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Jonny Wilkinson spotted in England camp this week

By Josh Raisey
Jonny Wilkinson (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson has been seen in the England camp this week as they prepare for their Guinness Six Nations encounter with Wales at Twickenham on Saturday. 

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The former fly-half has often been spotted with the Eddie Jones’ team over the past few years, but England have now shared a photo of the sagacious 40-year-old in discussion with Owen Farrell and George Ford. 

England’s game is so heavily built upon kicking, so having a guru to call upon of the likes of the ex-World Rugby player of the year will help. 

Two of England’s three tries against Ireland were from attacking kicks where they consistently took advantage of the disorganisation in the backfield of Andy Farrell’s side. 

Similarly, the sole try at Murrayfield was the product of an incisive kick which led to a five-metre scrum. 

(Continue reading below…)

World Rugby’s high tackle verdict

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With the likes of Jonny May haring down kicks from so many talented players in the backline, be it Farrell, Ford, Elliot Daly or Henry Slade, this has been one of England’s main strengths over the past year, particularly from turnover ball. 

It leaves England well equipped with the boot as they seek to secure the Triple Crown for the first time since 2016. 

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Wilkinson was also seen with the England team in the build-up to the RWC final last year providing a drop-goal clinic, which conjured memories of his heroic kick in the final stages of the 2003 final. 

It wasn’t to be for England in November but against a Wales team that will be typically fired up to face their bitterest rival. After two straight losses for the visitors, the match could come down to fine margins in London. 

There are very few people better to hand down advice and mentoring to England’s current kickers than Wilkinson, who has the second-most points in Test history and the most for England (1179 for England and 67 for the British and Irish Lions). 

Meanwhile, Farrell is chasing down Wilkinson’s record and has the most points of any active Test player (899 for England and 31 for the Lions). 

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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