Johnson’s first job – watching his back

Apr 23 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

REACTION to the appointment of Martin Johnson as England manager has been euphoric to point of sycophancy.

The former England World Cup winning captain might well be capable of ‘cutting the mustard’ but at the moment he still has a lot to prove; captaincy and management are not the same and only time will tell if the RFU have made the right choice.

What is not in dispute however is the appalling treatment of Brian Ashton who has to all intents and purposes been booted out.

The offer of a coaching post with the England Academy, a post he held with great distinction in the past, is nothing more than an insult to a decent man who has already suffered enough humiliation from a game that is supposed to be for gentlemen.

Although Ashton has as yet not publicly ruled legal action out, word from those close to him would suggest that he might well accept the RFU’s offer. If he does it is the mark of the man that he has shown far more loyalty to his employers than they have ever done to him.

If Johnson, as reported, has been given carte blanche to recruit his own coaching staff why was Ashton given the push before Johnson accepted the role? If anyone was to decide on Ashton’s future it should have been the new manager himself.

That it happened when it did might suggest that there are those at the RFU who were never happy with Ashton in the first place and were hoping he would fail.

One of the great men of English rugby and a former Liverpool prop Fran Cotton has said that at the very least the RFU have been disingenuous but again the question has to asked over the role of Rob Andrew in all this.

He backed Ashton after the World Cup and after the Six Nations while holding discussions with Johnson.

However, the real culprits are the 14-man management board, only two of which – Peter Wheeler and Andrew himself – have ever played rugby at senior level.

It would appear that both Andrew and chief executive Francis Baron wanted to retain Ashton as they felt he was beginning to have some impact but were over-ruled by chairman Martyn Thomas and other amateurs on the board who were less patient and looking for a high profile name and a quick fix.

Money and brash commercialism have unfortunately become the dominant factors at Twickenham and where that happens morals go out of the window.

I also feel for Johnson, who is an honourable man entering this nest of vipers and I believe that he has no personal animosity towards Ashton whatsoever.

He is now in charge and every England fan will surely wish him well with three words of advice. Watch your back!