MARTIN JOHNSON gave as strong an indication as possible yesterday that when the British Isles tour New Zealand next year, they will do so without him — as a player, at least. The former England captain, who retired from international rugby after victory in the 2003 World Cup, gave three reasons why he would not make a fourth Lions trip.
Speaking at the launch of the 2004-05 Zurich Premiership season at Twickenham, Johnson said that it would be difficult to step back to international level from the club game and that competition in his position of second row was particularly strong. “Have I the ambition to go on the Lions tour?” he added. “Right now, probably not.
“I’m not going to say I’m not available but I think it would be very unlikely. The summit of my ambition is for Leicester to succeed.”
Johnson is likely to start for his club against Sale Sharks on September 5, the Premiership’s opening weekend, though whether all England’s leading players will do so is in some doubt.
The agreement between the Premiership clubs and the RFU requires all elite players to have an 11-week break during the summer and those who played against Australia on June 26 could be ruled out of the opening weekend or restricted to a bit-part.
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Bath are concerned over the possible absence of Mike Tindall, Steve Borthwick and Olly Barkley, while London Wasps, the champions, could be missing six players, headed by Lawrence Dallaglio, and are already struggling with injuries. Gloucester have better news of Phil Vickery, the England prop, who has had a back injury but could be playing by October.
With the National League first division season only ten days away, Rotherham’s future remains undecided after a meeting between RFU representatives and two of the consortium seeking to take over the Yorkshire club.