Martin Johnson, the architect of England’s 2003 World Cup triumph, has urged head coach Steve Borthwick to consider granting key players a complete break from this summer’s tour, suggesting such a bold move could be pivotal to replicating that success in Australia in 2027.
The former captain and head coach pointed to the explicit precedent set over two decades ago. In 2002, England travelled to Buenos Aires and beat Argentina with a squad featuring only eight of the men who would lift the Webb Ellis Cup a year later. Johnson himself was among the senior players rested from that tour, a strategic move he believes holds merit for the current cycle.
The Modern Load and a Lions Captain
Johnson is acutely aware that player conditioning has advanced, but argues the relentless, year-round schedule is a greater burden than ever. “The rugby season’s just non‑stop. You don’t get a two‑month block of training which would put a lot of people in a good place,” he said. For Johnson, a true “off season” is not merely rest, but the only period a player can make significant physical gains.
His advice carries particular weight regarding Maro Itoje. The lock was appointed England captain by Borthwick in January 2025 and is also set to captain the British & Irish Lions on their 2025 tour to Australia—the first Englishman to lead the Lions since Johnson did so 24 years ago. “If it’s the right thing for a guy who’s just had a big Lions tour to have a summer off and not go on the trip, that’s just managing your player with the World Cup in mind,” Johnson stated.
This puts the England management in a complex position. Borthwick, who replaced the sacked Eddie Jones in December 2022, is under pressure after a Six Nations campaign that delivered four defeats and a fifth-placed finish—England’s worst in the tournament’s history. Yet his stated ambition is to win the 2027 World Cup, where England are drawn in Pool F alongside Wales, Tonga, and Zimbabwe. Balancing that long-term goal with the short-term demands of July Tests against sides like South Africa, Fiji, and Argentina is, as Johnson knows from his own time as coach, a formidable challenge.
The Pragmatic Limits of Planning
While advocating for strategic management, Johnson offered a starkly pragmatic counterpoint to meticulous long-term planning. “I love it when people talk about planning – ‘we’re aiming to peak for the final’ isn’t much good if you get knocked out beforehand,” he said. “You can plan all you like but then you get three phone calls one weekend telling you that three of your best players are injured. Where are your plans now?”
He emphasised the unpredictable nature of tournament rugby, where unheralded players often emerge as stars. This philosophy stands in contrast to the approach of his predecessor, Eddie Jones, whose high-win-rate tenure was marked by bold, long-term planning, but ultimately ended in decline.
Regarding England’s recent form, Johnson was blunt. “We know they can play well but they just didn’t for three games. They’ve got to work out what that’s about and sort it out.” However, he found a clear point of fascination in their final Six Nations fixture against France in Paris. “That last game … wow. I’ve not seen a game played at that pace, ever,” he admitted.
Johnson believes France are evolving the game itself. “If you didn’t get them under pressure their transition game just ripped teams to pieces,” he observed, a view corroborated by his son Henry, who came off the bench for the England Under-18s side recently thrashed 63-33 by their French counterparts. “My lad came off the bench and said France did all their damage from kick returns and transitions,” Johnson noted.
Johnson made his comments while training for the Race to the Slater Cup, a charity cycling event where teams captained by him and Mike Tindall will race to Villa Park. The event supports the 4Ed Foundation, established after former player Ed Slater’s motor neurone disease diagnosis, and also aims to aid Lewis Moody, another former international battling MND.
“I don’t think we know enough about these things,” Johnson said of the disease, highlighting ongoing research efforts. The UK government has pledged £50 million over five years towards MND research, with charities like the MND Association and the collaborative UK MND Research Institute driving further scientific inquiry.
