Martin Johnson involved in another club v country row
Another set of England internationals and another club v country debate involving head coach Martin Johnson.
Little over seven months on from March’s row with Stade Français, over the release of flanker James Haskell, the England manager has once again angered various French clubs after demanding that his oversees players attend a training camp between 24th October and November 6th.
The problem lies with scheduling in France’s top-flight league – the Top 14. Haskell is once again at the centre of the tug-of-war, joined this time by his Stade Français teammate Tom Palmer, while Jonny Wilkinson is also required to leave his employers, Toulon, in the lurch.
The England trio are all due to play for their respective Top 14 clubs on October 30th – something which Johnson is not prepared to allow. He wants his entire 32-man squad to be fully prepared for England’s matches against New Zealand, Australia, Samoa and South Africa this autumn. Following last year’s disappointing series of autumn internationals, it’s no wonder why.
Haskell and Wilkinson are both important players to Johnson’s ambitions over the forthcoming weeks. And after shouldering the brunt of the criticism for last November’s sub-standard performances, Johnson is determined to have his best players readily available to him to avoid a similar backlash.
Wilkinson’s Toulon are unhappy because they face European champions Toulouse at the end of October, while Stade Français are due to play Heineken Cup challengers Clermont Auvergne on the same day. However, Johnson is unsympathetic. As the three players all have clauses in their contracts which enable England to call them to international duty, Johnson knows that the ball is in his court.
The two French clubs are frustrated that the trio aren’t being released for club duty, despite the fact that England don’t play their first international match of the autumn until November 6th against New Zealand. In theory, this would give the three England players time to recover and be fit for the All Blacks match, but the threat of injury is one of the key factors why Johnson is reluctant to entertain the idea.
Stade head coach Michael Cheika was understandably disappointed at Johnson’s handling of the situation.
"I have been speaking with Martin Johnson and asked him if he would allow us Palmer and Haskell back from camp for a couple of days to enable them to play on October 30," Cheika told The Times.
"He said no. That line of communication is closed. The players were told that they have to guarantee their attendance for the entire duration of the camp by Friday or they will not be considered for selection for England.
"We are discussing the situation with the players in an honest way. We don't want to put the spotlight on to the players or place them in an impossible position. I just wonder what Martin Johnson would have said to anyone who told him he would have to miss a game for Leicester to go into camp."
The three England internationals now face being caught up in the middle of another bitter club v country row. And the fallout of this incident could well prompt the International Rugby Board to review their current laws with regards to when international teams can demand the services of their players – and also when they’re forced to take a step back.
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