Jonny Wilkinson will be back for the RWC
Roar Pro
By GladFop, 18 Mar 2010 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- England, English rugby, Jonny Wilkinson, Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, RWC, RWC2011
By now you’ve heard the earth-shaking news – Jonno has bitten the bullet and dropped Jonny Wilkinson for the French game Saturday. (The Times headline included the words ‘England turn to youth’ but probably should have read ‘England turn to stone.’)
Is this the last of Wilko?
I don’t believe so. Not unless England picks somebody for the June tests in Perth and Sydney who shows that he can consistently kick penalties and droppies for 3 points.
Will it be Toby Flood? Maybe, if he’s still in the team, and if he can perform with the boot in internationals. Or somebody else if they look like becoming a Matt Burke or an Andrew Mehrtens.
Failing that, England will take Wilko because they’ll put up with his poor punting, own-head-banging tackles and trouble running the line in exchange for grabbing those penalty points.
Coaches and selectors are never more conservative than they are when they’re ramping up for a RWC.
In my honest opinion, Wilko will make the squad and the quarters if England can get out of their pool without drowning.
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The Crowd Says (16) | Page 1 of Comments
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pothale said | March 18th 2010 @ 8:40am | Report comment
Hmmmm….nibble, nibble….
Wavell Wakefield said | March 18th 2010 @ 8:52am | Report comment
Does 180 words even deserve a nibble, pothale?
Hoy said | March 18th 2010 @ 9:10am | Report comment
I am a fan of Wilko. More so for his massive defense than his general game. Man can he hit hard and drive.
In all honesty, I think his play suits 12 better than 10. I know that is where he starte his apprenticeship outside Robbie, however I think he is like Flatley, in that he just has no great creative spark. Solid by all means, across all facets of the game, however as a 5/8, he just can’t make the backline penetrate with ball in hand.
Colin N said | March 18th 2010 @ 10:12am | Report comment
It’s a shame that Wilkinson suffered the injuries he has because he’s a wonderfully balanced runner with a great side step, but unfortunately doesn’t have the pace to convert half into full-breaks.
Ben J said | March 18th 2010 @ 8:04pm | Report comment
Rugby is unforgiving, just ask Carlos Spencer. It is very rare for a senior player such as Wilkinson to make a comeback after years of injury. Only in American sports movies I am afraid. He does not compare anymore to the world’s premier flyhalves such as Carter and Steyn who are young, on song and playing topflight rugby.
Gatesy said | March 18th 2010 @ 8:56pm | Report comment
He’s not going to pick Cipriani, is he?
Just a Fan said | March 18th 2010 @ 9:09pm | Report comment
No – he wont pick Danny – MJ doesn’t like being challenged.
Wavell Wakefield said | March 18th 2010 @ 9:46pm | Report comment
You’ve got a lot in common then, JAF.
Colin N said | March 18th 2010 @ 10:32pm | Report comment
Why should he? Do you think Kurtley Beale should be playing for Australia?
Hawko said | March 19th 2010 @ 11:47pm | Report comment
He did play rather well on the EoYT last year!
Colin N said | March 18th 2010 @ 10:40pm | Report comment
To add on that and we had a talk with a person who knew Cipriani at the age of 15. He said he was the most talented sportsman he had ever seen and ‘he could be anything he wanted to be.’ The only problem was his attitude and thus, this person was surprised that he even managed to play for England at all, and said that he must have matured quite a bit.
But also implied something when he said: ‘you know when someone is going to be a disruptive influence.’
Hobart Friz said | March 19th 2010 @ 6:13am | Report comment
How about the peripatetic Andy Goode for England’s RWC penalty kicker? Huge experience -Leicester, Sarries, Brive, Sharks and he’s signed with Worcester last I heard. He can really put up the points – 39 in just two games against the Pumas last year and a ton of points in the GP. As for the RWC, Rob Andrew might suggest that England revert to what worked for him in his day – bullying pack, 10-man rugby, and win with the boot.
Viscount Crouchback said | March 19th 2010 @ 7:10am | Report comment
Indeed. I wouldn’t write Goode off. I also agree with the main thrust of the article – Wilko will definitely travel to the WC if fit, and he has a decent chance of being first choice. A lot will depend on whether Flood steps up to the mark with his goal-kicking.
It will also be interesting to see whether the likes of Alex Goode (no relation), Rory Clegg and Freddie Burns can make a case for themselves at fly half in the next year or so, but 2011 might just come too soon.
Wavell Wakefield said | March 19th 2010 @ 7:43am | Report comment
I’ve heard rumours that Wilkinson may move to 12. That may not be a bad idea even thought it backfired woefully during the 2005 Lions tour. He still isn’t comfortable with running a backline but he is a good defender and is a very intelligent passer of the ball on the gainline. Unless Barkley can improve his defending it is certainly worth deeper investigation.
The odd thing about Goode is that his place kicking was never that great for England. I find it quite heartening that such a maligned character walked into a Super 14 side. Good for him.
Bondiplage said | March 19th 2010 @ 7:17am | Report comment
Goode can also play FB if England can find a running 5/8. Neil Jenkins won it for the Lions in ’97 in SA from FB, and when he played 5/8 for Wales later in his career he didn’t run from set pieces at all, he pivoted and passed. But they picked him every time, in spite of Wales being the factory of the brilliant fly halves, because he could bang that ball between the posts. Puig Aubert flatly refused to tackle, he’d just give a runner a shove as the runner went by, but they picked him everytime because he was the greatest kicker ever.
We’ll have to wait and see whether Carter and Giteau become great runner/kickers. Carter can be deadly with the boot and is marvelous at getting across the field in defence, but, so far, he’s no Carlos Spencer as a ball carrier in international rugby. Gits can have a great day with the tee, but he has little hope of racking up the tries unless Dingo plays him at 12.
Ian Noble said | March 20th 2010 @ 9:18am | Report comment
I agree it is probably too soon for the likes of Clegg or Goode, as it is probable that Flood and Wilko will be the 10s for England in RWC2011. However looking towards 2015, Flood will be 28 and in his prime and competition from Clegg, Burns and don’t forget young Ford at Leicester will probably grow. As Goode is playing 15 for Saracens, competition with Foden and Armitage and don’t forget young Tom Homer of London Irish will raise the level of performance. the real question is how many of these promising players will kick on and really challenge at test level. All these players at club level have pace and show the ability to break the game line but……
What about Cips, will he feature in the future? Homer (19) takes the majority of kicks for London Irish and has a high % of success, if he plays for England in the future, you won’t need a kicking 10. Who would be a selector?