England legend Martin Johnson believes the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will stick with Steve Borthwick through to the next World Cup, while reserving his own opinion on the prospects of the under-fire head coach.
And Johnson, who captained England’s only men’s Rugby World Cup winning team in 2003, says Borthwick needs to make clear that no player including current skipper Maro Itoje is undroppable.
Johnson, who is participating in The Race to the Slater Cup – a cycle ride to support MND research and raise funds for his former team-mate Lewis Moody – had a curry dinner with the England squad during the recent Six Nations which they finished in fifth place after an unprecedented four losses to Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France.
The results led to speculation over Borthwick’s future as head coach – a role Johnson held at the unsuccessful 2011 World Cup following his stellar 84-cap playing career.
Asked by The i Paper if he would stick with Borthwick through to the 2027 edition, Johnson said: “That’s not my decision to make. After the first game of the Six Nations [when England beat Wales 48-7], if you’d said people are going to be calling for Steve’s head in three weeks, people would have looked at you strangely.
“The world’s very reactive nowadays. A couple of bad results and everyone wants change.
“I think they [the RFU] will stick with him. I think what we saw against France last weekend is the levels they [England] can get to.
“And we knew that was higher than what we’d seen before. What a game of rugby that was. That was mixing it at the very highest level. But then you’ve got to understand that is the level, and if you want to be world-class, if you want to be successful, that’s the level you’ve got to be at, game in, game out. And that’s a difficult thing.
“There’s only certain players who can deal with that, and you’ve got to find out who they are. Everyone’s at risk.
“People think when you’ve been there for a long time, when you’ve got to 50 caps or whatever, you’re sitting there and you think you’re undroppable. No one’s undroppable at that level and that’s the way it should be.”
And that would include Itoje, the incumbent captain, and any vice-captains? “No one is untouchable,” Johnson replied.
“What’s the best thing any player can do? Captain or no captain, it’s play well. And you’ve got to encourage that, as a player, because the next people coming through, you’ve got to encourage them to say you’ve got to play well and force your way into this team. That’s when you’re in a great squad, because it’s super competitive, and that drives everyone on.
“Someone right up your backside for selection is the incentive. There are 18 months to go, and there’ll be some guys that we’ve never heard of will turn up and be stars in that tournament, and likewise guys we expect to be there who won’t be.”
Asked if his dinner visit to England’s Surrey hotel – “it was an exotic take on a curry” – between the Ireland and Italy matches indicated his support for Borthwick, Johnson said: “If the England coach asks old players to come in, what are you going to say? You’re not going to say ‘no’, if he thinks it’s going to be helpful.
“It’s up to the players what they take out of it. It’s the same hotel we used and it’s almost like seeing yourself 20 years ago.
“Steve knows what’s going on. He knows what injuries guys have got, where they are mentally. Then you get a phone call one weekend and three of your best players are out for six months with injuries.
“So a lot of the time in that position, you’re reacting to what’s happening. I think there’s a good depth of player but they have to make that step to being a proper Test-match player, and consistency is a big part of that, through a long, tough season of rugby.
“The national teams in football, rugby, cricket… they belong to the nation. We all want them to do well. Do I want some bloke poking his head out when I’m walking along the street after the Scotland game, giving me grief? Of course not. We want to be successful. But I also understand. We’ve been there, when you want to win and you don’t.”
Johnson is leading Team Leicester in the Race to the Slater Cup against Gloucester counterparts over two 50-mile courses from Welford Road and Kingsholm to the match venue of Villa Park, with MND sufferer Moody among the riders alongside several former Tigers forwards.
“I think we are the heaviest cycle team in history,” Johnson said with a smile. “But if you’re on the flat, it’s all about power. So we’re hoping for flat.”
