Johnson: I’m fitter now to go flat-out
Worcester v Wasps ASHLEY Johnson is very much a hooker these days but the former Springbok reckons the switch to the front row has made him a better flanker.
The Wasps powerhouse swapped No.6 for No.2 at the start of last season but international call-ups and injuries to Nathan Hughes, James Haskell, Guy Thompson and Sam Jones have forced boss Dai Young to revert Johnson to the back row in recent weeks.
Starting at blindside, the 30-year-old was at his barnstorming best last Sunday against Sale, gaining ground on every carry and helping himself to two tries in Wasps’ 34-24 bonus-point win.
And ahead of their trip to Worcester today, Johnson reveals he is reaping the benefits from his switch.
“I’m still a hooker and once the guys are back I’ll be back in the front row,” he told The Rugby Paper. “It’s just that we were struggling with ball carriers in the back row so Dai asked me to fill in there.
“It doesn’t change much for me now to be honest. Whether I’m at hooker or in the back row, I try to approach the game the same way even if you have to concentrate more on the set piece when you’re in the front row.
“I never think about easing off in the loose when I’m at hooker so I’m fresher to throw in the lineout. I’ve only got one speed and that’s full throttle. We also have a very good squad so I know I can go flat-out for an hour or so and then get replaced by a very good player if I run out of juice.
“My body has changed since I made the switch but it’s been for the better – and I think I’m a better back rower than I was before.
“You take a lot of things for granted when you’re in the back row but I’m better conditioned for professional rugby now. I’m fitter and I needed to be, to be able to play at hooker.
“I’m also less prone to injuries because of all the conditioning work I’m doing. Injuries are always a worry at hooker, especially at the scrum so you work a lot on your neck strength. I’m looking after my body more now.”
Wasps go into today’s game at Sixways with the best attack in the league but it’s their defensive lapses – they conceded 60 points in the past two games – that have caused Johnson to call for improvements ahead of the crucial Champions Cup double header against Connacht next week.
He added: “We’re leaking too many points recently and we’ve got to tighten things up in defence to put less pressure on our attack.
“We can score a lot of points but it’s going to get harder in the winter when the pitches are wetter so we need to be spot on in defence. We had a good first half against Sale but we let them back into the game after half-time. That was pretty disappointing because we know we’re better than that.
“We’ve got some big games coming up but Worcester are the most important for now. We’re desperate to end that threegame league block with a win especially after we lost to Gloucester two weeks ago.
“Worcester played better than the scoreline suggested in Exeter (57-22) so we know it’s going to be a tough game.
“They’ve got a massive pack of forwards and they love to throw the ball around on their new artificial pitch.”