Little Jonny’s huge hits were game changers

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring photographs, and explains the story behind the iconic image

What’s happening here?

It’s February 19, 2000, a raw afternoon in Paris, and a diminutive 20-year-old kid making only his second Championship start for England at fly-half has just felled France wing Emile N’tmack with a shuddering tackle that sent shock waves around the Stade de France and indeed the rugby world. The name was Wilkinson, Jonny Wilkinson.

The story behind the picture?

Anybody who followed and reported on the England Schools XV already knew that Wilkinson was a major rugby talent, a sublime dead ball kicker, a brilliant choreographer and kicker of dropped goals and a neat and clever passer. A fierce but cool competitor, he possessed a nice half break, the only component missing from his game was searing pace but he was always going to be more of a creator than finisher.

All this he had demonstrated during the England Schools Grand Slam season of 1997 and then their triumphant tour of Australia that summer when his talents were displayed at inside-centre.

And all this was gradually becoming obvious in his senior career with Clive Woodward quickly promoting him to full England duties. His baptism came on the ‘Tour from Hell’ in 1998 and then he played centre alongside Jeremy Guscott throughout the 1999 Five Nations.

Initially he showed up well during the World Cup that autumn but ultimately Woodward preferred Paul Grayson as his starter at fly-half in the quarter-final against South Africa when England got well beaten courtesy of five incredible dropped goals from Jannie de Beer.

After the World Cup, Woodward survived calls for his dismissal and immediately went for broke after Christmas. For their first Six Nations game he started Wilkinson at ten against Ireland and England unleashed a devastating allcourt game to win 50-18. England were on the move and Wilkinson was now his main man at ten.

What happened next?

England had to return to the Stade, the scene of their recent humiliation just four months earlier against a strong, if unpredictable, French team that had reached the World Cup final and routed Wales 36-3 in Cardiff in their opening game. This was a massive challenge in every respect. This would quickly sort the wheat from the chaff.

And, in a tight game, Jonny unleashed this spectacular bone breaking, morale lifting and entirely legal tackle. In fact there has rarely been a more textbook tackler than Wilkinson. He invariably started low, hit low and drove up with perfect timing and huge force. He was so composed that his challenges were never wild or reckless, he was a cool calculating assassin.

The young man from Lord Wandsworth School, however, had largely kept this facet of his game under wraps although his coaches at Newcastle – Rob Andrew and Steve Bates, with the latter also his coach at school – were well aware of his incredible physicality and courage when required.

Here we are five minutes into the second half with England leading 9-0 but France building a head of steam, he perfectly reads a move with Thomas Castaignede moving the ball back inside for N’tmack as the big Toulouse man came roaring in off his wing.

From the stands the move looked really dangerous but N’tmack is not only stopped dead in his tracks he is sent rocketing backwards, twisting dramatically as he tries to avoid the full impact of a mighty and unexpected hit. Even Mike Catt alongside Wilkinson seems to be recoiling from the impact.

Why is the picture iconic?

This is not only a fantastic action shot by the doyen of rugby snappers Dave Rogers but this image encapsulates the Jonny England fans soon grew to love and appreciate. Jonny spent the rest of his career dishing out punishment like this. Perfectly timed, perfectly legal monster hits that stopped the opposition at source. There was plenty more where this came from.

Wilkinson’s points scoring heroics are safely in the record books and he was a truly great goal-kicker but this is how most England fans – and indeed the neutrals who just appreciate great rugby – will remember him.

Never before had we seen a fly-half tackle with such ferocity. There had been a few plucky tens and among those would be his Newcastle boss Andrew who was tough as old boots and relished his defensive duties … but this was new territory. For your fly-half and the smallest player on the pitch to be your best and most destructive tackler, well that was different gravy.

Wilkinson was a game changer. Ever since he started putting in hits like this coaches and teams have looked for much more defensively from their tens. No longer was it good enough to be a genius playmaker or kicking machine, henceforth fly-halves had to start decking the opposition. If ‘little Jonny’ could do it so could they. Except very few have even come close.

Footnote: There is undeniably a bitter sweet element to this photo. Jonny was perhaps too brave for his own good on occasions and although his technique was generally exemplary just the sheer volume and impact of heavy duty hits soon saw him picking up injuries. Famously after the RWC2003 final he was out of action for well over three years with various injuries before returning triumphantly against Scotland in the 2007 Six Nations.

“He was a truly great goal-kicker but this is how most fans will remember him”