Decision time: Jonny Wilkinson
Toulon fly-half Jonny Wilkinson admits his future is still uncertain stating he would decide on retirement in February.
The former England captain remains in impressive form in the Top 14 and Heineken Cup with the French club side, and with the Lions tour to Australia in June, Wilkinson is seen as outside contender to make the squad.
Toulon are already looking ahead to next season by opening negotiations with Bath scrum-half Michael Claassens and moving Frederic Michalak to fly-half, with Wilkinson wary that time is running out.
"Rugby is what I do and all that I know," said Wilkinson to The Daily Telegraph.
"The competitive streak in me has never been stronger. I've never been good at matching my natural instincts against my brain because by brain ticks over way too much. I just can't switch my mind off.
"My natural instinct is a strong one and that is to play rugby but I know I've got something to deal with here. I'm muddled and all over the place on it at the moment. I'm having to escape it and I enjoy escaping it and the way I do that is through day-to-day rugby. I know that, ultimately, this will be an individual decision from me but, in truth, it will be based on the team as well. I can't, and won't, take away from them."
"Toulon can't wait until the end of the season. They need to move on with their plans in an informed manner. So I've got to make up my mind by some time next month."
Comments
Heart_of_oak says...
Rugby rock star you said clermont were toulon's boogie team. I take it they all go out dancing together ? I got this vision in my head of a load of prop forwards wearing leotards having dancing lessons with Louie Spence.
Sorry mate - couldn't resist.
By the way, would you not also consider Freddie burns for the tour ?
Posted 20:41 26th January 2013
lawynd says...
@ArmchairGeneral - not that I'm aware of...it's fairly accepted fact that Wilkinson and Carter are heads and shoulders above everyone else, no?
Posted 09:18 18th January 2013
firepower says...
Jonny Wilkinson is still the best fly half in Europe. Please correct me if I am wrong LOL.
Posted 20:33 17th January 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Lawned: "joint best". Assume you need to smoke a joint to get to that opinion?
Posted 15:23 17th January 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Well you got the favourite Sexton nailed on at ten. Then you have Priestland, Flood, Farrel, O'Gara and Biggar all wanting to be on that plane. Forget Scotland, at least until they've played a few 6N's matches. At the moment their stock has crashed down into the basement and aren't worth considering in such a competative position.
Wilko captaining the dirt trackers is kinda poetic. and dai young did something similar with mixed results in 2001. (lots of bruised egos in the 2001 mid week side. Ben Cohen, Scott Murray, Jerry Davidson and of course Matt Dawson and chimera that was Eddie Butler / Austin Healey.
I think Gatland is going to have to leave a few flyhalves at home so that they aren't kicking their heels getting annoyed at the lack of opportunites to shine. You only really want three.
So you got ROG (who doesn't get on with Sexton anyway)
Biggar, (Although Howley is picking Priestland for Wales)
Flood (Leicester's euro campaign is a deciding issue.)
Farrel if he keeps the England ten shirt (which is looking likely because he's coming of age now.)
Preistland (Scarlets form is poor and wales can't win a game to save their lives at the moment)
and Jonny (again, needs to win on saturday, becasue of his limited chances to play on the big stage. Fact is Gats cant wait to see if Toulon wins the euro cup and it's not cast in stone because Clermont are Toulon's boogie team.)
On reflection I'm feeling that Gatland will look at the maths, feel a headache coming on and decide he's got enough on his plate without including Jonny and all the internal politics that would cause.
My choice (pre-six nations) is Sexton, Farrel and Flood. The welsh tens are doing nothing at club or test level and ROG doesn't get on with Sexton, Munster look stale, and ROG was a big part of us losing the lions series in SA.
Posted 12:52 17th January 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
Interesting challenge he faces - read his book and rugby is a fairly fundamental part of his existence - not sure if he knows what life will be without it
Posted 12:16 17th January 2013
APV1 says...
Bloke needs a hobby. Anyone got a spare train set they can lend him?
Posted 12:13 17th January 2013
pierredelot1 says...
Since arriving at Toulon, Wilkinson has shown his true class. They play him flatter and he seems to call a mojority of the moves. His distribution skills are still great, he tackles better than 99 percent of the fly halves operating in the Northern Hemisphere and his kicking is still on the button. Pity that the England team didn't have the nouse, common sense or intuition to play him like that. Having said that the current 12 and 13 are hardly intuitive players, much more the wham bang bosh physical approach breed. Sure Basteaureaud is part of that school but Giteau is a different breed. He still looks good and until he is fed up, or starts to see his level of achievment drop he should continue. Englands loss but Rugbys gain. Montpelier at the weekend no bother. Just take it year by year JW and pack in when you no longer have a smile on your face.
Posted 12:13 17th January 2013
lawynd says...
I get the impression that if Wilkinson tours with the Lions, it'll be as a mentor to the younger players rather than a serious addition to the playing staff. Even Sexton with his experience could still learn something from the joint-best fly half of our generation.
Posted 10:26 17th January 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Totally depends on how serious Gatland and Wilkinson are on having Jonny on the plane to Oz. Retirement at the end of the season adds alot of baggage to the lions tour if Jonny goes. If he wants to go on tour with the Lions then I'd suggest that Jonny plays another season. Even then he's got stiff competition from younger tens to even get into the mid week side.
Lets see how he does when his team travels to Montpellier on Saturday. I reckon winning the Euro-cup with Toulon will make an impression on Gatland. Its also a cool medal to stick next to his World Cup medal, Six nations Grand Slam and the old Powergen cup medal he won too. Long way to go yet though, and gatland will have to pick his lions squad before the euro cup final.
Posted 09:30 17th January 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Play on. It's obvious.
Posted 09:23 17th January 2013