A tribute to Jonny

At the age of 33, Jonny Wilkinson has had a great career.

Who knows what might have been had his career not been blighted in his best years by a succession of freakish injuries?

As a professional role model and a true gentleman he has few if any peers.

To publicly defer from a Lions place in favour of his club and other fellow players is a gesture which can only emphasise the respect in which he is held in rugby circles.

Now that retirement is truly a prospect, I want to say Thank You Jonny.

He has to be older than 33! Some players seem to have been with us forever and Wilkinson is certainly one of them.

It really does say a lot that a player could have played enough to have become an icon of the sport despite the extended periods of lay-off time due to injuries. That speaks volumes of his professionalism, his dedication to the long hours of practice he endures to maintain his ability to slot a ball through the uprights from just about any angle.

What I personally like about him is his quietness, his lack of fanfare, lack of an outward display of ego (all players who are good have one, it ain't a crime but being modest about it in public is a nice trait).

He's done the business. History will crow about it....not him.

As a tribute to the man, you only have to go back a couple of weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAjhLARPhWk last couple of seconds.

Class.

I am not a huge fan of his. I remember when he was starting out and they were saying how he was going to undoubtedly be a world record scorer, that he had no chance because injuries would stop him, but I was wrong. That really was quite an impressive feat.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:I am not a huge fan of his. I remember when he was starting out and they were saying how he was going to undoubtedly be a world record scorer, that he had no chance because injuries would stop him, but I was wrong. That really was quite an impressive feat.

He is a very good goal kicker and a sound tackler.

I don't think his tackling is technically that good, just very commited and brave. Seen too many of his tackles, especially recently, were he doesn't wrap his arms around too well, and its more the force put into it that brings the man down as opposed to the technique.

Agree with everything you say grey tiger.
Johnny.

For a flyhalf his tackling is still up their with the very best and he's certainly lost bulk in the last couple of years.

World rugby lost big time when he was out for near 3 years which should have been his peak. It's amazing to think he was only 24 when he won the World Cup... He seemed like he was a veteran even then.

There are more talented flyhalves in this era and in history but he would be the first guy on my all time team sheet because you knew he put his heart and soul into every game. He is the ultimate big game performer.

If you want to see how good this guy was look at 2 games.... The SA vs England pool match where they lost 36-0..... And then the final where they were a whisker from victory.. He dragged that side through determination alone.

i love the fact that a guy who isn't even going on tour, who was a big deal for england 10 years ago and is now playing abroad and not for his country, is able to garner so much smoke up his ass because he turned the tour down for his club. Most players would bite their own hands off to tour but Sir Jonny is the big story because he says no, or apparently maybe, if he feels like it but only for the Test matches.

fa0019 wrote:For a flyhalf his tackling is still up their with the very best and he's certainly lost bulk in the last couple of years.

World rugby lost big time when he was out for near 3 years which should have been his peak. It's amazing to think he was only 24 when he won the World Cup... He seemed like he was a veteran even then.

There are more talented flyhalves in this era and in history but he would be the first guy on my all time team sheet because you knew he put his heart and soul into every game. He is the ultimate big game performer.

If you want to see how good this guy was look at 2 games.... The SA vs England pool match where they lost 36-0..... And then the final where they were a whisker from victory.. He dragged that side through determination alone.

Why?

I think throughout the majority of JW's career Dan Carter rightfully claimed the attention of the rugby world. He wasn't injured either.

I think its justifiable to say that, had JW not had the injury problems he had, that he would have set a record for international points scoring that not even Carter, fly half for the team that is forever the best or nearly the best team around,could have matched.

He is a legend, like it or not.

A great work ethic, a great attitude, a great role model and made the most of his talents.

Top tackler and in some ways changed the game by being so, top kicker but only a decent actual ball player. always a bit slow both over the ground and between the ears hence never the world great some claim

If only some more talented players such as cipriani and Henson had an attitude similar to his!

any young player should use him as a role model

I'm always surprised when people recall Wilkinson as only a limited player. England scored hatfuls of Six Nations tries with him at flyhalf in 2000 and 2001 (while still managing to blow Grand Slams).

