Wilkinson can recapture old form
Jonny Wilkinson will hope that he can overcome his latest shoulder injury. The England out-half will miss the Autumn Internationals including the game against New Zealand on Saturday, 6 November.
Wilkinson was hoping to renew a rivalry between Dan Carter who took over the English internationals' mantle as the world’s best number 10.
The British and Irish Lion started out his career with Newcastle and by the end of his debut season in 1997 he was a regular in the side, despite having competition from experienced internationals Alan Tait and Inga Tuigamala.
The side lifted the Premiership title and Wilkinson emerged as a stand out player as a centre for the club.
In 1998 the player was called up to the England squad at the age of 18 and made his debut as a substitute against Ireland in the Five Nations when he replaced Mike Catt on the wing.
Wilkinson replaced Rob Andrews as the club’s number one out-half the following season as the England international retired from the game.
Wilkinson also managed to establish himself as the number one out-half with England come the 1999 Five Nations Championship and he started in all the games.
The out-half entered the World Cup as England’s number one. Wilkinson played in the first two matches against Italy and New Zealand, but the player was rested by the coach Clive Woodward against Tonga and Wilkinson was not picked for the quarter-final defeat
to South Africa.
In 2000, Wilkinson was again picked to play in all off his side’s matches in the new Six Nations Championship, which saw Italy added to the tournament.
The player continued to deliver outstanding performances as Newcastle won the Powergen Cup and Wilkinson established himself as one of the greatest goal kickers to grace the game.
In 2001 England retained the Six Nations Championship after beating Ireland to the title on point’s difference. The player also made the Lions tour in the same year and he replaced Neil Jenkins as the number one out-half for the series, which the Lions lost
2-1.
France denied England a third Six Nations Championship and clinched a Grand Slam in 2002.
In 2003, England proved why they were seen as real contenders for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The English convincingly won the Six Nations and Wilkinson captained the team in one of the Tests due to Martin Johnson’s unavailability.
They backed this up by beating New Zealand and Australia on a tour prior to the World Cup. England were completely dominant in a forward orientated side and with Wilkinson they had a player who it seemed could not miss with the boot and win close games.
This turned out to be the case as Wilkinson scored a drop goal to win the World Cup 20-17 against Australia in extra time.
Subsequently, the out-half was named the IRB World player of the year. Since England’s dramatic World Cup win Wilkinson has struggled with injury and form.
He looked a shadow of the player he once was as he competed in the Lions disastrous tour of New Zealand.
In 2007, despite suffering from injury the player managed to help England to their second World Cup final in what was a shock run for England and their coach Brian Ashton.
South Africa proved too good for England and Wilkinson struggled with form and injury over the following few years.
The player’s move to Toulon has seemed to revive his fortunes and the out-half looked like he had recaptured his old form.
His injury is a blow to the now manager Martin Johnson ahead of the Autumn Internationals, but Wilkinson should return for England to have one more attempt at a World Cup.
Tags: