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Jonny Wilkinson gave a prediction for England's 2019 World Cup two weeks prior to the tournament, and it was pretty accurate
Jonny Wilkinson gave a pretty accurate prediction for England Rugby World Cup in Japan two weeks prior to the tournament.
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Wilkinson’s view of the tournament held up remarkably well, even if he didn’t quite see the eventual capitulation to the Springboks in the World Cup final.
On the third of September, World Cup-winner Wilkinson hailed boss Eddie Jones for taking his players “to the edge” in the same way as Sir Clive Woodward in the build-up to that 2003 triumph.
WATCH: Jack Nowell of England and Exeter, takes on Adam Hastings of Glasgow Warriors and Scotland.
The former England fly-half believed the class of 2019 boasted a backline full of rare-breed talents that could strike fear into opponents in Japan.
England launched their World Cup bid with a win against Tonga on September 22. The former Newcastle and Toulon fly-half Wilkinson backed Jones’ men to peak at the right time.
“The momentum is rolling, they are peaking,” Wilkinson told the PA news agency. “I’d definitely like to think they can win it.
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“What’s impressed me most is that every time they get a chance to regroup they always come back stronger.
“That doesn’t mean it always goes perfectly. But every time they regroup the next performance is huge, and they are very good at building momentum.
“They’re constantly coming back bigger and stronger, and reinventing themselves, and for me, that’s the key.
“And teams will have to do that in this World Cup, it won’t just be a straight run of wins.
“That ability to take it all in, absorb it, say ‘who cares, what do we do next’? That’s key.”
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Woodward famously left no stone unturned en route to England’s 2003 World Cup triumph, and Wilkinson saw parallels with former Australia boss Jones.
Wilkinson had spent time in the England camp as an occasional skills coach, and believed Jones’ abrasive edge pushed players to reach their full potential.
“The key for a coach is setting the environment for the players,” said Wilkinson, speaking as a Land Rover ambassador back in September.
“That involves clarity but also that everyone is important, whether that’s a junior coming in for a few sessions, or the captain.
“The next thing is that guys feel they are being improved, and thirdly that guys feel they can still explore – not just hold on to their position, but that they can feel like they can just let it all go.
“They need to feel that there’s a guy constantly challenging them to let it go, challenging you to go to the edge where you don’t know what’s on the other side and to step into that space.
“Eddie challenges, that’s the spiky side, he doesn’t let people become comfortable.
“So if you’re looking for a comfortable ride then that’s going to be difficult, but if you’re looking for a career where you can come out the other side of it and say ‘jeez, I went there and I found out what I was capable of’, then he’s the guy you want.
“We had that in 2003. And we had a beautiful environment where guys were motivated and encouraged to explore, and not to play it safe.
“There’s nothing better than someone there who’s actually willing to give you a living example of saying ‘you know what, I can deal with all consequences’. That allows you to go out there and give it all you’ve got.”
England boasted a litany of backline playmakers, with George Ford, Owen Farrell, Henry Slade and Elliot Daly all stellar creative talents.
Wilkinson believed England’s blend could even be the envy of the likes of back-to-back world champions New Zealand, who they famously defeated in the semi-final.
“The way the game is now that second decision-maker can’t just be a second fly-half, he has to have enough about him to be able to move in contact, to offload, to be a physical threat, not just another decision-maker and ball player,” said Wilkinson.
“So guys like Farrell and Slade, they are quite rare breeds, to be big enough and strong enough but also to be able to take a step back and direct things too.
“That rare breed really opens up some options. And outside that there’s another rare breed in Manu Tuilagi, who if you leave him half an arm you’ve got no chance.
“So it’s a lovely balance to have. And one we might have looked at New Zealand or other teams in the past and thought ‘wouldn’t it be lovely to have that’, and now we do.
“Outside that too we’ve got Jonny May and Joe Cokanasiga, who are not just finishers they are get-out options too, they are power runners, and in some cases extra forwards too.
“With the decision-makers and the threat of Tuilagi, it’s a big threat, and provided they all stay fit, then why not? It could be a great World Cup.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
The greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
15 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
15 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
15 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
15 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to comments