One man bestrode English rugby this year and that man was Martin Johnson according to Paul Ackford in the Daily Telegraph.
"All told, it was quite an achievement because for the first part of 2008, as Brian Ashton was humiliated by a heartless employer, Martin Johnson dominated the rugby pages without uttering a word in public.
"Johnson's role in that sorry saga was blameless. Head-hunted by the RFU to rebuild England's stock after a successful but divisive World Cup, he maintained a dignified silence until the detail was sorted, at which point, on 18 April, he surfaced at Twickenham for his first press conference as England's team manager. For a bloke who had no experience in that role, he was very impressive. He said little of substance that day. There was nothing about the style or composition of his team, no detail on what constituted progress or improvement."
RSS feed
