![\"johnson\"](\"http:\/\/www.therugbyblog.com\/content\/uploads\/ashley-johnson.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLondon Wasps have enjoyed a sensational turnaround in their fortunes this season. What has changed?<\/p>\n
Their maturing crop of youngsters are now regular first team starters or have even higher honours. Joe Launchbury is now an established England starter, while Billy Vunipola, Christian Wade and Elliot Daly feature in the current England Saxons squad, awaiting their own first caps. <\/p>\n
The club also recruited well last summer, with the return of England stars James Haskell and Tom Palmer. Seasoned international veterans Andrea Masi and Stephen Jones also joined the ranks as fitting mentors to Wasps\u2019 young and upcoming home-grown backline contingent.<\/p>\n
Another new signing has gone quietly about his business, leaving the majority of the headlines to his team mates. Ashley Johnson, the former Free State Cheetah number eight capped three times by South Africa, is a pretty terrifying, imposing player on the pitch; always taking the ball at full speed and hurling his body into opposition defenders, without much regard for his own personal safety. He is however very different off it; softly spoken, always grinning, and much more of a gentle figure to the person you recognise on the field of play.<\/p>\n
He has a calm demeanour and is very honest about the club\u2019s improvements this season. \u201cDai (Young) has brought in some new faces but he brought a lot of young guys in last year like Billy (Vunipola), Sam (Jones), Elliot (Daly), Christian (Wade) and Joe (Launchbury), which was character building for the team. A lot of the success this year can be attributed to what the team went through last year. Lessons were learned and the team has learned from its mistakes.\u201d <\/p>\n
In terms of Premiership imports this season, Johnson, whose childhood hero was the South African 1995 Rugby World Cup winner Chester Williams, is up there with the very best newcomers to the Aviva Premiership. His performances have improved game by game, as he adapts to the tempo of European club rugby.<\/p>\n
He talks of the striking similarities with the atmosphere that exists at Wasps and what he experienced at Bloemfontein. \u201cThe Cheetahs are a small community and you feel like the guys you play with are friends. It\u2019s the same here. We\u2019re not a big squad but everyone does their job and knows that they need to contribute to the team\u201d. <\/p>\n
A shift to the blindside to make way for Billy Vunipola, who is heading to Saracens next season, at the base of the scrum hasn\u2019t had a negative effect on Johnson\u2019s form and he believes he has developed even more as a player at Wasps. \u201cBilly and I have a good understanding about our roles in the team. We have a quality back row \u2013 the competition is quite tight but I love playing with the guys and I\u2019ve learned a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of his time in South Africa he admits he has a slight regret at not being quite ready to face the British and Irish Lions in 2009. \u201cI was a fringe, young player. It\u2019s a regret I have. It\u2019s one of the main games that South African, Australian and New Zealand players target, a once in a lifetime opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was not a disappointment that the former Paarl Gymnasium, a school also attended by Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers, student appeared to dwell on. A series of powerful displays in the Cheetah\u2019s 2009 Currie Cup campaign led to the then South African coach, Peter De Villiers, selecting Johnson for the 2009 end of year European tour and he appeared in midweek matches against Saracens and Leicester. <\/p>\n
It was not until 2011, in a Tri Nations test against Australia in Sydney that he finally made his first international appearance for the Springboks. This is undoubtedly Johnson\u2019s most special moment as a professional rugby player. \u201cThere are hundreds of thousands of rugby players back home \u2013 for you to be selected for that day means that you\u2019re one of the best 15 guys in South Africa. Just to sing the national anthem was the biggest highlight in my career.”<\/p>\n
He is not focusing on a return to international rugby but believes his English adventure will stand him in good stead in the run up to Rugby World Cup selection in 2015. \u201cIt was one of the reasons why I moved – getting familiar with the conditions here. If I get selected I can contribute to their success and to that campaign. It\u2019s going to be invaluable to get one or two guys that have experience of these conditions.” ![\"johnson\"](\"http:\/\/www.therugbyblog.com\/content\/uploads\/johnson-2.jpg\")
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Realistic goals are the focus for Wasps for the remainder of the campaign. \u201cWe want to keep improving, take it game by game and give ourselves the opportunity to make the top six. If we play well and if there is a chance of making the top four in the last rounds we\u2019ll certainly go for it but the top six is the overall aim.” <\/p>\n
Appearing in the Heineken Cup would fully justify his decision to move to English rugby. \u201cI want to test myself in all competitions. To play in the Heineken Cup would be another challenge to face the best of the best.”<\/p>\n
He will have an opportunity to test himself against a European powerhouse in two months\u2019 time when Wasps face Leinster in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter finals. \u201cIt\u2019s a big challenge. We\u2019ll definitely fill Adams Park. It\u2019s going to be an amazing occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Considering that their side narrowly avoided top flight relegation, and entering administration, at the end of last season, Wasps fans will be more than satisfied with a top six finish in the Aviva Premiership. They will also not be too concerned with Billy Vunipola\u2019s end of season departure. Ashley Johnson and his back row mates will cope.<\/p>\n