WILKINSON: THIS TEAM ARE MORE VERSATILE
EDDIE’S STARS HAILED FOR SMASHING STEREOTYPES
JONNY WILKINSON thinks Eddie Jones’s England are a more complete side than his 2003 World Cup heroes. While the side from 16 years ago are revered, the icon from that team believes Owen Farrell’s men are playing on a different level. Wilkinson was mightily impressed by the way England dismantled the back-to-back world champion All Blacks. And while he admitted it was tough to compare eras, he has been stunned by the speed of thought and deed of the 2019 crew. ‘England have this incredible make-up of individuals which is geared to play professional sport at the highest level,’ said Wilkinson. ‘We had it as well. ‘If you had all our guys and sent them back to their mid-20s and then threw them into that squad and said — “let’s compete” — I think you’d find something very similar, because of the internal make-up. ‘When you compare the external stuff, the skills and the speed, then yeah, it’s a different game. ‘Did we ever play that quick, did we ever play like that? We never knew how to. We played the game as we saw it. ‘We challenged our barriers where they were. I think the barriers have moved a long way. These guys, it’s a new generation, they’re quicker, they’re faster, stronger. ‘ Everyone’s more complete. Whatever number is on your back, you’re able to do everything. It’s like, “You’re a prop. And?” “You’re a winger. Yeah well, fine”. I look at these guys and every position, they’re challenging stereotypes.’ Wilkinson is proud of the fact that his 2003 team will have inspired the senior men in Jones’s squad. ‘ What we did in 2003 opened the door for people younger — at the age of 11 or 12 like Owen Farrell and George Ford — to go, “Wow, these guys can pass left to right hand”,’ said Wilkinson, speaking on behalf of Land Rover, the official worldwide partner of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. ‘ You have got props looking at Phil Vickery thinking, “Jeez, he gets around the field”. Suddenly by the age of 21 you have got incredible players. ‘Players are going to get better and that’s good because it is as a result of what we are doing. They are not better than us, they are better because of us. That’s the beautiful thing.’
While Wilkinson himself felt caught up in the search for success, he sees this side as one who can go on to achieve greater things. ‘This is a stepping stone for these guys whether they like it or not,’ said the 40-year-old former fly-half.
‘At the age of 21 you can see some of them being like, “Well, I’ve won the World Cup, I’ll retire now”. It’s a stepping stone.
‘Life gets better. Not measured against lifting a World Cup, it gets better because you get to perform again.
‘And also you speak to guys like Lawrence Dallaglio and the other guys — Martin Johnson — I don’t think he was thinking, “I just need to get through this game”.
‘Those guys just loved battling. They loved it. They would have done it for another two hours in that game.
‘I got the impression that most of our team wanted Elton Flatley to kick that last goal in extra-time in 2003 because they were thinking, “We don’t want to win because your guy missed, we want to win because we won it”.
‘I got the impression those guys were excited. “Let’s get in there, we can go win it again”.
But he feels Farrell and Co will not be bogged down by the most important week of their lives.
‘They’ll have the same press days, the same training sessions,’ he explained.
‘ Maybe several more faces appearing at those press days, maybe more white shirts appearing around the hotel. That’s the bit that looks different.’