Wilkinson's gone to Toulon

[Mich the Tester]

Just another unimaginitive NH flyhalf who could kick and was ok behind a dominant set of forwards.

Personally I think the Super 14/Tri-Nations has loads more talented flyhalves. Am looking forward to the Lions returning from SA with nothing but a free suntan.

I have to disagree here.

As a back row forward I have spent the best part of 30 years, plus this evening's jolly fine dinner with my mate from Auckland analysing the fly half position in intricate detail, and I have come to the following conclusion;

"The primary role of the fly half is to provide the back row with a bloody good laugh"

For the opposition fly half, this is quite simple. He simply has to fumble one of those 100mph spin passes from his scrum half and the back row can have a good laugh beating him to a pulp.

For your own fly half, it's a little more complicated, but not much. He has three ways to amuse the back row;

1/ boot the ball 50 yards upfield, bouncing it into touch and thus providing us with a good laugh as we can have a scrap with the other lot at the line out and put the tulips up their fly half as he gets a spin pass on his own try line.

2/ Pass the ball out to the inside centre, who is usually a big lump who'd rather play in the back row, who crashes straight into the opposition and sets up a ruck, thus allowing the back row to have a bloody good laugh trampling all over some silly sod who's lying on the ground wearing the wrong coloured shirt

3/ Pass the ball inside to the back row, then we can have a damn good laugh smashing into the opposition fly half and you've guessed it, beating him to pulp.

JW fulfills this role almost perfectly. My one complaint is that he tackles too much, thus denying the back row the opportunity for another bloody good laugh flattening people. Oh, and the silly boy injures himself in the process.

'Creative' fly halves, on the other hand, are a pain in the arse. Off they go, three dummy passes, two double-dummy-scissors moves, two swerves and a 'sidestep' (whatever that is), confusing nobody but their own team, and if the 16 stone+ brigade aren't within one yard of them to help when they inevitably run into trouble, they whinge about the 'mobility and fitness' of the back row, who've just spent all bloody week slaving it out on rowing machines, running tracks and weights rooms achieving that oh so bloody important 15 on a bleep test.

No, 'creative´ fly halves are a bloody waste of space. JW is the fly half for the back row, and I shall raise a glass, no, a bottle, of my best Champagne when he pulls on an England shirt again.

Lets just hope Martin Johnson can put together a back row worthy of playing with the guy.

[Mich the Tester]

He should have moved 6 years ago. sam Vesty is a pretty ordinary player who looks good behind the Leicester forwards. If Wilkinson had moved to say leicester then he would not have had to tackle so much.

whs

[DodgyAgent]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6314682.ece

Good move?

Will he ever be fit again?

I hope so. He's a brilliant player and a real example, (a back that I admire!?!?) and now he gets stick from Newcastle fans for trying to get his career back on track. I for one would prefer to see JW playing fly half for England with a walking stick than most of the competition.

He should have moved 6 years ago. sam Vesty is a pretty ordinary player who looks good behind the Leicester forwards. If Wilkinson had moved to say leicester then he would not have had to tackle so much.

[ookook]

England need to train up a replacement anyway, but I just wonder whether his string of injuries has been bad luck or in the nature of his game. The guy plays like a flanker in defense, but modern flankers are 16 stone or more with shoulders the size of an African elephant and a personalized chair at the physio. Maybe if he could play with a slightly more hardworking back row he could let them to the tackling for him and concentrate on his attacking game.

He won the world cup with Back, Hill and Dallagio and he still got crocked, poor bloke has burned himself out way too young.

[oracleslave]

A true great of the sport,

Just another unimaginitive NH flyhalf who could kick and was ok behind a dominant set of forwards.

Personally I think the Super 14/Tri-Nations has loads more talented flyhalves. Am looking forward to the Lions returning from SA with nothing but a free suntan.

[Mich the Tester]

Steve Thompson? So the rumours are true - they've rebuilt him.

Yep. Good news. He's so bloody huge nobody else needs to shove.

Apparently he was coaching in France after he'd retired with a neck injury and went for a check up at the doctor, who said he'd completely healed and could play again. So he did, starting in Brive's 2nd XV and working his way back.

[Doggy Styles]

Steve Thompson? So the rumours are true - they've rebuilt him.

[Mich the Tester]

Sadly I think he's finished as a regular international, but I wouldn't rule out a swansong between injuries. None of the alternatives have grabbed his position by the scruff of the neck.

Cipriani is left out of the squad for Argentina. Good sign that Martin Johnson doesn't like bulltulipters and that there's a place for JW if he gets himself back into action.

AND STEVE THOMPSON IS BACK!

[Mich the Tester]

I can just hear the howls of contempt if he pulled out of tackles. The nature of the modern game is that you need to tackle hard whether you're a lead-head forward (sorry Mich) or a good-with-colours back. I vaguely recall from my old playing days that technique will save a lot of pain (admittedly said from a comfy chair.... )

Technique counts but these days the hits are so hard you’ll still knacker your shoulders along the way anyway. A good fly half talks with his back row a lot and arranges things so that the space between him and the forwards is covered so that he doesn’t have to break himself up. Mind you, he’s dependent on the quality of back row players around him, and despite Tom Croft’s talent, England haven’t found anyone with the ability of Dallaglio, Back and Richard Hill in years.

[Tensai]

England need to train up a replacement anyway, but I just wonder whether his string of injuries has been bad luck or in the nature of his game. The guy plays like a flanker in defense, but modern flankers are 16 stone or more with shoulders the size of an African elephant and a personalized chair at the physio. Maybe if he could play with a slightly more hardworking back row he could let them to the tackling for him and concentrate on his attacking game.

I can just hear the howls of contempt if he pulled out of tackles. The nature of the modern game is that you need to tackle hard whether you're a lead-head forward (sorry Mich) or a good-with-colours back. I vaguely recall from my old playing days that technique will save a lot of pain (admittedly said from a comfy chair.... )

[Doggy Styles]

Sadly I think he's finished as a regular international, but I wouldn't rule out a swansong between injuries. None of the alternatives have grabbed his position by the scruff of the neck.

[Mich the Tester]

He might as well sit on their bench as anyone elses.

His career is over.

A true great of the sport, but he is never going to get back to full fitness and his in/out status in the England job is going to disrupt bringing on a replacement.
Love to see him play and even not fully fit he is better than most but I think it is time to face facts and look to the future.

England need to train up a replacement anyway, but I just wonder whether his string of injuries has been bad luck or in the nature of his game. The guy plays like a flanker in defense, but modern flankers are 16 stone or more with shoulders the size of an African elephant and a personalized chair at the physio. Maybe if he could play with a slightly more hardworking back row he could let them to the tackling for him and concentrate on his attacking game.

[The Lone Gunman]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6314682.ece

Good move?

He might as well sit on their bench as anyone elses.

His career is over.

A true great of the sport, but he is never going to get back to full fitness and his in/out status in the England job is going to disrupt bringing on a replacement.
Love to see him play and even not fully fit he is better than most but I think it is time to face facts and look to the future.

[Mich the Tester]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6314682.ece

Good move?

Will he ever be fit again?

I hope so. He's a brilliant player and a real example, (a back that I admire!?!?) and now he gets stick from Newcastle fans for trying to get his career back on track. I for one would prefer to see JW playing fly half for England with a walking stick than most of the competition.