'We won one, but I lost two and it's horrific and terrible'
World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson believes this England squad have their best rugby ahead and urged them not to dwell on their Rugby World Cup final heartache.
South Africa lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy in Yokohama after a 32-12 win over Eddie Jones’ men.
England were favourites heading into the final after a stunning last-four victory against New Zealand, who had won the 2011 and 2015 editions.
It means Clive Woodward’s team from 16 years ago – captained by Johnson – remain the only northern hemisphere side to have won the World Cup, but the 49-year-old believes the nation should not feel all doom and gloom.
“Sometimes you need a little bit of time to reflect after a World Cup and for the players hopefully a lot of them will be there in four years time and get another shot at it,” Johnson told the PA news agency.
“I am sure they probably won’t over analyse it because they go straight back into playing when they get home.
“This team hopefully has its best rugby ahead, not behind it. For someone to beat the All Blacks, they were going to have to play very well and England did that, but South Africa played their best game to beat England.
“I felt for the boys, I felt for the fans, but that is the nature of it. You have to be there in the last game and grab it and we didn’t quite do it.”
Johnson knows how it feels to lose at the World Cup to South Africa, after England were knocked out of the 1999 tournament following a quarter-final defeat to the Springboks.
“You have to find a way to win no matter what it takes. If you get in trouble, you’ve got a World Cup winners’ medal.”https://t.co/iEM0FTsxse
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 6, 2019
He conceded it is not talked about often – given the former Leicester lock guided his country to success in Australia four years later – but warned Owen Farrell’s squad this feeling will hurt for a while.
“We won one, but I lost two and it’s horrific and terrible. The 1999 one was hard because we felt we hadn’t played as well as we could and we lost to South Africa, like these boys in a slightly different way,” Johnson said.
“We felt we hadn’t landed our punches and it was gutting. It was deeply gutting for a long time and it took a little bit of time to fully get over, but when we got back together as an England team and winning again and playing well, that is the remedy.
Why fans fear the Saracens salary cap saga could negatively impact on England in 2020https://t.co/rjEBO5d73Z
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
“I don’t think sitting around too long and thinking about what could have been does you any good. It’s probably not that healthy.”
The next opportunity for this England team to win silverware will be in February in the Guinness Six Nations.
Jones, who has a contract with the Rugby Football Union until 2021, will be the man in charge for the opener in France and Johnson feels the Australian should stay as head coach for now.
“He will be gutted and I felt for him. Eddie gets a mixed press, but ultimately he is a guy who has coached teams to World Cup finals, but has not won it as a head coach,” the 49-year-old said.
“I did feel for him as I did for everyone in English rugby and they will need to rebound. They will need to get together.
The Australian is still hugely popular among England fans. #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/E85YdVawZ2
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 4, 2019
“You crack on and Eddie will be there for the Six Nations and there is nothing like the intense local rivalry of that tournament to get you back on track.”
Former England head coach Johnson praised Farrell ahead of Saturday’s final and is sure he and many others will be better players for the experience in Japan.
He now called for more talented youngsters to be blooded over the next four years before France 2023.
Johnson added: “Hopefully most of the players will still be there and in the next two or three years we can find more young guys like Tom Curry, Sam Underhill and Kyle Sinckler, who came in after the last World Cup because you always need the next generation coming through.
“The current guys have now got some experience and Farrell too, two tournaments and a final so they have played in the biggest game there is.
“Experience is a great thing and hopefully they improve. You should be a better player when you have 50 caps compared to when you had 10.
“As long as you are physically holding up, you should use that experience to be better and then you go back to confidence and you learn to deal with those situations and those pressures.
“We had the burden of expectation, which is a big one because as soon as you are the underdog it makes it easier.
“South Africa had the underdog tag. Everyone was telling them they would get beaten heavily and it’s such fantastic motivation to be written off.”
Martin Johnson was speaking at the launch of UNTUCKit, who design shirts specifically to be worn untucked – www.untuckit.com
Comments on RugbyPass
Bell 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.
13 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?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to comments