It's a measure of the man that the times he struggled do stand out. Sadly, it was his intercepted pass which turned the tide during the Lions series in 2001. He had a shocker when Serge Betsen targeted him in the 2002 Six Nations (It's easy to forget how concerned we were about a repeat performance when England met France again during the World Cup the following year). I was desperately sad to see him out of sorts during the 2011 World Cup. Johnson was wrong to play him ahead of Flood, especially since he could not overcome kicking problems with the World Cup ball.

Those moments aside, there was far more to enjoy about Wilkinson than just a drop goal in 2003. His appearance on the scene, and Woodward's willingness to pick him as a young player, gave English rugby a real lift, and new sense of confidence.

Players like Dallaglio and Johnson were dominant figures in that period but we didn't start beating the Southern Hemisphere sides regularly until Wilkinson arrived. Once he slotted in, everything seemed to go right.

I have always like Wilco, He is an honest, dedicated player, never sherking his defensive duties as many fly halves in the modern era does, and he has one of the most accurate boots in the game.

He may not be a complete player, but then only Dan Carter has shown to be the complete fly half.

What's not to like?

Unless of course you are biased.

I hope this doesn't come across as churlish but Wilkinson didn't deserve half the credit he got. He tended to get an armchair ride from a dominant pack and apart from one nightmare game v France, was not put under the pressure that,say, a Scottish or Italian out half would get.
I'm sorry but I prefer number 10s to be a bit more adventurous than just be known for (admittedly very good) metronomic kicking

greytiger wrote:As a tribute to the man, you only have to go back a couple of weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAjhLARPhWk last couple of seconds.

Class.

A fitting tribute, a clip of Jonny kicking the ball. What else do we need to know

InjuredYetAgain wrote:I hope this doesn't come across as churlish but Wilkinson didn't deserve half the credit he got. He tended to get an armchair ride from a dominant pack and apart from one nightmare game v France, was not put under the pressure that,say, a Scottish or Italian out half would get.
I'm sooty but I prefer number 10s to be a bit more adventurous than just be known from (admittedly very good) metronomic kicking

I wondered what happened to you. How is Sweep doing these days?

Attacking wise sure he wasn't the best but Carter has also had an armchair ride and also a backrow which forever gives him front foot ball. Saying he is a kicking ten only is just lazy.... Townsend was an awesome running ten in his youth... By the end of his career he was shadow of a player and certainly no running ten... It's called age.

For me Wilkinson didn't cement his legacy in 2003, rather in 2007 where he was the difference between a team who was embarrassed by the boks in the pools to beating AUS, FRA and driving the boks damn close.

dragonbreath wrote:

InjuredYetAgain wrote:I hope this doesn't come across as churlish but Wilkinson didn't deserve half the credit he got. He tended to get an armchair ride from a dominant pack and apart from one nightmare game v France, was not put under the pressure that,say, a Scottish or Italian out half would get.
I'm sooty but I prefer number 10s to be a bit more adventurous than just be known from (admittedly very good) metronomic kicking

I wondered what happened to you. How is Sweep doing these days?

Corrected just as you highlighted my typing deficiencies to the 606 world. I'd have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you pesky kids

Rugby Fan wrote:I'm always surprised when people recall Wilkinson as only a limited player. England scored hatfuls of Six Nations tries with him at flyhalf in 2000 and 2001 (while still managing to blow Grand Slams).

It's a measure of the man that the times he struggled do stand out. Sadly, it was his intercepted pass which turned the tide during the Lions series in 2001.

He also only kicked 60% of his penalties in that series, but we don't like to talk about that.

fa0019 wrote:Attacking wise sure he wasn't the best but Carter has also had an armchair ride and also a backrow which forever gives him front foot ball. Saying he is a kicking ten only is just lazy.... Townsend was an awesome running ten in his youth... By the end of his career he was shadow of a player and certainly no running ten... It's called age.

For me Wilkinson didn't cement his legacy in 2003, rather in 2007 where he was the difference between a team who was embarrassed by the boks in the pools to beating AUS, FRA and driving the boks damn close.

Fair point re Townsend, fa. But my point is that Wilkinson never really had what you would call flair. I hark back to when Rob Andrew and Stuart Barnes were around and, even as a Scot, couldn't figure out why England chose to hoof the leather off the ball with Andrew as opposed to using some of their outstanding outside backs
Oh , one other thing. JW has spawned a whole generation of kickers who (a) take forever for even the most straightforward kick and (b) look like they have shat themselves during said routine.

InjuredYetAgain wrote:

dragonbreath wrote:

InjuredYetAgain wrote:I hope this doesn't come across as churlish but Wilkinson didn't deserve half the credit he got. He tended to get an armchair ride from a dominant pack and apart from one nightmare game v France, was not put under the pressure that,say, a Scottish or Italian out half would get.
I'm sooty but I prefer number 10s to be a bit more adventurous than just be known from (admittedly very good) metronomic kicking

I wondered what happened to you. How is Sweep doing these days?

Corrected just as you highlighted my typing deficiencies to the 606 world. I'd have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you pesky kids

Scooby Dooby Dooo

Poor Jonny took one hell of a bump against Agen. He did well to carry on after it. I can't provide a link sorry

Rugby Fan wrote:I'm always surprised when people recall Wilkinson as only a limited player. England scored hatfuls of Six Nations tries with him at flyhalf in 2000 and 2001 (while still managing to blow Grand Slams).

Because that is what he always was. Sorry to those who venerate St Jonny but he never had that extra bit of zip / sparkle / magic that the best have. He almost always sat too deep and if he tried to play flatter then he was easily nullified by sending a flanker after him which would then push him deeper which then robbed the guys outside of him of time and space. Greenwood was the creative force.

Townsend was almost the polar opposite. Capable of some great touches and great speed of thought, and usually would cost you at least one try per game by doing something utterly stupid. Mercurial and erratic compared to Wilkinsons stodge and solidity

Maybe a wee bit harsh on Townsend, TJ? I genuinely think that one of the problems was that Townsend could think much faster than his team mates so when he saw a chance that no one else did but the move fell flat on its face because he was isolated, he looked like a helmet.
Look what happened when you put Alan Tait and John Leslie I.e. guys who could read a game, outside him
You are bang on about Will Greenwood. He was one of those players who you didn't realise was so good until he wasn't there

Here's a link off twitter. Don't know if it will work on here.

Give him his due for playing on for a bit, until he had to rest a shoulder injury.

http://bit.ly/16OepEr

Risca Rev wrote:Here's a link off twitter. Don't know if it will work on here.

Give him his due for playing on for a bit, until he had to rest a shoulder injury.

http://bit.ly/16OepEr

Who the hell was that bloke? He is fraking huge. Never seen anyone do that to him before.

That reminds me of the Cipriani bus incident. Ouch.

Fair play to Jonny for playing on.

omg i am soooooo fed up with his holiness sir jonny, now we are celebrating him for getting hammered in a tackle. i bet he Poopies beer chilled to the perfect temperature

100%beefy wrote:omg i am soooooo fed up with his holiness sir jonny, now we are celebrating him for getting hammered in a tackle. i bet he Poopies beer chilled to the perfect temperature

beefy, if you don't like tributes to Jonny then you're on the wrong thread pal

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:

100%beefy wrote:omg i am soooooo fed up with his holiness sir jonny, now we are celebrating him for getting hammered in a tackle. i bet he Poopies beer chilled to the perfect temperature

beefy, if you don't like tributes to Jonny then you're on the wrong thread pal

i have nothing for or against tributes but this incessant blowing smoke up his rectum is pathetic, he isn't dead, he has had his day and yet seems to evoke oohs and aahs from evryone and his wife, their tennis partners and their tennis partner's dogs becuase he isn't going on tour and he didn't tackle a bloke 14x as big as he is

You, sir, are an ignoramus. Not so much for what you say, but for the way you choose to go about saying it.

Notch wrote:You, sir, are an ignoramus. Not so much for what you say, but for the way you choose to go about saying it.

oh dear, coming from you that is a major compliment.

100%beefy wrote:

Notch wrote:You, sir, are an ignoramus. Not so much for what you say, but for the way you choose to go about saying it.

oh dear, coming from you that is a major compliment.

Coming from anyone I would regard it as a major compliment.

Is everyone on 'roids' tonight?

The United Colours of Lions..............

Lions are a ginger brown fawny colour....

..and that's why POC should'a been Cap'n.....

But is he a mate of Steve Walsh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGvi_8mbwsU

Proves the drop goal against Sarries wasn't a fluke. Should be going to Oz no doubt

In rugby there is only one "Iceman", Mr Michael Jones.