Cardiff-born and bred, Thomas Albert ‘Codger’ Johnson was a fearless and uncompromising player who made his Cardiff debut against Pontypridd in 1920.
Standing just 5ft 8in and weighing barely 11 stone, Johnson was described as stocky, strong and incredibly determined. Equally comfortable on the wing or at centre, he went on to make 187 appearances for Cardiff between 1920 and 1927, scoring an extraordinary 189 tries and five drop goals.
Johnson captained the club in 1924 and won 12 Welsh caps between 1921 and 1924. His defensive ability was particularly renowned, with one Scottish newspaper describing him as the finest defensive player the game had ever known.
