Jonny Wilkinson dropped by England!
On March 12th 2008, the news broke that Jonny Wilkinson had been dropped for England's Six Nations match against Ireland at Twickenham. It was the first time that Wilkinson had been dropped in his ten year career. Danny Cipriani, the fly half, replaced him.
The speculation had been rife over Brian Ashton's team choice for the match and Wilkinson's possible exclusion from the team. However, it was only on March 12th that Wilkinson's greatest fears were confirmed.
It was 1999 when Wilkinson was last dropped from the team. Wilkinson, who has 69 caps for England, was dropped on form alone.
Ashton said "I felt it was a decision that had to be made, and I think it was the right one."
The speculation had been rife over Brian Ashton's team choice for the match and Wilkinson's possible exclusion from the team. However, it was only on March 12th that Wilkinson's greatest fears were confirmed.
It was 1999 when Wilkinson was last dropped from the team. Wilkinson, who has 69 caps for England, was dropped on form alone.
Ashton said "I felt it was a decision that had to be made, and I think it was the right one."
What did Jonny have to say?
Upon hearing the news Wilkinson said "The fire is still there.""One thing that will never change is that I will never stop going out there every day and trying to get better. I still do the extra training - that will never change."
"Mike Catt played some of his best rugby after 30 because the shackles were off. I would like to think I can do that."
So who were the team?
The England rugby team for the Six Nations match against Ireland were:Balshaw (Gloucester)
Sackey (Wasps)
Noon (Newcastle)
Flood (Newcastle)
Vainikolo (Gloucester)
Cipriani (Wasps)
Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks)
Sheridan (Sale Sharks)
Mears (Bath)
Vickery (Wasps) (C)
Shaw (Wasps)
Borthwick (Bath)
Croft (Leicester)
Lipman (Bath)
Easter (Harlequins)
The replacements were:
Chuter (Leicester)
Stevens (Bath)
Kay (Leicester)
Haskell (Wasps)
Hodgson (London Irish)
Wilkinson (Newcastle)
Tait (Newcastle)
Jonny's first match on the sidelines...
Jonny Wilkinson is going to fight for his future in the England rugby team despite Danny Cipriani's impact as his replacement.Wilkinson watched from the sidelines at Twickenham as Cipriani highlighted his status as English rugby's brightest young star in England's 33-10 win over Ireland.
Cipriani scored 18 points to make it a debut to remember. The number 10 replaced Wilkinson, who was dropped by coach Brian Ashton after England were beaten by Scotland in their previous Six Nations match.
However, Wilkinson believes that he will learn from being dropped even if it means becoming used to a super-sub role.
"Danny has deserved his go and he took it brilliantly," he said. "Every day is a learning experience and I'm at a different angle now watching from the sidelines."
"It's something to take in, I've got loads to work on and I'm looking forward to getting back to being myself. I'm sure everybody will get behind me."
"Playing anywhere on that field will be fantastic and I think my big challenge is the same as every day - find the best of me."
"It's not ideal by any stretch of the imagination when you want something a hell of a lot. But it's been an interesting way of looking at things and there's a lot to learn for me."
Cipriani's debut as fly half helped England finish their Six Nations campaign on a high and Wilkinson was adamant that he was over the moon for his team-mate.
"You could see what a difference a fresh approach makes with Danny. He reacted instinctively with a mentality that said 'I'm here to have fun and make this my day and my team's day'," Wilkinson said.
"If I had lost any pride I might have said 'Who is this kid?', but that's not me."
"Do you kick up a fuss, shout at meetings, set other people wake-up calls at four in the morning?"
Check out these cool Jonny t-shirts!
Jonny Wilkinson Videos
Jonny Wilkinson Quotes
"I like to think I play rugby as it should be played - there are no yellow or red cards in my collection - but I cannot say I'm an angel."
"I play with a fear of letting people down. That's what motivates me."
"I refuse to go into a fast-food outlet - to use the toilet even - in case anyone got the wrong idea and thought I was sneaking in a quick burger."
"I play with a fear of letting people down. That's what motivates me."
"I refuse to go into a fast-food outlet - to use the toilet even - in case anyone got the wrong idea and thought I was sneaking in a quick burger."
Jonny Wilkinson on paper!
Tackling Life
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JONNY WILKINSON 11X14 COLOR PHOTO
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My World
Amazon Price: $11.52 (as of 07/06/2009)
Frequently Asked Questions about Jonny Wilkinson...
What school did Jonny Wilkinson attend?
He attended Lord Wandsworth College.
When did Jonny Wilkinson make his England debut?
He made his England debut against Ireland on April 4th, 1998 at the age of 18.
When did Jonny Wilkinson make his rugby World Cup debut?
It was at the 1999 World Cup.
Where did Jonny Wilkinson grow up?
He grew up in Hampshire.
What position does Jonny Wilkinson play as?
He is a fly-half.
Does Jonny Wilkinson have a nickname?
Yes, it's Wilko.
How much does Jonny Wilkinson weigh?
He weighs 85 kg.
How tall is Jonny Wilkinson?
He is 1.78 metres tall.
What rugby union team does Jonny Wilkinson play for?
He plays for the Newcastle Falcons.
How many England caps does Jonny Wilkinson have?
He has 53 England caps.
He attended Lord Wandsworth College.
When did Jonny Wilkinson make his England debut?
He made his England debut against Ireland on April 4th, 1998 at the age of 18.
When did Jonny Wilkinson make his rugby World Cup debut?
It was at the 1999 World Cup.
Where did Jonny Wilkinson grow up?
He grew up in Hampshire.
What position does Jonny Wilkinson play as?
He is a fly-half.
Does Jonny Wilkinson have a nickname?
Yes, it's Wilko.
How much does Jonny Wilkinson weigh?
He weighs 85 kg.
How tall is Jonny Wilkinson?
He is 1.78 metres tall.
What rugby union team does Jonny Wilkinson play for?
He plays for the Newcastle Falcons.
How many England caps does Jonny Wilkinson have?
He has 53 England caps.
The Trafalgar Square tribute to Jonny!
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Jonny Wilkinson on eBay!
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Should Wilkinson have been dropped?
GypsyPirate wrote...
You've done a wonderful job with this lens - very informative.
Posted March 14, 2008
by Clarissa789
Hi I'm Clare. I'm a huge sports fan amongst other things. There's not much that doesn't interest me really. I'm always seeking to learn new things.... (more)
