Ashley Johnson to make first Wasps start since failing drugs test
Ashley Johnson is to make his playing return just over a week after becoming eligible to play the sport again following a failed drugs test earlier in the year.
Wasps have a friendly against Pro-14 outfit Connacht at Athlone Park on Saturday, and the South African backrow has already earned a started berth.
Johnson was given a six-month ban after testing positive in February for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide.
At a hearing conducted by the independent national anti-doping panel, the long-serving forward advised he mistakenly took his wife’s fat burner ‘the Secret’ rather than his own legitimate supplement ‘Nutrilean.’
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The hearing concluded that Johnson acted without intent, finding “no significant fault or negligence” on his part and decided six months to be an appropriate period of ineligibility, which ended on August 6.
Speaking last month, the 119kg looseforward said: “I was horrified when I got the test results and once we tracked back and worked out I had inadvertently taken the wrong tablet.
“I completely accept that I am responsible for everything in my body. Drug use is not something I would ever condone, and from now on I will be extra vigilant at all times.
Director of Rugby David Young will also hand Wasps debuts to six new signings.
New Zealand Maoris winger Ambrose Curtis, powerful centre Michael Le Bourgeois and flyhalf Billy Searle all claim places in an exciting backline.
Meanwhile, England Saxons lock Charlie Matthews plus back-rowers Joe Atkinson and Ben Morris wear black-and-gold for the first time in the pack.
And this number could increase to nine should England international prop Kieran Brookes, former London Scottish centre Ross Neal or England Sevens product Callum Sirker make their Wasps bows from a 12-strong bench.
Rob Miller and Marcus Watson join Curtis in a pacy back three while Juan De Jongh partners Le Bourgeois in midfield and Joe Simpson teams up with Searle at half-back.
Exciting prospects Tom West and Will Stuart partner England international Tommy Taylor in the front row, with Will Rowlands and Ashley Johnson, who captains the side, completing the forward pack.
The Coventry based side are familiar with Connacht. “We have seen plenty of them in the last few years and are expecting a really good work out,” David Young told the media today. “Our line-up for this first game does not include any England summer tourists or our more recent new arrivals. We hope to involve some of them against Ulster at the Ricoh next Friday evening.”
Wasps team to face Connacht at Dubarry Park, Athlone (3pm kick off)
15. Rob Miller
14. Ambrose Curtis
13. Juan De Jongh
12. Michael Le Bourgeois
11. Marcus Watson
10. Billy Searle
9. Joe Simpson
1. Tom West
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Will Stuart
4. Will Rowlands
5. Charlie Matthews
6. Ashley Johnson
7. Joe Atkinson
8. Ben Morris
Replacements –
16. Tom Cruse
17. Ben Harris
18. Kieran Brookes
19. Tim Cardall
20. Tom Willis
21. Will Porter
22. Jimmy Gopperth
23. Gaby Lovobalavu
24. Ross Neal
25. Josh Bassett
26. Callum Sirker
27. Kearnan Myall
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments