Sir Jonny: England's Perfect 10
The biggest tackle, a host of records that'll never be broken, that drop goal - a remarkable life, a remarkably modest man.
I vividly remember Jonny Wilkinson’s England debut, coming off the bench against Ireland in 1998. I'll be honest, back then the hype felt all too familiar, no end of next big things having turned out to be so much smaller than the billing suggested. Sure enough, when he limped away from the Tour From Hell, the Jonny Wilkinson story appeared to be over before it began.
But then some remarkable things started to happen. Wilkinson starred in a famous win in Paris, manhandling the massive Emile N'Tmack into the bargain. Then it seemed like he couldn't miss when called on to kick for goal or touch. Bit by bit, the fresh-faced boy from Frimley was becoming a key part of the national side. And shortly thereafter, he was completely indispensable.
No, not everything went according to plan - a disappointing Lions tour (by his high standards at least), a string of Grand Slam-denying defeats, an injury-hit first World Cup. But then there was the debit column - beating the Boks in their own backyard, regularly turning over the Wallabies at Twickenham.
Then came the 2002/2003 season. In a year of extraordinary accomplishments, two of the less high profile successes deserve additional attention. Not that anyone could call beating the All Blacks in New Zealand a minor triumph; but as it was inevitably overshadowed by what came shortly thereafter so the win and Wilkinson's immense contribution to it deserve a place in the English rugby pantheon.
Likewise, for all the - fully justified - talk about that drop goal in the RWC final, it's the penalty goal in the first half of extra time that people ought really to be making a fuss of; a shot from out wide on the right fully 40m from goal that stopped the resurgent Wallabies in their tracks.
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