Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson was born in Solihull, England, United Kingdom on March 9th, 1970 and is the Rugby Player. At the age of 54, Martin Johnson biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 54 years old, Martin Johnson has this physical status:
Early career
As a tight end or defensive end, Johnson briefly played American football for the Leicester Panthers for a brief period of time.
In 1989, All Black Colin Meads approached him to try out for New Zealand's King Country team. Johnson's trial run was fruitful, and he spent two seasons for King Country. In 1990, he was even selected for the New Zealand under-21 team, which went on a tour of Australia with John Eales, one of Australia's all-time great lock forwards.
Playing career
Against the R.A.F., Johnson made his Leicester debut on February 14, 1989. The rugby team is based in Ireland. At Welford Road, his Courage League debut came against champions Bath; the Tigers denied Bath a clean season. When he first played in New Zealand in 1990, Johnson did not appear for the first team again until 1990. Johnson's return to Bath was a success on Friday, with the Tigers winning in the third round of the 1990-91 Pilkington Cup, the first cup match for Bath since 1982. Johnson played for King Country in 1990 and was selected to play for the Under 21 All Blacks in New Zealand.
Johnson played for Leicester for only 5 games in the 1990-1991 season, although he did make his Midlands debut. Johnson returned to action in August 1991 as Leicester toured Canada, but Gissing was still favored for the early season club matches. Johnson played 11 games from October to December, but only 5 of the next 26 matches were played. Despite being in the same season as fellow lock Matt Poole, the pair did not begin a game together against Cambridge University until November 5th, 1991. They continued to play together 129 times, a club record for a second row alliance.
Johnson was now well established in Leicester's first choice line up. When the Tigers defeated London Scottish, Nottingham, Exeter, and Northampton to advance to a final against Harlequins, he appeared in every game in the 1992–93 Pilkington Cup. Leicester defeated Leicester 23-16 on Johnson's second attempt after taking the ball from a tap penalty 5 meters out.
In the first game of the 1993 Five Nations Championship, he made his test debut against France on January 16, 1993. He had been summoned to Twickenham to replace the injured Wade Dooley, who was supposed to play in an England 'A' match. Johnson was thrown into the deep end after just a 20-minute line-out session with his new teammates before the game. An early clash of heads with French prop Laurent Seigne left Johnson injured, but he continued to play as England defeated 16-1915. Johnson did not return to England in the Five Nations this season, but he was taken on for an uncapped tour to Canada. After being involved in England's loss to Canada, he was called up again as a replacement for Dooley on the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand. Dooley had returned to England for his father's funeral but was refused by the Lions' own committee to return to the tour. Johnson was involved in the last two tests against New Zealand.
Johnson was an ever-present in the Tigers' quest for the cup final in 1993–94, but Leicester fell short of rival Bath by defeating 21–9. Leicester were also runners up in the league to Bath, although Johnson was involved in 15 of Leicester's 18 games.
In 1995, Johnson won the first of his 5 league titles. During the 1990 season, the league was played in two main blocks with occasional fixtures in between; the first nine games were played on weekends from 10 September 1994 to May 1995; one in February 1995 and another in March 1995; then finishing with 5 games in 6 weeks from 25 March to 29 April. Johnson played in all nine games in the first period as the Tigers defeated Bath 4-7, drew against Bath, and lost to Bristol, leaving them second in the table. Orrell R.U.F.C. vs. Orrell R.F.C. Regular captain Dean Richards and vice captain John Wells were unavailable on January 14, 1995, while vice captain John Wells captained Leicester for the first time. The Tigers beat the Browns 29-19.
He was always present in the England team that lifted the Grand Slam in 1995. The 1995 Rugby World Cup was deemed all important, though Johnson and England colleague Rory Underwood missed Leicester's February league match against Gloucester, where Leicester lost by a second defeat. Johnson played well against West Hartlepool, which saw Leicester go top, and the crucial victories over Bath and Sale were all on display. Because of his work, England's captain skipped the season's last game against Bristol, which clinched the title.
Johnson was an ever-present in England's 1995 Rugby World Cup campaign, winning in group stage victories against Argentina, Italy, and Samoa as well as the quarter final against Australia, with New Zealand losing and the third place play off against France.
Open professionalism was established in August 1995, but the RFU did not announce a moratorium until the next season. Sale, Richmond, and Newcastle Johnson's first professional deal with Leicester in 1996 ended in frustration, a 5-year contract worth "six figures" per year. Johnson left Midland Bank after his time in Birmingham.
