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'There is no better feeling': Scotland's Sam Johnson dreaming of rugby fans' return following Rangers celebrations
Sam Johnson has jumped on the Rangers bandwagon and now the Scotland centre hopes to help Gregor Townsend’s team get their Guinness Six Nations bid rolling again. The Australia-born Glasgow ace has girlfriend Eilidh to thank for adopting Steven Gerrard’s title winners as his favourite football team following his move to Scotland in 2015.
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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has lambasted the club over the wild weekend celebrations which marred their crowning as kings of Scotland for the first time in a decade. But the sight of thousands of fans gathering at Ibrox has got Queenslander Johnson dreaming of the day when fans can return to rugby grounds as well as soccer stadiums.
The Scotland ace – who qualifies on residency grounds – said: “My partner and her parents are season-ticket holders at Rangers and big Rangers supporters. I jumped on the bandwagon too. I actually live next door to (Rangers defender) Filip Helander but I’m a bit too scared to say hello and well done. I’d say that I’m more of a bandwagon supporter than anything else.
“When it’s legal and appropriate to do so it would be nice to get back to that sort of thing (with fans cheering us on). I suppose they are getting a bit of stick from the government which is not for me to comment on. But hopefully soon we can get back to having fans in the stadium soon and enjoy rugby a lot more.
“There is no better feeling. I actually think to an extent the adrenalin you get from having fans in the stadium affects performance. It is hard to do that, build that artificial energy that you hear on the pitch, so the quicker the fans can come back the better.”
'You don’t want what happened in the autumn when France played their second or third team'https://t.co/vZWS0OopqF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 8, 2021
Johnson, who signed a Glasgow contract extension in January, will disembark the Gers bandwagon this week as he looks to get Scotland motoring again on Sunday. Victory over England in this year’s Six Nations opener saw the Dark Blues record four straight championship wins for the first time since 1990, but they have hit a bump in the road since that famous Twickenham triumph.
A potential win against Wales was thrown away after Zander Fagerson’s red card while they have now been left playing catch-up with the rest of the competing nations after their clash with France in Paris was postponed. They return to action this weekend against Ireland and Johnson is keen to kick-start the Scotland campaign.
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He said: “We are looking to continue the momentum that the boys have built recently. I was in camp for that France week so it was really disappointing not to play that game. I wasn’t involved in the first two weeks but from the outside looking in, it looked like everyone was happy, enjoying each other’s company and just wanted to play for each other.
“We know the test that is going to come against Ireland. We seem to face them quite a lot over the last couple of years and they have probably had the upper hand. But I feel quite a lot of things have changed in camp and we’ve prepared well this week. Now we’ll give it our best shot on Sunday.
“We know what to expect from Ireland. They will come with a big physical forward pack and they have a bit of flare out wide. Whoever wins that physicality battle, whether it’s gain line or breakdown probably wins the game so that’s a massive area this week.”
'I was struggling to balance my work and rugby – it was becoming too much'
Vet and @Scotlandteam back Hannah Smith on taking a sabbatical to pursue Olympic glory & her brother's decision to step away from pro rugby – w/ @Gav_S_Harper ??? #IWD2021 #IWD https://t.co/0dUPRPqcoM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 8, 2021
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