The smiling waiters absolutely loved the fact that we arrived for lunch with a four-year-old But didn’t seem terribly interested in actually serving us. The little boy needed to eat, and fast, as small boys often do. A relaxed approach to ordering wasn’t what I wanted.I’m used to a menu divided into traditional Italian sections – antipasti, primi and secondi. But the lunch menu at Arancio was divided into simply sweet and savoury.
How many dishes should we order? And was it best to stagger their arrival? Or what? The waiters weren’t much help. When I’m in Italy, in search of a high-end dining experience, I go to the ristorante. For something a little simpler, it’s the trattoria or the rosticceria. But for home-cooking, just like mama used to make, it’s the osteria – in loose trousers.
That’s the trouble with Italian food – you’re hungry again five or six days later. And when I heard that a place called Osteria dell’Arancio was opening up in London, well, I decided to treat it as training for Christmas. If individuals want to declare themselves available even though they’re not playing for their countries, it’s up to them – and up to Clive Woodward to pick them or leave them behind. All I would say is that those guys are not putting themselves in the best position to be selected.” It was the clearest hint yet that unlike Dallaglio, who has always been up for the tour, Johnson has drawn the line.And retirement? Is this his last hurrah? “I don’t know,” he said. Furniture has been salvaged from Italian markets, and an Anglo-Italian theme runs throughout the art, like the Gainsborough-style king who wears a mortadella cloak.
The original opened in the Marche region of Italy 15 years ago. Laid out over two floors, the Kings Road tribute venture steers away from the ubiquitous beige d?r of many London restaurants. Believe me, if I wasn’t fully focused on playing here, I wouldn’t be playing at all.”Two final questions, then. Will he be playing for the Lions in New Zealand next summer, and will he be playing for anyone come September? “The Lions? Look, if you retire from international rugby, you know what you’re getting into – or rather, you know what you’re getting out of.
“And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you here, at this point in the season. We’re getting ready to play Wasps in a very important Heineken Cup match Nothing else matters.”. I was asked about it when I returned from my first Lions tour – and I was 23 at the time. Now, I get a lot of this ‘are you still enjoying it’ business, and questions about whether my concentration levels are what they were, now that the international thing is over and done with It’s quite simple. I’ve always enjoyed playing rugby, and I’ve always concentrated, both with Leicester and England. Actually, I find it slightly insulting when people say: ‘Now he’s packed in England, he can concentrate on Leicester.’ This club has always had my complete commitment. At the moment, I’d say our attitude is better away from home, because we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking it will happen for us just because we’re at Welford Road.