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Rugby Union

Johnson says he thrives on expectations of winning

20/04/2008

England rugby manager Martin Johnson says he thrives on the expectations of others and hopes to instil that on his new crop of players.

Johnson says dealing with the expectations of a demanding public will be one part of his job but that he also has to help the players perform under the same pressure.

He told BBC Radio Five's Sportweek programme: "There is an expectation on this England team at any time to be successful, and that has only got bigger in the last 20 years since I have been around in the senior game.

"That's a good thing, we should have an expectation to do well and dealing with that as a coach, a manager and a player is a big part of the whole job."

Johnson said he felt sorry for the way Brian Ashton had been relieved of his duties by the Rugby Football Union but claimed it was another example of how results are the most important factor.

The former captain said he knew if he underperformed when he was playing that he could easily be dropped for the next game despite his senior position in the side.

Johnson insisted that was not a negative thing and that there was a fun element to trying to become the dominant force within the game.

He explained: "To win something and be successful is difficult, but it gives you a huge amount of satisfaction.

"Actually striving to be good and trying to win those things is part of it and part of the fun."

Johnson told the programme that after two years away from the game he had been thinking about a return to coaching but thought it would be with a club side rather than at international level.

The 38-year-old said he did not want to regret turning down the England job in case he was not offered it again.

"I did have the enthusiasm and was thinking about where and when and how I would do it," the World Cup winner said.

"Did I think it would be this job? No, I didn't, of course I didn't. But sometimes these things happen and opportunities come your way."

Johnson's first game in charge of the England side will be against the Pacific Islanders on November 8th before matches against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.