England's Wilkinson quits Test rugby

There have been a few interesting comments made about Wilkinson by his teammates following the recent announcement. It's seems to be quite a common view in some media corners that Wilkinson had exceptional skills and commitment but lacked a real rugby brain. This line runs that he played best when he had people outside him - specifically Dawson, Greenwood and Catt - to tell him what to do. Greenwood doesn't exactly refute this idea but he points out that Wilkinson regularly gave tight team presentations explaining what he expected to do. Greenwood admits he didn't always agree with these views but it does suggest that Wilkinson wasn't just a blank canvas waiting to be pointed in the right direction. Mike Catt says the widespread belief he rescued a malfunctioning Wilkinson during England's 2003 World Cup quarter final against Wales is a misreading of that game. Instead, he says the flyhalf was playing well but the entire gameplan was disrupted because the England pack was having a rare off day. He says he came on as a second playmaker to make sure the opposition had more threats to cover, not to boss Wilkinson around the pitch. I don't want to get all revisionist myself and start claiming Wilkinson was peerless - Dan Carter is certainly a finer all round player in my book - yet it does seem that the scope of his own play is becoming somewhat undervalued based on England's lack of success after 2003. At his peak, Wilkinson demoralized other teams in a way that all great players seem to do. It's one aspect of sport which doesn't really transmit well over the years in video highlights. If you didn't watch at the time, you have to take it on trust from contemporary testimony that Colin Meads was a frightening prospect to face, or that Barry John and David Campese were magicians. Clips of old matches, when you already know the result and can even anticipate the moves to come, don't always convey the way the mood changed at the time. Greenwood argues that Wilkinson's example made his England teammates want to be better players. I think he ended up becoming a talisman in a way that was ultimately detrimental for his own play. He felt the need to keep the scoreboard ticking over with drop goals, and his team seemed to expect that from him also. This was especially true after 2003 when after a number of top players had retired and Wilkinson became a senior member of the squad. Not only did that limit his game, when he did misfire, it seemed to lower confidence across the pitch and in the crowd. It was probably the talismanic Wilkinson which Martin Johnson had in mind when he selected him to start in this year's World Cup. I agree with Ben's comment above that it was a mistake to do so. England played their finest rugby in recent years without him. While Johnson might have felt reassured watching Wilkinson take the pitch, not all his teammates held him in the high regard of the 2003 squad and felt the same confidence. Of course Wilkinson wasn't the greatest flyhalf in history. To be honest, I don't recall anyone seriously making that claim. At his peak, though, he had a fair claim to be the finest flyhalf playing the game.

Thought so...

I'm aware of what poetic justice means, but why don't you actually explain what you mean. I'm only stoopid NH rugby fan and don't understand, see? I repeat: poetic justice?

An example of poetic justice (involving an ironic twist) is the saying - "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword".

'Poetic justice' is a literary expression often revealed by an ironic twist of fate brought about by an individual or group's own behaviour. In the context above, it explains it perfectly.

I referred to the injuries quite subtly (i.e. I didn't actually mention the word 'injury'!), Ian, but I get your point. I thought Wilkinson was poor in 2007. His kicking out of hand, if I recall correctly, was awful. I don't think he has developed as a player one iota since 2003. At Toulon all he does is kick, jump into rucks he shouldn't and make drop goal attempts. That's not what I want from an England 10. He is clearly an excellent 10 and a sporting icon.

Poetic justice?

pfft. Thats a troll right?

hhahahahaha that was so typical of the english media to say he is the best flyhalf in history.

I would rate Wilkinson as one of my all time favorite players and one of the best ever imo. A really gutsy bugger for a 1st five and a perfectionist to be admired for all the hard work he put in. A class act on and off the field. A superb role model for rugby.

Jonny Wilkinson was an outstanding no.10 for England. I'm not sure he was the best England no.10 I've seen in my lifetime (since late 60s). I would rank Rob Andrew ahead of Wilkinson on the strength of a better all-round game. But Wilko was good. At his peak he was a phenomenal kicker. It's interesting to speculate whether England could have won the 2003 RWC without him. The aging England pack needed a dominant no.10, which they definitely had in Wilkinson. There was a lot of rubbish written about Wilko after that world cup, being the greatest flyhalf in history, which he clearly wasn't. Perhaps Wilko himself was embarrassed by the remarks from the one-eyed English press. Unfortunately, for both Wilkinson & England, they unravelled spectacularly in the years after winning the world cup in 2003. Some might say it was poetic justice for the England team, but cruel luck for Wilkinson personally. In any case, Wilko was an outstanding rugby player, & a decent human being. May he enjoy his retirement.

I can't see Cueto being selected again.

He's apparently playing like that for Toulon now. Wilkinson could do one dimensional rugby when it needed to be done (given England's centres since Greenwood & Catt retired this was usual since 2007). But there was always much more to his game.

Ben What you have forgotten is that immediately post 2003, Willko had a series of serious injuries which would probably have led to retirement for mere mortals. He effectively lost four years of international rugby returning just prior to RWC 2007. In spite of his lack of test matches over that period he was instrumental in pushing England to the final of RWC2007. How do you gauge greatest or legend status? I would argue that he probably the one rugby player in the UK that is immediately recognisable to the majority of sporting fans in the UK and also to the man in the street, who probably has no idea about rugby. His profile of respect, humility, commitment and frankly good manners are the benchmarks for future professional rugby players to aspire to. Of course he will be replaceable but whether it is Flood or ANO will they have the same impact before the game as Wilko, I doubt it. Ironically he is playing probably some of his best rugby at Toulon. He was also probably instrumental in persuading SBW to return to NZ and fight for an AB place. Hopefully he continue to play club rugby for a few more years. When he finally retires it will be interesting whether he will remains in rugby, although I read somewhere that he has set up a company with Steve Black (his mentor at Newcastle) and his brother with the intention of mentoring professional sportsmen and women.

Seconded. Lot of hypocrisy flying about, but such is life. No Thompson, Worsley, Moody or Wilkinson (and maybe Tindall). That leaves only Easter and Cueto as senior players. This 6N really will be a fresh start. I'm quite excited.

That's what I tend to think. It also annoys me all this hypocrisy when the same people were criticising/vilifying him before and throughout the World Cup, yet now he's retired, he's a legend. It just doesn't sit right with me. Fair enough in five/10 years time, but right after what's happened with England etc and in part the criticism he received for the way he performed and 'ballgate', it just doesn't seem right that people are calling him a player who was the best player of his generation. Either way, I agree with Ben, it's now time for Flood to be first choice 10 and with Wilkinson now gone, it will perhaps lift the pressure on the fly-half incumbent. It was something that haunted Hodgson throughout his career. Despite being technically more talented, he was never given a chance by the English media because he wasn't Wilkinson.

Great professional, but his star started to wane (due to a plethora of reasons) straight after the 2003 WC, which has damaged his legacy. A true warrior, but I think this is a blessing in disguise for England.

If anyone thinks Wilkinson was just a one-dimensional player who just played for a forward-oriented team, take a look at the 2001 Six Nations. England scored tries freely against Wales, Scotland, France and Italy and, really for the first time, gave fans the belief that we could win the World Cup.

Got nothing on Butch James either.

Got nothing on Carter.