Johnson 'right man for the job'

A former Shropshire rugby coach and close associate of Martin Johnson has hailed his appointment as England's new team manager.Sam Rossiter-Stead, who coached at Bridgnorth and with county sides, spent five years working alongside Johnson during a spell as Head of Communications at Leicester Tigers.

He believes England's World Cup winning captain has plenty to bring to the table as he prepares to embark on his new role.

"I'm not surprised at all because Martin has got the best rugby brain of his generation," said Rossiter-Stead speaking from New Zealand where he is now working as media spokesman for Wellington Hurricane.

"His great strength is the way that he can analyse the game.

"People look at Martin Johnson with his furrowed brow, grumpy demeanour and the aggressive way he played the game and think that his half-time team talks for England and The Lions would have the paint coming off the walls.

"But they were very calm and he would spot things out there on the pitch that coaches would struggle to spot in the stands.

"It's a great appointment."

Rossiter-Stead is also pleased that Johnson has been given the freedom to appoint his own backroom team after Brian Ashton was dumped as the team's head coach.

"Martin Johnson is all about success and he knows the best chance of achieving that is if he has got leeway to do things the way he wants to," added Rossiter-Stead, who spent time with Johnson in New Zealand last year and has also sent the new England manager a congratulatory text message.,

"He will analyse everything from top to bottom and will find the best way to take English rugby forward."

Meanwhile England flanker James Haskell has welcomed the appointment of Johnson but also paid tribute to departing head coach Brian Ashton.

Wasps star Haskell warned it will take "hard work to get England back where they used to be".

He praised the appointment of someone of the stature of Johnson, who captained England to World Cup glory in 2003.

"I think Martin Johnson was a fantastic captain, a great stalwart of English rugby," Haskell said.

"He epitomised everything that was good about England and led the country to a World Cup win."

However, Haskell believes England were beginning to get it right in recent games and insisted Ashton should not be made a scapegoat.