Jonny's two years from hell

Jonny Wilkinson walks off Westpac Stadium following the Lions' 48-18 defeat in the second test. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Usurped by Daniel Carter as the world's premier first-five and now unable to force his way past Charlie Hodgson into the England team, Jonny Wilkinson is sliding into obscurity with what seems almost undignified haste.

He had the world at his feet in 2003 when his right leg swung effortlessly in the closing seconds of the World Cup final to steer the ball so sweetly through the posts. Wilkinson had the looks, the nerve and the skills to become the game's biggest star since Jonah Lomu.

But two years on from that momentous night in Sydney and the only thing we can be sure of is that Wilkinson still possesses the looks.

A shoulder injury kept him out of the game for almost a year after the World Cup. Then his knee caved in a couple of times to leave him scrambling to make the Lions tour. He made it in the end but was short of match fitness and confidence.

Selected in the relatively unfamiliar position of second-five, he struck a sad figure in the first test, where he was almost washed away in the Christchurch rain.

A week later in Wellington, restored to his favoured No 10 shirt, we almost forgot he was playing. That night was all about Carter who, midway through the second half, skipped past Wilkinson as if the Englishman's legs were made of stone.

There had been a changing of the guard and, when a rumbling appendix disrupted Wilkinson's pre-season in England, it would have been understandable if he gave it all up there and then.

His body has been ravaged by so much brutal rugby but the questions are not just about his physical capacity. In the two years Wilkinson has been lying on the physio's couch, the game has moved away from heavily sequenced, territorial rugby.

Wilkinson was the master at sitting in the pocket and booming the ball into far-flung corners. He could play closer to the traffic, too, usually offloading short passes to the crashing runners, who would look for more contact.

And, of course, he could tackle with the power of a loose forward. It worked for England back in 2003.

But it's highly debatable whether it can work for England now. Collectively the England pack of old could dominate from Edinburgh to Auckland. Wilkinson was the ideal man to be standing behind them.

It's different now, though. The powder-puff Wallabies aside, England may not be able to bully their way to victory.

They need an element of creativity. There needs to be a spark somewhere in the backline and there are plenty who feel it is more likely to come from Hodgson.

Hodgson was unlucky on the Lions tour. He was one of the few players to show a polished skill set.

He made a few clean breaks, passed sweetly and goalkicked accurately. But that wasn't enough to convince Sir Clive Woodward that Hodgson should start a test. Maybe Woodward couldn't shake the image of Hodgson's nerve collapsing when he played against Australia at the end of 2004.

The Englishman, usually a trusted goalkicker, sprayed the ball anywhere but the general direction of the posts. The press labelled Hodgson a bottler.

Hodgson's club coach at Sale, former French wing Phillipe Saint-Andre, is adamant that Hodgson is the right man for England.

"Charlie is a very good player. He has a high skill level and reads the game well. England play quite narrow and I think Charlie can give them width. He is part of a winning team at Sale. We are playing very well, while Newcastle [Wilkinson's club] are towards the bottom.

"I think Wilkinson will have to play very well to get back in the England team. He will have to prove he is better than Charlie to do that."

He may find that hard as Newcastle are struggling. Since Wilkinson returned to action in early October, the Falcons have won only twice and both have come in the second tier European Challenge Cup.

He's kicked well enough and shown his usual composure but after so long away from the coalface, he hasn't been able to take control the way he did of old.

When he was asked before England's game against Australia when he thought he might return to the international fold, he replied: "It's pointless me talking about England because that door isn't open to me at present. I'm putting everything into the Falcons."

You suspect he'll have to put everything and more into the Falcons. But even then, it might not be enough to win back his test place.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY