- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Martin Johnson may have picked three new backs with pace to burn for his first match in charge of England but the hard-headed World Cup-winning captain stressed he was no fan of “sexy rugby”.
Fullback Delon Armitage, wing Ugo Monye and centre Riki Flutey are all set to make their Test debuts, as is lock Nick Kennedy, at Twickenham on Saturday against the Pacific Islands.
Injuries have, to some extent, forced Johnson’s hand with Mathew Tait and Nick Abendanon, either one of whom could have started at fullback, ruled out.
Johnson, on the way to captaining England to World Cup glory in Australia five years ago, had the knack of being able to galvanise his side to do what was required to grind out a win, even when they were not at their best.
It is that pragmatism which the Rugby Football Union (RFU) hope will transfer to the touchline and justify their decision to ditch Brian Ashton, who coached England to honourable defeat in last year’s World Cup final against South Africa, and replace him with a man who has never previously held a senior management post.
Wing Paul Sackey and centre Jamie Noon are the only members of England’s back division to have reached double figure cap-totals.
The rest have just five Test starts between them, thanks to talented halfback duo Danny Care and Danny Cipriani.
Johnson, the only man to lead the British and Irish Lions on two tours, knows that in the unforgiving world of professional rugby union there are no prizes for artistic impression.
“The first aim is to win games. If you do it by scoring more tries and those tries are aesthetically pleasing to people then great,” said Johnson.
“But first we need to win. That is what it is all about and that is where all the coaches are coming from,” explained Johnson, for whom Saturday’s match will mark the start of a month of intensive action with Australia, South Africa and New Zealand all due at Twickenham on successive weekends.
“We want to play in a certain way not because people think it looks sexy but because we think it is the best way to win the game.”
Armitage wasn’t even regarded as among the leading 64 players in England when an initial squad was unveiled in July.
“Did we think Delon Armitage would come in and play full-back?,” Johnson said. “No we didn’t.
“I said to him: ‘It doesn’t matter how you get your opportunity, it is how you take it’.”
That Monye, 25, is playing rugby professionally at all, let alone for England, is extraordinary given that this time last year he was suffering from temporary paralysis as a result of a bulging disc in his back.
“Last year I couldn’t physically walk,” said the London-born Monye, whose parents are from Nigeria. “I couldn’t go to the loo. I felt pretty much like a baby again.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.