No doubt where Johnson loyalty lies in Far East

FROM cheering on Australia against Scotland in the controversial 2015 World Cup quarter-final defeat to pulling on the dark blue jersey in the tournament four years later. Things have certainly changed for Sam Johnson. After qualifying through residency, his loyalty is with the land of the thistle but don’t question his Aussie allegiancies. Born in Queensland, Johnson makes no apologies for cheering on the land of his birth in that neverto-be-forgotten last-eight clash at Twickenham. Johnson (below) had only just signed for Glasgow Warriors in 2015 and was alone in his flat watching the game when referee Craig Joubert wrongly awarded a last-gasp penalty to the Wallabies. Everybody knows what happened next. Bernard Foley drilled the kick through the posts and Scottish hearts were broken. Johnson was one of the few happy people in Scotland that fateful day. ‘I am a different person to the one I was four years ago,’ he smiled. ‘Back then, I had just arrived in Scotland and was living in a little flat owned by Glasgow Warriors in Scotstoun. ‘I remember watching that quarterfinal on my own as I didn’t really know that many people. I was just this kid who had come to Scotland from Australia, so I was cheering for Australia. I did not know any better. I had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen in the future. ‘To be honest, I was not taking much notice when Australia got that late penalty. It happened at the lineout, so I had no idea what was going on. I just saw a penalty that won them the game.’ Breaking into the Warriors first team was his only aim when he was signed by head coach Gregor Townsend from the Queensland Reds. The possibility of playing for Scotland after fulfilling a three-year residency period never entered his head. But his game flourished first under Townsend and then his successor Dave Rennie. Now Johnson is one of the first names on the Scotland teamsheet for the Pool A opener against Ireland on Sunday. ‘Like anybody does at 21 years of age, it took me a while to adjust to being in Scotland,’ said Johnson, who won the first of his six caps against Italy in this year’s Six Nations. ‘But because Glasgow is such a good management team, and that is at Scotland now with Gregor and Matt Taylor, it made things a lot easier for me to settle at Glasgow then helped me make the transition to playing for Scotland. ‘I have matured a lot over the last four years and I realise I am involved in a professional sport and it is something you don’t just muck around with and just try and turn up and play at the weekend. The biggest thing is to be professional. It is a dream come true for me to be playing for Scotland and at the World Cup. ‘If I hadn’t been a rugby player I would probably be a tradesman like a lot of my family back home in Australia, so moving to Scotland opened up so many experiences for me.’ Johnson, 26, was playing his cards close to his chest over who he will start alongside in the centre against Ireland, with Duncan Taylor firm favourite. The pair are a very good fit, although Johnson maintains there are other good candidates. ‘Dunc is easy to talk to on and off the field,’ said the man who was born in Dysart in Queensland. ‘He is a laid-back type of guy. Dunc being a bit more mature and has been around the game longer than me. In saying that, I am rooming with Chris Harris who could potentially be playing at 13 and has been really good over the summer especially. ‘Then there is Peter Horne, who I go to a lot for advice and to talk through different scenarios. We will see what Gregor and his coaching team come up with at the weekend.’ Johnson remains confident Scotland can get their campaign off to a winning start against Ireland despite Joe Schmidt’s side going into the match as favourites and ranked No 1 in the world. ‘We are playing them on neutral territory, so I think that levels out the playing field,’ said Johnson. ‘I think their kicking game is going to be a huge strength for them, especially if the weather is going to be wet. ‘We’ve just got to put as much pressure on their half-back pairing of Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton as we can, as they are worldclass players. We’ll deal with the threats that are in front of us and have a crack.’ Johnson and the rest of the Scotland team spent their day off yesterday at the sumo wrestling, which has overshadowed the build-up to the World Cup. The Autumn Basho is one of the highlights in the Japan sporting calendar and tickets are like gold dust. ‘David Edge, our team manager, was out there at 5:50 yesterday morning trying to get our tickets and he has done a really good job,’ said Johnson. It is one of those experiences when you are over here in a different country you have got to make the most of.’