Is Jonny Wilkinson the Perfect 10?

Jonny Wilkinson kicks the wnning drop-goal vs. Australia in the 2003 World Cup Final

After Toby Flood’s disappointing performance against Wales last weekend, serious questions have been asked about who should wear the No. 10 shirt for England. Should it be Toby Flood or Jonny Wilkinson?

Flood was not on form at the weekend and he let England down in Ireland in the Six Nations when Martin Johnson’s men were chasing a Grand Slam. Flood at 26 is not the young inexperienced player he was a few years ago. He has has amassed 41 caps and scored 202 points for England. That works out at roughly 4.92 points per game. Admittedly this is a bit lower than it should be. As Flood made quite a few appearances at the start of his England career as a substitute and played second fiddle to Jonny Wilkinson, you would expect his average to be a bit higher.

However, Wilkinson’s record is much stronger. In 86 appearances he has scored 1,141 points. This works out at 13.27 points per game, suggesting a much better scoring record than Flood. A lot of pundits suggest on Wilkinson’s track record alone he could start at fly-half for England. The fact is that he gets the job done. Against Wales in the 1^st warm-up test he played the percentages. He kicked his goals and took drop-goals when he needed to keep the scoreboard ticking over. He scored in 13 points, living up to his Test average. Wilkinson guided England to a 23-19 win. It has not been the only occasion when his boot has guided England through. When you look back on the World Cup in 2003 you realise the significance of Wilkinson’s kicking. Obviously he slotted the match winning kick in the Final vs. Australia, but before that in the Semi-Final vs. France, he was outstanding. Wilkinson kicked all 24 points in the 24-7 victory in Sydney. He was the man England resorted to under pressure. There is no doubt Wilkinson assured England the Webb Ellis trophy in 2003.

The main reason Toby Flood has been the 1^st choice for the past couple of years has been Wilkinson’s injury record and loss of form in 2008. Many argue Flood offers a more potent attacking threat; he stands flatter and is more aggressive in attack. Wilkinson is a more traditional fly-half; he will kick the percentages and find field position. Flood’s best match in recent history arguably was the 35-18 win in the November Internationals. Flood kicked 7 penalties and two conversions, adding 25 points to the total and setting a single point scoring record for an Englishman against Australia. Flood lead the backs with confidence and England were a constant threat with ball in hand. England as a whole team that day performed exceptionally. If Flood could get the backs running like they did against Australia again he would guarantee himself a starting position.

Wilkinson would have won 100 caps by now if his career had not been so blighted by injury. He suffered knee ligament injuries, shoulder problems, ‘stinger’ injuries in his arm and even kidney worries. However, at the moment he is currently the fittest member of the squad according to Martin Johnson. This is an impressive accolade for the 32 year old. Wilkinson is a certainty for a ticket to New Zealand if he can stay fit and I believe he should get the nod ahead of Flood. If Martin Johnson finds that England’s attacking threat is not strong enough he could always give Flood another chance. Or he could put Flood in at 12 as some suggest. This would take the pressure off Wilkinson and give Flood some space to exploit with his pace. However, for now I would like to see Wilkinson starting against Ireland to create an exciting battle between him and Jonathan Sexton.

The back-line I would pick against Ireland is:

9. Ben Youngs

10. Jonny Wilkinson

11. Delon Armitage

12. Mike Tindall

13. Manu Tuilagi

14. Charlie Sharples

15. Ben Foden

I believe this selection of backs would be strong, fast and exciting on the counter attack. Charlie Sharples deserves his chance as the 1^st fastest in the squad and the 2^nd fittest.

Any thoughts or comments? Who do you think should start at No.10 for England? Message me on twitter @tommyd91 or post below.