Martin Johnson came out of retirement, almost hit somebody after losing - Ruck

Martin Johnson came out of retirement, almost hit somebody after losing

Martin Johnson brilliantly came out of retirement for his local team in 2011 and almost ended up in a scrap, as always, as his team fell to a 24-17 defeat.

Richard Lainchbury, who played for the Harborough veterans side, said: “He may be a World Cup winner but he’s never played for Market Harborough first team, so he still had to prove himself.

“The game was played in the right spirit and he’s certainly not lost any of his intensity.”

Tim Rogers, whose birthday celebration it was, said: ‘’I invited Martin to come back as my guest and play alongside some of the players from Welland Park and Robert Smyth he would have played with when he was much younger. He was happy to agree.’

“He played one half and had a good run around. No-one exerted themselves too much and the match was played in good spirits. He didn’t look happy about losing and almost had a scrap, but that’s why he was one of the best,”

Clubhouse manager Garry Brewster added: “Martin was asked to play and he was available so he said yes. I didn’t see much of the game because I was working behind the bar but from what I did see he looked very good. He knows the tricks of the trade.”

“I asked the players what it was like playing with Martin and they said that at our level he could still play really good rugby.

“He played in the back row with Jon Stamp and Nick Allsop. They all used to play for Robert Smyth School. It might be the last time those three play together in the same team, so it was nice to see it.

“We had three other games on at the club that day so there were lots of players around. When Martin walked in there was a real buzz about the place. It was a fantastic day for the club.”

Main image credit: Newsteam

Martin Johnson facts:

  1. Johnson comes from a sporting family. His great-grandfather was a wrestler. His younger brother Will is also a former back row forward for Leicester. 
  2. He briefly played American football for the Leicester Panthers as a tight end or defensive end.
  3. Johnson was selected for the New Zealand under-21 side which went on a tour of Australia playing a side that included another of the all-time great lock forwards, John Eales.
  4. His first job wa working in a nuts and bolts factory as a schoolboy

5 international rugby stars you DIDN’T KNOW are still playing

#1. Phil Vickery (England)

  • Age: 46
  • Total caps:78
  • Last appearance: vs New Zealand (June 2014)

The World Cup-winning tighthead has played in four or five charity games this season and doesn’t appear to have lost a step.

He retired with 73 England caps and five Test appearances for the Lions, three of them against Australia in 2001 and two versus the Springboks in 2009.Advertisement

Although he missed the 2003 Grand Slam campaign through injury, Vickery returned to play a key role in England’s World Cup triumph in Australia.

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