BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | English | Johnson eyes Twickenham coronation



By James Standley BBC Sport Online

Martin Johnson's natural habitat may be the Tigers' lair of Welford Road, but he never looks more commanding than when surrounded by the towering stands of Twickenham.

The Leicester captain has performed some stirring feats in the West London arena.

But he was absent last June as Gloucester overcame West Country rivals Bristol to win the Zurich Championship.

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To be honest it is unlikely that Leicester's failure to win that bit of silverware really mattered to the oh-so-competitive Tigers captain.

In all bar the sponsors' eyes, Leicester were already the champions of England after winning the Premiership well before the daffodils had finished blooming.

The aim is to be as successful as we were last year

Leicester captain
Martin Johnson

The Midlands outfit then went on to retain the Heineken Cup to confirm their status as the dominant club side in the northern hemisphere.

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But if Johnson is not back at Twickenham in May 2003, that perpetually glowering countenance he wears on the field is likely to spread to other areas of his life as well.

This year the champions of England will be the team that wins the Zurich Premiership final.

Heading the Premiership table at the end of the season will mean nothing at all, or so the authorities would have you believe.

Surprisingly perhaps, Johnson is a big fan of the end-of-season play-offs, and thinks this year's model is a vast improvement on last year's controversial effort.

Martin Johnson poses with the Zurich Premiership trophy on the pitch at Twickenham
Johnson gets to grips with the Premiership trophy

But he has also grown accustomed to captaining the champions of England, and he has no intention of that changing this year, as the Tigers go on the prowl for their fifth title in a row.

"The aim is to be as successful as we were last year," Johnson told BBC Sport Online.

"It's going to be very competitive again this year. We'd love to retain the trophies we won last year but it is going to be very difficult."

The Tigers have added French prop Franck Tournaire and Irish scrum-half Tom Tierney to the already potent brew, with winger Gareth Raynor due to arrive from rugby league in October.

However, the champions have lost fly-half Andy Goode to Saracens, and that means Austin Healey will get a chance to claim the number 10 jersey.

"Austin's obviously a great option for us at 10 - he played fantastically well for us in the European Cup final," said Johnson.

Austin Healey slices through the Munster defence during Leicester's 2002 Heineken trophy victory
Healey starred in the Heineken Cup final against Munster

"I think the more games he plays there the better he'll become."

Healey's maverick skills could help ignite the Tiger's back line this season, but Johnson is the ultimate club man and he knows that Leicester's unity is the key to their success.

"We've got a good work ethic I think, the guys work very hard for the success they've got and we've got a very good team spirit as well," he said.

"Add to that good coaching and great support off the field from the crowd, and it all adds up to the success we've had."

Last season Gloucester may have won the end-of-season finale, but it was undoubtedly Leicester who were champions.

This season Johnson intends to remove any uncertainty by ensuring it is him lifting the Zurich Premiership trophy at Twickenham come May.


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