It seems from this snippet of a report from the Independent that the English press also regarded his, on the field tactics as the actions of a thug.

"Quite a number of rugby hearties thought this was a splendid demonstration of macho intent before the squashing of the Irish team. But then some of them were questionable witnesses because they also thought it was more or less OK for Johnson to cold-cock the New Zealand captain, Justin Marshall, along with quite a few other thuggish outrages.

Personally, I thought it was pretty bad manners and I could not help thinking of the time England's football captain Bobby Moore went up to collect the World Cup from the Queen. His hands were covered in sweat from his world-beating endeavours. So he wiped them down before shaking hands.

When he was asked about it later, he said he just did not recall the moment. He must have just done it by instinct. He had a lot of great instincts, Bobby Moore. One of the best of them was never to confuse movement for action.

Martin Johnson is a formidable rugby player, of course, and his feat of captaincy and playing could scarcely have been more impressive once the action started. But before that he was not so much a leader as a yob".

This report was mirrored by the rest of the English press in 2003, the English Rugby football Union had apologise to the Irish Rugby Board for his loutish behaviour towards the Irish President.