Rugby World Cup 2015: 100 moments - Jonny Wilkinson
With 97 days to go until the start of the Rugby World Cup, we take a look at one of the tournaments greatest players
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Your support makes all the difference.Jonny Wilkinson, England. World Cups Played In – 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011
Ah, Sir Jonny. A man synonymous with the game and a true gent of English Rugby. Wilkinson has only been knighted by the Toulon supporters who love him so dearly, but let's not forget his true services for rugby.
Aside from the obvious, which we will discuss, Wilkinson has a phenomenal record as a points scorer. In the 2003 World Cup, he topped the points scoring table, scoring 113 points in six games. He scored 10 conversions, 23 penalties, and 8 drop goals. (Yes, including that one.)
His only World Cup try came in 1999 against South Africa in France, but throughout his nineteen caps in the tournament he scored 277 points overall. He was found to be suffering with a broken facet joint in his shoulder shortly after the World Cup success and was ruled out for sometime after despite being named the new captain.
In 2007, a non-contact ankle injury kept him out of the opening fixtures of the World Cup against the United States and South Africa, before he returned to score 24 points against Samoa. Kicking all the points against Australia in the quarter finals (12-6) and a last minute drop goal from 40-metres against France in the semis (14-9) set England up for a final against South Africa, who demolished England a few weeks earlier in the pool stages, and a chance to retain their world crown.
Sadly, it was not to be for Wilkinson, as South Africa’s Percy Montgomery slotted twice as many penalties as Jonny, and François Steyn added a fifth penalty to make the score 15-6.
Wilkinson was one of four players to have played in both the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, and stands as the only player to score points in two finals.
And, because I know you’ve been waiting for it, here is THAT score. Just remember when you watch it, Wilkinson is left footed.
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