Wilko will fight on
Posted Mon, 17 Mar 2008
Jonny Wilkinson is convinced he can still play an important role in England's future despite Danny Cipriani's impact as his replacement.
Wilkinson, 28, watched on from the sidelines at Twickenham on Saturday as Cipriani underlined his status as English rugby's brightest young star with a man-of-the-match display in the 33-10 win over Ireland.
Cipriani scored 18 points to make it a full debut to remember. The number 10 came in for Wilkinson, who was dropped by coach Brian Ashton in the aftermath of England's woeful defeat against Scotland in their previous Six Nations match.
But Wilkinson, England's hero during their 2003 World Cup winning campaign, believes he will learn from his demotion, 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 helluva lot. But it's been an interesting way of looking at things and there's a lot to learn for me."
Cipriani's dream debut helped England finish their Six Nations campaign on a high and Wilkinson was adamant he was delighted 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?"
AFP
