Despite being England’s inspirational captain at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Martin Johnson did occasionally hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Standing at 6ft 7” the giant lock was a true enforcer on the pitch and was known to throw the occasional punch if he felt the opposition deserved it.
While much of his earlier days in the sport were not televised, here are a few examples of his dirty antics on the field
Reacting, one fan wrote: “I’ve met Martin a few times in our city, he really is a giant of a man, some players escape red cards just because of who they are, and I think Martin was one of those players.”
“Guy was an absolute monster. I remember someone from the Lions saying – if we were in the trenches, he would be the first man I’d want beside me,” said a second.
A third commented: “I’m a proud Welsh man, Jono may be a bit rough, but IMO in his day was the best sporting captain on the planet.”
Martin Johnson Scraps:
1. Doddie Weir
After an argument breaks out at a scrum, Leicester lock Martin Johnson lands a punch on the chin of Scottish lock playing for the Barbarians Doddie Weir during their match in May 1999 at Twickenham.