Martin Johnson refuses to back down in club v country row
Relations between the Top 14 and the England national team have become increasingly frosty over recent days following Martin Johnson’s refusal to allow several of his squad members to leave the forthcoming international training camp for a few days.
The England head coach is keen to have all 32 of his players at the training camp for the entire five weeks, as the national team prepares for the autumn internationals against New Zealand, Australia, Samoa and South Africa.
But Stade Français are unhappy with Johnson’s reluctance to release James Haskell and Tom Palmer for a crucial Top 14 match against Clermont Auvergne, while Toulon are aggrieved that Jonny Wilkinson has also been denied permission to travel back to France to face European champions Toulouse.
Unfortunately for both French clubs, only with Johnson’s consent can the trio team up with their employers. Each player has a clause in their contract which states that the clubs must release their players for international duty, and there appears to be little that Stade Français and Toulon can say to persuade Johnson to do otherwise.
Although the Top 14 fixtures take place on October 30th and England do not play their first autumn international until November 8th, Johnson is keen to have his whole squad together for the whole five weeks, injury free and fully focused on the job in hand.
And a statement from the RFU confirmed that Johnson has every right to demand his players remain in the international training camp.
“We’ve had commitments from the players and their advisers that they have the necessary clauses in their [club] contracts, so that they’re available for all England training and test weeks,” the RFU said to The Times yesterday.
It seems that barring a change of heart from Johnson, this is one particular club v country row with only one conceivable outcome.
Much to the huge frustration of both Stade Français and Toulon.
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