'I was cheering for Australia. I did not know any better'
Scotland centre Sam Johnson insists he is a different person from four years ago – for a start he no longer supports Australia.
The Queensland-born Glasgow centre is looking forward to his first taste of World Cup action on Sunday when his side kicks-off their Pool A campaign against Ireland.
Back in 2015, however, he was celebrating the Dark Blues’ controversial exit at the hands of the Wallabies as referee Craig Joubert’s blunder robbed the Scots of a place in the semi-finals.
But Johnson – who qualifies for Gregor Townsend’s team having spent four years at Scotstoun with the Warriors – says his days of cheering on the Aussies are over as he looks to go all the way with this new countrymen.
“I had just arrived in Scotland,” he said as he cast his mind back to that fateful evening at Twickenham. “I was living in a little club flat in Earl Street in Scotstoun. I remember watching that game.
“But I am a different person to the one I was four years ago.
“I was just this kid who had come from Australia so I was cheering for Australia. I did not know any better.
“I had no idea what was going on. I am a completely different person now. I was watching it on my own. I didn’t know anybody back then.
“To be honest I was not taking as much notice (with what happened on Joubert’s mistaken offside call that handed Australia the winning penalty). It happened at the line-out so I had no idea what was going on. I just saw a penalty.”
But Johnson is certain about what he believes Scotland should aim for in the weeks ahead.
“I think you’ve got to look to the top,” he said. “We’re aware of the challenge that’s going to be awaiting us against Ireland this weekend and we’re focusing on that game.
“They are number one in the world but we’re confident. We’ve just got to put as much pressure on their half-back pairing of Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton as we can.
With just under 4 days to go until the #RWC2019 kicks off in Japan, England great @NeilBack sits down with RugbyPass' @jimhamilton4 to recount his Rugby World Cup Memories https://t.co/Mc0QXJ9IuH
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 16, 2019
“They’re world-class players but we’ll deal with the threats that are in front of us and have a crack.”
Johnson and the rest of the Scotland delegation have been soaking up as much of the Japanese culture as they can since touching down at their training camp in Nagasaki last week, with an evening at the sumo wrestling next on the agenda.
But it will be soon time to turn attention firmly to Ireland and having faced this weekend’s opponents already this year in the Six Nations – when his first Test try was not enough to prevent a 22-13 defeat – he knows the 2018 Grand Slam winners will be no pushovers.
Watch out Ireland – Finn Russell reckons there is an 80-minute performance due in Scotland https://t.co/kB8uePOaxi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2019
He said: “I went to the atomic bomb museum in Nagasaki. It was a sobering experience but an interesting one too.
“We’ve had a game of golf and today we’re off to the Sumo wrestling.
“It’s important to enjoy your down time. It’s a long tournament, one which hasn’t even begun for us yet.
“The hospitality in Nagasaki when we had the welcoming ceremony and the lengths the Japanese people went to was really great. You could say over the top but in a good way. It was really cool.
“The Welsh had 15,000 fans turn up at their training. We haven’t really experienced those numbers as yet but we’ll have 74,000 fans inside the stadium in Yokohama on Sunday so it’ll feel pretty special.
“We’ll know we’re in a contest. The thing I took from game when we played Ireland earlier this year is they are such a physical team. A lot of their work comes off Conor Murray with Johnny Sexton orchestrating from in behind.
“So we’re expecting a hugely physical encounter – but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the flair our wide break you on the edges.
“The weather might dictate the terms of play but definitely we’re expecting them to bring their physicality this weekend.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
8 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
8 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
8 Go to comments