Is Martin Johnson Suffering From ‘Tony Adams Syndrome’?

by Alex Dimond

 

MJ — All part of the masterplan?

 

Another Six Nations encounter, another batch of yellow cards, another defeat for England. The defeat to Ireland at Croke Park may not have been entirely unexpected — indeed, the 14-13 was both a flattering and misrepresentative scoreline — but England’s failure to really perform for much of the match will still be a source of great disappointment.

The real annoyance for many fans is that the team does appear to have some genuine quality in the squad, quality that should be capable of challenging for the Six Nations trophy. The likes of Delon Armitage, Joe Worsley, Lewis Moody, Phil Vickery and Andy Sheridan — to mention a few — will likely be expecting a place in the British Lions squad when it forms later this year. For England, however, these players are simply not reaching their peak.