'I wanted to be away from everyone, wanted to withdraw from the club' - Ashley Johnson's drugs ban battle
Ashley Johnson has lifted the lid on how he positively coped with the mental trauma of his six months drug ban. The South African was suspended last year after mistakenly ingesting one of his wife’s fat-stripping tablets instead of his own legal supplement.
However, he has since re-established himself as an important player in the Wasps set-up, even skippering the team whenever Joe Launchbury has been absent.
It’s an honour he never envisaged a year ago when plunged into despair after testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide. He was out in the cold, embarrassed by what had happened and left at a loose end.
He has strongly come through the ordeal, though, featuring 20 times this season for a club that even offered him a contract extension in December. Quite an endorsement for a player whose could have come out the other side of his ban a broken man.
“Mentally it was really tough. My mental health was challenged, so it was just awesome to be in a really good space to come back and perform at the level I know I can,” said Johnson to RugbyPass.
(Continue reading below…)
“It’s a tough old situation. Mental health is something, especially from a rugby player’s point, that is being talked a lot. When you go away from the squad it’s a very lonely place and you have to deal with stuff on your own.
“The RPA [Rugby Players’ Association] was amazing, just to put a hand over my shoulder and make sure I knew what to do if I need to talk to someone. It was just about surrounding yourself with people who know who you are, friends that support you, positive reinforcement all the time. It’s just being around people.
Ashley Johnson news update…https://t.co/ESGSWs5gZB pic.twitter.com/zWl0o1CSmj
— Wasps Rugby (@WaspsRugby) July 26, 2018
“I wanted to be away from everyone. I wanted to withdraw from the club, withdraw from all the players and they did the opposite. They all came and said, ‘Listen, come to the club whenever you can’. It was just being around the boys away from rugby because I obviously wasn’t allowed to be at the club for rugby.
“They said, ‘Listen, we can still go for a beer, you’re still part of this club, still one of our mates’. The boys were brilliant. They supported me so much. Even just a little text, a little hand on the shoulder.
“Then when I came back I wanted to do it for them. I wanted to be in a really good place where I could contribute and show them the same love and faith they showed me when I went through that difficult period.”
It was last September at Worcester when Johnson made his comeback. Nervous? You bet. “Yes, I was a bit nervy,” he recalled. “I’m not naturally confident but I have confidence in my own ability. Having been out of the game for a while it was always a bit of a gamble.
“I could have come back and really, really played badly, but I worked hard. It was a tough period. Six months to reflect on what happened, but it also gave me time to reflect on my career and actually realise I haven’t achieved anything with Wasps yet.
“There are some good memories (since 2012) and some great stuff, but the ban awakened something inside of me that I’m not done yet in my career, I’m not done yet at Wasps. That just fed my hunger.
“I want to do so much for this club. I owe so much to Dai (Young), owe so much to the boys who supported me during that difficult period. All I want to do is contribute in any way. Dai’s an amazing man, a great coach, but first and foremost he’s a guy that looks after the people off the field. He’s one of those coaches that wants to make sure that life off the field is good.
“His wife April is also amazing, just making sure my missus was handling the situation really well. He was really supportive, always trying to put a humorous spin on everything. It was great to have him in my corner. I would really go to the end of the world for him and do anything he asks because of the faith he has shown.
“I’m quite a loyal person. A lot of rugby players and clubs, it’s not about loyalty, but Wasps have been so loyal towards me, especially during that difficult period, that the least I could do when they offered a contract extension was to sign.
Here's how we're looking as we head into a European weekend 👀@ExeterChiefs seal a semi-final spot 💪@gloucesterrugby and @Harlequins swap places 🔀@SaintsRugby up ✌️ spots to fifth
And it's getting TENSE at the bottom 😬 Can @FalconsRugby escape the drop? pic.twitter.com/i7Dh2qLc99
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) March 24, 2019
“It would have been so easy to say, “Listen, I will go somewhere else”. But the club is amazing towards me. Since I came, Dai has been awesome and that trust is something you can’t get overnight. They trust me and I trust them. Not only Dai, but Derek (Richardson, the owner) and everyone at the club.”
Wasps, however, are enduring a spring-time slump. The loss of their last four matches has seen them drift to eighth on the table, a dozen points shy of the top-four cut-off. It means a win over Worcester next Saturday is an imperative.
“It’s a bit of a tough period but if you have got the right people around you, the right people trusting each other and still doing the right job, it has to turn sometime,” reckoned Johnson, now in his seventh season in England after earning his stripes at the South African Cheetahs. “With injuries and a lot of players away on internationals, it was unlucky we couldn’t pull all those close seven-point games into wins.”
Johnson was a willing contributor the other night when a Wasps delegation held a Gallagher Premiership Train with your Heroes session with the Kenilworth Ladies rugby team. Passing on advice is something he’s keen on doing at any level. “It’s important for senior players to be accessible. As a junior I found it quite difficult going up to the senior boys and saying, ‘Listen, how do you do it, tell me what the secret is?’
“You always get one or two really cocky juniors that come up and have that world of confidence, but 90 per cent are very much in their own bubble and very shy. From a senior perspective, I like to be accessible to these boys, just have a little bit of breakfast with them and not only sit at the senior’s table. The conversations can then start naturally.
“I don’t think I have got all the answers but if I can help guide those boys it would be just amazing because in a couple of years’ time they will be the next boys in the Gallagher Premiership. We want to grow strong and independent guys who will the next day be the future of England and of Wasps.”
We’re excited to be here @kenilworthrugby for the @WaspsRugby leg of @GallagherUK @premrugby #TrainWithYourHeroes – rain is holding off so 🤞🏻 for a great session 👊🏻🐝 pic.twitter.com/V95dHUHxd9
— Wasps Community (@WaspsCommunity) March 27, 2019
The back row, who is also adept at playing hooker, is well versed in coaching, helping out Broadstreet RFC whose grounds Wasps use as their own training centre. He’s also a regular on the Barkers’ Butts sideline whenever his 10-year-old – one of his three boys – is playing.
Fully aware of the frequent talk surrounding player safety, he believes kids would benefit from learning all the skills they need for adult rugby at an earlier age rather than having certain aspects restricted until they are older.
“I have been at games where a kid gets his neck or shoulder hurt and it’s never nice. You can see the parent has their heart in their hand for a split second and he then gets up. I totally understand where everyone is coming from in terms of safety and that should be the No1 factor always.
“But at the same time, being a parent I also want my kid knowing the correct technique in terms of scrummaging, of tackling, of rucking and the longer you wait for that the shorter the amount time he has to own that skill before he turns 18 because in prolonging that trying to be safe they don’t risk the players more.
“As a parent I want my kid to be exposed more and be taught the right techniques earlier, so when he is 18 and it is full on and the boys are bigger, that he uses the right techniques. When everyone is grown it’s going to be the collisions that are going to be a bit more tougher.
“If they are only learning to tackle and ruck when they are 14 to 16, they only have a few years of growing in that skill whereas if they started doing it at 12 years old they will have a longer period of owning that skill.”
Comments on RugbyPass
You doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
43 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
5 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
5 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
5 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
5 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
5 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to comments