TJ back firing on all cylinders

By Nick Warren

Tom Johnson says he has done everything he can to win a place in Exeter Chiefs’ starting XV during pre-season.

The flanker was out of action this time last year as he waited for a neck operation, and only featured seven times after returning to fitness.

However, the England international has played a full part during the build-up to the 2015/16 campaign, and got 80 minutes during last weekend’s 59-14 win against Bath.

Dave Ewers, Ben White and Thomas Waldrom dominated the back-row last season, winning rave reviews.

Competition is even stronger this time around with Julian Salvi signed from Leicester.

And Johnson says, whichever combination the coaches choose, he knows he has given his all.

“It’s nice to have nearly completed a whole pre-season, I don’t think I’ve missed many training days, which is pleasing” said the 33-year-old. “There are so many options in the back row for the coaches and there are so many good players there that you just try to put your best foot forward and I’m trying to do as much as I can at the moment, so I feel reasonably pleased with where I am in a rugby sense.

“The coaches will go with what they want to go with, but whatever happens I will know I have tried my best. It’s a case of looking after what you can control, which is looking after yourself, and then go from there.”

Johnson and his team-mates have spent this week away from the club, with the former Coventry player having gone in three days to keep his conditioning up.

It is just the latest break the players have been given to keep them mentally and physically fresh, in addition to spending time with the Royal Navy in Dartmouth earlier this month.

And Johnson revealed head coach Rob Baxter told the players they could earn this week off if they impressed in training and in their first two warm-up games.

“Although they had us in very early, they’ve given us a fair bit of time off at the right time,” Johnson said of pre-season.  “We did a big conditioning block, then had two weeks off, then Rob said that if the two pre-season games went well and we were fit enough, they’d look to give us another week off.

“It was a good incentive and made sure no one went through the motions in pre-season, knowing you can put everything into training and the matches safe in the knowledge the coaches and conditioning staff were going to look after you and give you another week off.

“The boys have been bouncing for a little bit. Even two weeks ago we had a week when we went down to Dartmouth. They say a change is as good as a break and it really is for us, it’s not having to go into training in the same place every day, and they’re pretty good at doing it.

“I don’t think you’ll see many fatigued boys around the place, especially after this week.”