Master Wilko is now the pupil
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JONNY WILKINSON has seen it all in rugby but the fabled World Cup winner admits there is nothing he can teach Owen Farrell and George Ford. The former fly-half has 97 Tests to his name and 1,246 international points, that drop-goal in 2003, Lions tours and European Cups plus French titles in the locker. Wilkinson, who lives nearby, has been a regular visitor to England’s training camp in Bagshot since Eddie Jones took over with a brief to cast an eye over the kickers. And he was at Twickenham on Friday as Jones put the final touches ahead of Saturday’s 3721 win over Australia that gave England a 14th win in a row, as good as anything Wilkinson’s team of 2002 and 2003 achieved.
But Wilkinson says there is not much Ford and Farrell can learn from him and, if anything, it is the other way round.
“I don’t have anything to add to these guys, I promise you. I go there and watch, I’m in awe of what they’re doing and how they’re doing it,” said Wilkinson, aged 37.
“These guys are bringing enormous energy, passion, enthusiasm, a clinical side, professional side, a very skilful and intelligent side to the game.
“I’m coming from 20 years of experience. However, that 20 years means nothing unless they tell me exactly what it means for them.
“I’m learning a lot about how they’re doing things and it is really quite awe-inspiring.
“What I’ve been through and done is not how I talk to these guys, because if I took that into a game with these guys, I would happily sub myself off and say ‘you go ahead’.
“For me, it’s about me trying to help organise their energy from outside of the bubble – and the bubble of international rugby can be very, very intense.
“It can get very pressure-filled and from a position of being outside that bubble, sometimes it’s quite nice to be able to say ‘look’ – just to have another perspective.
“I go there sometimes and I’d just be happy to sit there and watch.”
England under Jones have been in some sticky situations, most recently when they were down to 14 players against Argentina and were under the cosh for the first 20 minutes against Australia.
With Ford and Farrell to the fore, they came through those Tests and the winning streak continues.
Farrell is already second behind Wilkinson in England’s points-scoring table with 540.
Wilkinson’s team, led by Martin Johnson but full of other leaders, performed similar Houdini acts such as beating the All Blacks in Wellington when they were down to 13 men ahead of their World Cup triumph.
The-then coach Sir Clive Woodward rates his vintage as a better bunch than the current crop but Wilkinson can see similarities.
He added: “What we are seeing with the two sides, if anything, is it feels like there’s an ability to control their own destiny a bit – whatever’s happening to them on the field, they’re starting to look like they’re just capable of understanding it and then reforming it.
“It’s just a brilliant momentum roll where these guys are just picking up the ability to respond and choose the journey they want and they’re choosing at the moment to go out there and perform. We need to keep that going.”
Jonny Wilkinson was speaking at the Jonah Lomu Memorial Dinner – donate to the Trust at www.jonahlomulegacy.com