Rugby Union: Gibbs Says Johnson is the Leading Player of His Generation

Martin Johnson is the leading player of his generation who will take his place among the all-time greats of the game when he makes his expected announcement on Saturday to retire from international rugby after 84 England caps and three Lions tours.

That accolade was made last night by the former Wales captain and centre Scott Gibbs, who was a Lions team-mate of Johnson's in 1993, '97 and 2001. He believes the only player of the modern age who comes close to Johnson as both a player and leader is the former Australia second-row John Eales.

"Johnson's place among the elite of those who have played the game was assured long before England won the World Cup," said Gibbs. "England will miss him but their opponents most certainly will not. He is one of those guys whom you want in the trenches with you but he is a pain in the arse to be up against.

"It is always hard to make comparisons with those who played in different eras but where Johnson indisputably made his mark in history was in straddling the amateur and professional eras and excelling in both. I remember him joining the Lions tour to New Zealand in 1993 as a fresh-faced 23-year-old but you knew then he was going to be around for a long time.

"He never said much and he was not a charismatic captain like Will Carling or Lawrence Dallaglio but players followed him. He shaped his team and his mantra of never taking a step backwards was adopted by everyone in an England jersey. Coming second has never been for him."

Given the profound effect Johnson has had on world rugby as both a player and captain, it is worth recalling that, when he was appointed the Lions' captain in South Africa in 1997, at a time when Dallaglio was leading England, the decision was greeted publicly with less than rapture.

"He was the perfect choice," said Gibbs, "an imposing figure knocking on the dressing-room door of the opposition and someone who towered over referees, never slow in giving them the benefit of his opinion.

"I shared a room with him on a number of occasions and he never said much; he did not need to. It was always the look with him and he would never ask anyone to do something he would not."

Johnson will occupy a prominent place in international rugby's hall of fame as one of the players who dominated his era and shaped its events. Gareth Edwards is regularly voted as the greatest rugby player ever but it was Barry John who set Wales on the way to their golden age in the 1970s and who tormented the All Blacks in 1971 as the Lions won a series in New Zealand for the first time.

Mike Gibson exercised a sim ilar influence with Ireland and the Lions, Sean Fitzpatrick personified the All Blacks for a decade after the inaugural World Cup in 1987, Francois Pienaar was South Africa's talisman after they emerged uncertainly from the apartheid era, Jean-Pierre Rives, for all the caps won by Philippe Sella and Serge Blanco, is arguably French rugby's most significant post-war player, while Gavin Hastings at times seemed to shoulder the hopes of Scotland on his own.

New Zealand had Colin Meads in the 1960s, South Africa boasted Johannes Marais and Morne du Plessis, and Tony Shaw helped guide Australia from the international wilderness in the early 1970s and Jonah Lomu ushered in the professional era by making his mark not just on opponents and the game itself but by giving it a wider exposure.

"The ultimate for a player is to be respected by your peers," said Gibbs. "Johnson is, which is why the other five countries in the Six Nations will be delighted if he confirms his retirement from the international game.

"He was England's key player in the World Cup. Jonny Wilkinson got all the plaudits but Johnson was the one who kept them going after some uncertain starts. He has been at the top for 11 years now and his body must be battered.

"What impressed me about him was the way he adapted to the modern game while never forgetting where he came from.

"He is one of those players who do not come around very often. He can have a couple of years with Leicester free from distractions before exchanging his jersey for a tracksuit. I just wish he had been born Welsh."

The five all-time greats

Barry John (Wales)

Jean-Pierre Rives (France)

Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand, right)

Mike Gibson (Ireland)

Martin Johnson (England)

Bubbling under

John Eales (Australia), Jonah Lomu (New Zealand), François Pienaar (South Africa), Gavin Hastings (Scotland), Gareth Edwards (Wales).