Wing in revealing mood as Johnson looks for dressing-room leaders
Paul Sackey talks to The Observer about Martin Johnson's England and having the freedom to express himself on the pitch.
"For Johnson, the idea that the present England side lack the core of experienced players that was a feature of the team when he first played has become the theme of his more considered post-mortem on the autumn internationals. He talks about the start of his England career and walking into a dressing room where players such as Will Carling, Rob Andrew and Brian Moore exuded a reassuring air of stability and experience. No such nucleus exists now.
"Maybe prompted by Johnson, Sackey also refers to the absence of battle-scarred veterans when faced with the charge that England's problem in November was that they appeared to lack direction or a coherent plan. "No, we had a plan – we just didn't execute it well," he says. "I know the 2003 World Cup side did exceptionally well, but for a team to get to that level they have to have played together for a while and no one remembers that in the years leading up to winning the cup they were in the same position that we are now.""
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