Sam Johnson: 'Proud Australian' relishes Scotland opportunity

A little over three years ago, Sam Johnson sat in Brisbane Airport and trembled, a ticket to Glasgow in his hand and a giant sack of doubt weighing on his shoulders.

He was a chubby, nervous rookie. An Australian centre with a handful of Queensland Reds appearances and a lot to like about his game. But he had no grasp of what it was to be a man, never mind a professional rugby player alone in a far-flung land.

"I was fat, just turned 22 and I was thinking, oh, two years in Scotland where I can ride the wave a bit longer and don't have to join the real world," the Warriors player recalled.

"I look back at my time in Australia and I was happy to be there rather than wanting to better myself. I was more concentrated on hanging out with my mates on a Friday and Saturday night. Over here I've had to really grow up.

"It was a huge shock. I had no idea what I was about to go and do. I probably didn't talk to anyone for a good six months. I used to sit in the corner of the changing rooms on my phone watching Netflix."

He can laugh at the memories now, but when he fetched up in Scotstoun and began lining up opposite Europe's A-listers, Johnson wondered if he'd ever truly belong.

"I was thinking 'what am I doing here?' I'm just this kid from Ipswich in Australia and I'm facing these international centres," he said.

"The most nervous I got was against Leinster. I was marking [British and Irish Lions centre] Ben Te'o. I'm a huge NRL fan and he played for Queensland in the State of Origin. Now, it doesn't really matter to me who I face or what team I play. If you get your mindset right, everything looks after itself."

The Queenslander was first spotted by Gregor Townsend, then coaching Glasgow, and his trusted analyst/scout Gav Vaughan, conducting the sort of exhaustive footage trawl that every so often yields a gem.

They liked his aggression, his eagerness to lead and charge and tackle, and the wonderful crispness of his passing. He got better, season on season, and signed another two-year deal in December.

Townsend's successor, Dave Rennie, was equally impressed and Johnson became a precious component of his Warriors midfield, often keeping a ton of Test firepower on the bench in Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar and Pete Horne.

He posted the second-highest line breaks in his position across the Pro14 and English Premiership. He punctured defences more often than Hadleigh Parkes and Jamie Roberts, brilliant Wales centres, Saracens captain Brad Barritt, Grand Slam winner Bundee Aki and his teenage hero Te'o.

He was Glasgow's player's player of the season, and with three years of residency logged Townsend has given him his first Scotland call-up. It is a chance to give back to the adopted nation and the coaches that have given him so much.

This week, Rennie's praise of Johnson was emphatic. His capture is "a great coup" for Scotland. He is "absolutely good enough" to start for the Wallabies and "wasn't sure how much Australia knew about him". Rennie doesn't give much away but this was about as close to incredulity as he gets.

"I thought I was going to have to fly back home after two years and join the real world, doing a trade like the rest of my mates. There's nothing wrong with that, but to be here now, having this conversation, is very surreal," Johnson said.

"All my family and friends are electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters - I probably would've become an electrician.

"I'm a proud Australian, but I feel like I've come here and had this opportunity. Gregor and now the current coaching staff have developed me into the player I am, and the player I can hopefully become.

"I've met a beautiful girl. My life is firmly in Scotland and even if that opportunity came up to go home, I wouldn't have taken it - I'm not really interested."

Life in Scotland has been a formative experience. Johnson was raised in Australia, but it is here where he has come of age.