The 1995–96 season was another of only missing out to perennial rivals Bath. On the last day of the season, the Somerset side clinched the league; despite Bath only drawing at home with Sale, the Tigers were unable to beat Harlequins at Welford Road, losing 21-19. Full back John Liley had a rough day kicking at goal, missing 6 of 9 kicks, including a last-minute foul that would have ended the match and taken the trophy. After defeating Leicester in the Cup Final, Bath gained a league and cup double. The match is perhaps best remembered for referee Steve Lander's repeated abuse, which cost the match to Bath, and after the final whistle, Leicester flanker Neil Back pushing Lander to the ground.
Although the Tigers were guaranteed to participate in the Heineken Cup's second season, the English clubs were not involved in the first season. Dean Richards was still the club captain in 1996-97, but Rory Underwood captained 5 of the first nine games before Johnson became the regular stand-in captain. In Leicester's debut against Leinster at Donnybrook, he led the team in the short lived Anglo-Welsh League against Bridgend and then again against Leicester in Leicester's Heineken Cup debut against Leinster. Johnson was an ever-present on Leicester's side in the 1997 Heineken Cup Final; Leicester defeated Leinster, Scottish Borders, Pau, and Llanelli in the group stage before beating Harlequins (quarter finals) and Toulouse (semi finals) to advance to the final against Brive. Leicester were behind 8-6 at halftime, but the French team fought back to defeat 28–9.
In the final, Johnson captained Leicester in 12 games, including the 1997 Pilkington Cup Final, which Leicester beat Sale 9–3 in the final. Leicester defeated Bath in the 6th Round, then the quarter finals and semi-finals were contested.
Johnson was chosen to lead the 1997 British Lions tour of South Africa. With Neil Jenkins kicking five goals and Matt Dawson and Alan Tait scoring tries, the Lions dominated the first test at Newlands 25-16. Despite scoring three times in the second test at Durban, the Springboks suffered from some poor goal kicks and failed to land any penalties or conversions, while the Lions' Neil Jenkins kicked five goals to level the scores at 15–15 before Jeremy Guscott dropped a point for an 18-15 lead. Lawrence Dallaglio, putting in a try-saving tackle, beat the Lions 18–15 to win the match 18–15 and the series. The third test at Ellis Park was a match that was too far for the Lions squad, who lost 35–16. Fran Cotton (head coach), Ian McGeechan (head coach), Jim Telfer (assistant coach), and especially Johnson as captain was seen as a triumph for the Lions' leadership.
Leicester's captain was named after returning from the triumphant 1997 Lions tour. With the Heineken Cup and Leicester's quarter-final play-off after finishing second in their group, which included Leinster, Toulouse, and Amatori Milan, the season got off. The Tigers defeated the Italian side twice but lost away to Leinster and Toulouse at home. Leicester beat Glasgow 90-19 in the quarter final play-off, but lost in the quarter final proper away to Pau. In the Allied Dunbar Premiership, the Tigers were a mixed bag, winning 12, losing 8, drawing 2 games, and finishing fourth. Following Bob Dwyer's dismissal of Birmingham captain Dean Richards in February 1998, Johnson's replacement, as Leicester captain Dean Richards, was named as Director of Rugby.
There was no English involvement in the 1998–99 Heineken Cup due to a dispute between the English clubs and the European Cup organisers; this resulted in an extended Premiership of 14 clubs and 28 games. The Tigers started the new season well with a 49–15 victory over Harlequins and victories against London Scottish, Northampton, and Bedford, putting the Tigers at the top of the table at the end of September. In rounds 5 and 7, Tigers lost to 3rd in October; Leicester regained the table after victories over Richmond and West Hartlepool, but Leicester never to lose the tie despite losing to Wasps two weeks later. In the quarter finals of the cup, two dreams of the double were shattered by Richmond, who received a white card (at the time indicating ten minutes in the sin bin) and the Londoners scored their two tries in a 15-13 victory. Johnson was sin binned again this week, this time against Northampton's nearest competitor, but even with Pat Howard's sin binned and Leicester down to 13 men for a time, Johnson's play was outstanding. In the penultimate match of the season away from Newcastle Falcons, Mathematically Johnson's second English championship title was sealed. Johnson's form was so good that he was dubbed Player of the Season by the Premiership.
Johnson, the England captain, by now, has missed the 1999 Rugby World Cup for the first time. In the 7th game of the season, he played for a 12-all draw against Newcastle, leaving Leicester in 4th place. Johnson continued to miss much of the season, including the start of the Six Nations, due to an Achilles tendon injury. Leicester defeated Bedford in March in March Johnson in the first nine games of the league season, with Leicester winning the Premiership trophy.
Leicester, who had dominated domestic rugby for the past two years, was desperate to salvage their 1997 Heineken Cup Final loss and win their first European championship. Northampton Saints had won the title for the previous season, with perennial rivals Bath claiming the honour in 1998. In the Heineken Cup pool, the Tigers were drawn with Pau, Glasgow, and Pontypridd. Johnson was in the first four games of the series, winning at home to Pau and then to Glasgow before losing in Wales to Pontypridd, which was quickly recovered a week later at Welford Road. Johnson was one of only three current players named in Leicester's Team of the Century on November 9, 2000.
Johnson missed the final two pool games and the quarter final against Swansea due to a five-week suspension picked up against Saracens in the Tetley's Bitter Cup quarter final. Leicester were already at the top of the table, with 11 points clear of Northampton in second place at this time. On 10 March 2001, when the Tigers defeated Northampton at Franklin's Gardens and Johnson's fourth English league title was officially sealed, the gap was reduced to 18 points.
With the domestic title firmly established, Johnson led Leicester to the Heineken Cup semi finals against Gloucester. Despite Johnson's time in the sin binge, Leicester prevailed 19-15 to advance to the final of the Parc des Princes against Stade Francais. Leon Lloyd's attempt gave Leicester a 19–15 win. Johnson was suspended for punching Christophe Juillet again in the semifinals, but the Tigers recovered, winning 34-36 to win their first continental championship. The Tigers had won the inaugural Premeriship playoffs the week before, but they had just sealed an unprecedented treble.
Since beating Munster in 2002, Leicester became the first team to hold a European championship. Leicester also gained their Premiership, with Johnson leading Leicester in the retaining of their premiership. Johnson, who was on the sidelines for the first game of the Premiership season, was postponed for a further two games, not making his seasonal debut against Bath until September 22, 2001. He started Leicester's Heineken Cup pool games against Llanelli and Calvisano, but soon after, he sustained an injury that would keep him out of England's rearranged Six Nations match with Ireland.
Johnson returned to action against Leicester in the Heineken Cup semi finals against Llanelli, but the season had to be interrupted by a suspension that was not postponed in a game against Saracens. The ban was controversial because the RFU didn't have the right to hold the hearing, the incident being traced and dealt with by a sin bin at the time, and that after deciding to prohibit Johnson, it was only allowed for Leicester games to be played as soon as England's games reopened.
Johnson, who returned to Leicester after the Six Nations, helped Leicester win their fourth straight title against Newcastle on April 13, 2002 at Welford Road. Leicester defeated Leicester two weeks later in the Heineken Cup semi finals against Llanelli in Nottingham. Tim Stimpson's penalty, which hit both the newspaper and the cross bar before going through the posts, was the Tigers. The Tigers are back, winning 15-9 against Munster in the final; the match is best remembered for Austin Healey's appearance and Neil Back's treatment in a last-minute scramble on the Tigers' line. Though Johnson had a try of his own after ten minutes, the Tigers also had a first minute score from Freddie Tuilagi out.
After defeating Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, he became England Captain John Pullin and Will Carling in 2002.
The 2003 Six Nations Championship marked the start of the international season. Johnson appeared in four of England's five games, including victories over France, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland's Grand Slam decider against Ireland. This was a great success, the first England Grand Slam since 1995, was followed by a fruitful 2 match tour to New Zealand and Australia. England's first match was a 15-13 victory over the All Blacks, when the 6-man England scrum held off sustained pressure to win England's first match over the All Blacks in New Zealand since 1973. Johnson comrades in the game commotion to "get down and shove," he told them. When asked what was going through his head in the scrum, he replied "my spine." Johnson also performed at a remarkable level in England's second match, beating Australia 20-17, bringing former Australian Captain John Eales (who retired in 2001) to commend his appearance as one of the best ever by a lock forward." They advanced to the 2003 World Cup, where they won critical matches against South Africa, Wales, and France, defeating Australia in the final with an extra time drop goal.
Johnson played for Leicester until 2005. Leicester struggled after winning the 2002 League and European double, then falling to sixth place in the 2002-03 Premiership season. When the 2003 Rugby World Cup was in Australia, Johnson and Co. were focusing on the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Melbourne, finishing in 11th place as world champions returned to their 11th position. Dean Richards was fired after John Wells' assistant took over. The 2004–05 Heineken Cup was led by Wells to Leicester's 5th and qualifying rounds. Johnson, along with Neil Back, who was also retiring, and Wells, who was leaving Leicester to join the England coaching staff, announced that this was going to be his last season. The Tigers dominated the table and advanced to the 2005 Premiership Final against Wasps, but lost 39–14. Leicester secured the quarterfinals against Leinster but were defeated 27-19 at the Walkers Stadium, but Toulose defeated them 27-19.