Hart's final favour

Jonah Lomu

It will be one of the stranger reunions in world rugby - Jonah Lomu's reunion with competitive rugby; John Hart's reunion with coaching for the first time since the All Blacks' ill-fated 1999 World Cup campaign; and Hart's reunion with a lock forward he coached in the 1990 New Zealand Colts - England's World Cup winning captain, Martin Johnson.

Hart will coach Lomu's side - he is the captain - in Johnson's testimonial match which will signal the end of his rugby career.

Hart laughs when asked about his connection with Johnson. "He was a New Zealand Colt in 1990. Mark Cooksley was injured so Johnson was number one lock in the scrum with Blair Larsen [now Takapuna coach in the North Harbour club competition]."

Johnson was playing in the King Country at the time where he was admired by one Colin Meads. "Pinetree put me onto him and I was impressed. Martin came to the Colts trials in 1989, didn't make it then but did the following year.

"I would class him, at that stage, as a raw-boned grafter - not over-skilled but a valuable grafter. He was in the side partly because he told me that he was committing himself to New Zealand rugby."

Hart laughs again. "So he's had the best of both worlds: playing for New Zealand at age-group level and then going home to England. And no, I don't blame him a bit. I probably would've done the same thing in his position."

It should not be forgotten that the 1990 Colts 'test' against Australia was a singular victory for New Zealand. They had not beaten Australia in Australia for 10 years.

While the victory cannot be totally put down to Johnson's presence, Hart says it didn't hurt, either.

"It was one of the dirtiest games I was ever involved with," said Hart. "A couple of Aussie guys went ape towards the end and there were bad things going down. But, as we later discovered, Johnson was perfectly able to handle himself in such scenarios."

Hart's next brush with Johnson came when he was coach of the All Blacks in 1997, playing England at Old Trafford in the test won 25-9 by the All Blacks but where the English flabbergasted the All Blacks by doing a 'victory lap' at the end of the game.

"I think they were thanking the Old Trafford crowd - who were obviously usually a football crowd - but it did come off as a victory lap when our guys had gone inside and were in the changing room."

However, Hart also remembers that match for some Johnson skullduggery which no one else seemed to see but the All Black coach acted on swiftly.

"Justin Marshall was running to a ruck when Martin Johnson dazed him quite badly. It was a bad punch - and I've got to say, a bit out of character. But it was bad - it had to be to daze Justin, not much dazes him.

"It was confirmed by video and I rang Clive Woodward, the England coach. I told him what I'd seen and said we wouldn't cite Johnson (I didn't like citing people) as long as England took some action.

"Clive didn't like being put in that position. So they suspended Johnson for a week."

Hart laughs again: "Well, that got me back, because it meant he missed the test against South Africa but was back when we took them on the following week - and drew 26-26. I should have insisted on a two-week minimum because I think he would have got about six weeks had we cited him."

Hart says he thinks Johnson was powerful then but did not develop into a world-class forward for a few more years.

"He really matured after 1999. We beat them quite comfortably in '99 after taking them on up front, and I think it was after that he became a commanding force in the lineout, the rucks and mauls and developed that real physical presence." Hart is also relaxed about Lomu's re-emergence as a rugby player after his health issues and long absence from the game. He said Lomu has had excellent medical advice and has spoken to him personally.

"My view is that it is Jonah's call. Anyone who has spoken to him can vouch for how much he wants to do this and how he is setting his sights on the All Blacks. There is a slight risk but I have also spoken to the medical people and am satisfied he has had the best possible advice.

"But we have to be careful how we all view Jonah's return - it's a big step back but it is just a step. There will be a lot more he has to do before he gets back to top rugby and I think we all, as spectators, friends and interested parties, have to let him do that without putting on too much pressure or having too many expectations.

"What he is doing is huge but it will not be accomplished in one outing. It's one stage of the mountain he has to climb, and he knows that. We all have to understand it as well."

So will this coaching assignment herald more for the first coach to lead the All Blacks to victory in a series in South Africa?

"No, this will definitely be a one-off. Jonah asked me to do it and I am very happy to - we have always got on well and had mutual respect.

"But it's a festival game and a testimonial game and that's it. I haven't coached since 1999 and won't now. Rugby hasn't been much of a part of my life since then and that's how it is going to stay."

The fallout after that World Cup loss to France has been well-documented and graphically demonstrated the worst excesses of the New Zealand obsession with rugby. All that seems far away now to Hart, who is running his consultancy business in which he advises corporate clients on corporate governance, human resources and marketing.

But just once more into the fray - for Jonah and for that hard-nosed Englishman who looked him in the eye and said he was committed to New Zealand rugby.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY