Johnson goes it alone on sleaze

By Charles Sale for the Daily Mail
Updated: 13:09 EST, 3 October 2011

England rugby boss Martin Johnson has chosen to front up alone to all the sleaze troubles surrounding his team, despite the huge resources available to the RFU.

The wisdom of Johnson taking full responsibility for explaining his players’ serial misdemeanours is debatable if it diverts the manager’s focus away from the World Cup campaign on the pitch.

Barrister Richard Smith QC, a specialist in crime and sport who travels with the squad, was listening to every word Johnson said in defence of his beleaguered outfit at a press conference on Sunday but only from the sidelines.

Fronting up: Martin Johnson faces the media and answers questions over the off the field activities

Smith says he is there to offer consultation when asked and not to brief Johnson about his media duties.

Yet Will Chignall, the head of the RFU’s thoroughly disjointed communications team, was also in the conference room in Auckland’s  Heritage Hotel, but also stayed on the periphery.

Chignall said: ‘Martin has made that call because it’s on his watch. But that doesn’t mean he’s not getting advice.’

There is added PR confusion with outside agency Juniper Sports speaking for the RFU and Zara Phillips in the UK but not for her husband Mike Tindall, who misled people over his Queenstown night out by saying he could not remember where he went.

In addition, the RFU meltdown over the performance director role has left a leadership void just when Johnson could do with high-level assistance from any of the RFU top brass in New Zealand, who include Rob Andrew, head of professional rugby, the union’s chairman Paul Murphy and president Willie Wildash, disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett and the management board’s Bill Beaumont.

Samoa get it in the mouth from IRB

In stark contrast to Samoa being fined £5,000 for a player wearing a  non-tournament sponsor branded mouthguard, World Cup hosts New Zealand were let off with a warning after the team arrived for a match sporting headphones blatantly promoting adidas.

The IRB say Samoa were serial offenders. 

Haskell's video nasty

It will cause further embarrassment to the RFU that England players’ filming of Dunedin hotel worker Annabel Newton being ‘humiliated’ by lewd sexual comments can be linked to James Haskell’s World Cup video diary, officially sanctioned by Twickenham and funded by England kit sponsors O2.

Camera man: James Haskell has been filming a video diary for the RFU, sponsored by O2

Even after Haskell, Dylan Hartley and Chris Ashton were reprimanded, there have been further O2 online uploads of Haskell’s ‘japes’.

Spencer has marriage on his mind

RFU management board powerbroker John Spencer will have more on his mind than England’s dysfunctional World Cup when he arrives in New Zealand this week, for he is getting married for the fourth time.

The Sky City Grand Hotel in Auckland will be the venue on October 12 when he weds Amanda Taylor, whom he met at Yorkshire's Wharfedale Rugby Club.

Kiwis' poor excuse

New Zealand’s warning that they might not be able to afford to compete in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England comes after they negotiated a substantial pay rise for playing at Twickenham.     

The All Blacks and Australia are receiving £1.5million each for taking part in Tests during England’s autumn international series, much to the upset of RFU councillors who believe there was a lack of consultation.

Pay rise: New Zealand have been given more money to play in the Autumn internationals

The numbers, which are almost double Australia’s previous match fee, were finalised by former RFU chief executive John Steele before he lost his job.

All Blacks chief executive Steve Tew has threatened the 2015 boycott because of IRB sponsorship restrictions.

Government to give running track guarantee

The IAAF inspectors for the 2017 athletics World Championships — meeting the London bid delegation of Lord Coe, Boris Johnson, Hugh Robertson and Margaret Ford on Monday — will receive a Government guarantee that the running track will stay at the Olympic Stadium whatever happens in the legacy dispute involving West Ham, Tottenham and Leyton Orient.

That pledge in writing is what Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is demanding before he withdraws interest in Stratford.

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