Upbeat Johnson keeps it simple

MARTIN JOHNSON is getting very good at all this. This being communication – to both the media as well as conveying coherent messages to his players.

The memory of Johnson slamming his fists up in the stand two years ago is fading as his England team close in on what would be a first Grand Slam since his last season as a player in 2003.

Yesterday, at England’s base at the Conrad Hotel, he calmly switched the focus onto Ireland and off his young players.

“The pressure is probably on them in a way. In this situation I think our guys are as excited as they have been before a game this year. We see it as an opportunity.”

Considering England became an even more inexperienced team with the loss of captain Mike Tindall – Nick Easter will lead them today – meaning there is no on-field representation from the World Cup and Grand Slam side of eight years ago, we seek elaboration to this statement.

“Ireland have had a couple of disappointing results, haven’t they? Before the championship they were almost coming in under the radar. I thought it was set up for them to have a good year. It hasn’t quite gone their way . . . But there is not a lot of difference from being two (wins) and two (defeats) or four and zero.”

The Johnson way has always been bluntly simple. This morning he will drill the basic principles of this game into his players, who clearly believe in him now.

“Everything just comes down to performing. Big game, little game. Favourites, not favourites. It all comes down to the same thing. It is what you hear the coaches talk about when they have lost; is that they haven’t executed, that they have made too many mistakes. It all comes down to the same thing.

“And days like tomorrow it is about being able to control the ball in the heat of the battle. When it is fast and frenetic. Do that and the chances will be there. Then you convert the chances.

“You do those things and all those other things take care of themselves, like winning games. Whether that leads to winning championships, Grand Slams, Millennium Trophies or whatever else . . . Triple Crowns.”

Has the pre-match protocol been handed to the England manager to avoid the, eh, problem when Johnson as captain pitched up on the right side, the home side, of the red carpet in 2003?

“We are walking out to the left, apparently,” he replied.

Johnson was not biting on that bait, nor was he interested in post-match protocol should Ireland win as England will still be crowned Six Nations champions.