It felt a little surreal sitting with Jonny Wilkinson yesterday. It brought back memories of my big trip to Australia with my mother in 2003, when she told the teachers I would be missing a few weeks of school so we could fly to Brisbane for the World Cup.
It’s been 21 years now, but I still vividly remember that quarter-final between Wales and England. We were leading at half-time and I was eating a hot dog, thinking we were home and hosed down – only for Jonny to score 23 points and pinch it for the English.
As a player and as a young supporter, Wales versus England was always the most important match for me. In 1999 my mother was on holiday in the Maldives and it cost £6 a minute to call home. I wasn’t surprised that the only time she called home was to hear the Wales England score!
Everyone remembers their own version of events and that’s part of the beauty of it. For Welsh people my age, it’s often the image of Jonny that breaks our hearts, but over time you always look back on it fondly. I met him at the England training base (which is much more luxurious than Wales, with its chandeliers and grand piano!) and it was nice to hear that he has equally fond memories.
“My dad used to play at Alton Rugby Club,” he said, after pulling strings to get us our own private room at Pennyhill Park. “Dad was that classic wandering number eight who might start at fifteen. My brother and I went along and kicked balls around and stuck our heads in the bar where all these guys were sitting around the TV.
Dan Biggar spoke to Jonny Wilkinson ahead of the Six Nations match between England and Wales
Jonny broke Wales hearts when he scored 23 points to book his side’s place in the 2003 World Cup semi-final
‘It would be Bill McLaren on commentary and I remember seeing Paul Thorburn hit one from the 10-metre line. It was always tight. Always. Old shirts, pure red, pure white, wide, long sleeves. Brian Moore wore his shirt with the collar tucked in. That’s what I remember.
‘I could smell it from the sidelines. I can smell it now. It was a golden era, not because of how great rugby was, but because of the energy it generated. It was something beautiful, that was the romantic side of rugby for me. You looked at those players on the field and they were almost superheroes. They were heroes, but they were accessible.”
Everyone in my village in Wales would come together for this match. It was the biggest game of the year – and it still is. Everyone always reminisced about the 1970s when we were so dominant with guys like Sir Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Barry John. Those guys set an exceptionally high bar for the rest of us to try to meet. That was a challenge at times, I must admit. Sometimes I’ve wondered if this occasion means as much to the English as it does to the Welsh – and it certainly did to Jonny.
“Wales is a bit of a holy land for rugby,” he said. ‘On match day you drive through these little streets and you see how much it means to people. I always sat next to Richard Hill on the bus. The days of the Sony Discman! The bus had tables and I always sat in the same room, facing forward. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone, just watched people drive into the ground in the driveway. In my head I was just thinking, “There’s more, there’s more, there’s more,” but in the locker room it’s just you guys.
Legendary stars of the past have set a high standard for all Wales internationals to come since
‘Wales is almost a space of rugby genius. You hear about Barry John, who has sadly passed away, and rugby in the 1970s. Looking at those eras, 2003 comes closest. Against Wales there is always the feeling of: “Be careful”. Suddenly there can be that spark. They play rugby through the heart. Rugby intelligence is born in these guys, just like New Zealand, and they can just create something out of nothing. If you feed that genius, it’s dangerous. We saw it last week in Wales’ second half against Scotland.’
I watched Wales’ defeat to Scotland at home in Toulon, where it was considerably warmer than yesterday at Pennyhill Park! Jonny lives twenty minutes away from the England base and is often in the camp to guide the players. Both teams have plenty to work on after the opening weekend and, given their fairly one-dimensional approach last year, I was interested in England’s comments about an up-and-em Bazball mentality. It’s a big shift in philosophy and I was curious to see how much input Jonny has had.
“My role within the team mainly consists of supporting the players,” he said. ‘I come in towards the end of the sessions. I don’t know any strategies, I don’t know what they’re doing this week. But you see a little training and it looks good. It seems that people are finding themselves and building towards something. You can see that there are mistakes they want to take out of the Italy game, and bring out the creative side of those players who can just tear the game up
Wilkinson was involved in the England camp for the competition and offered mentoring
‘Intelligence is nothing compared to what your heart can do. The permission of that Bazball idea is to say what do you really want from your career? The excitement before a game: ‘What is possible?’ What can we do?” Instead of saying, “We have to do this, don’t do this.” Maybe we’re attuned to the idea that we have to suffer through it. If you were born to do something, which all these guys are, then it’s about being able to rely on that.’
Even as a Welshman, I love the messages Jamie George has spread as England captain. We’ve been on Lions tours together and he’s great company. He always has a smile on his face that radiates positivity, and it feels like a real mood swing from the Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell era.
I was as shocked as everyone else when Owen announced he was leaving. Of course everyone will compare it to when Jonny left England for Toulon in 2011. It’s a fascinating move, but I don’t agree with the RFU’s policy of not selecting foreign players. When he discussed it with Jonny, he seemed torn about the policy.
‘I went to France desperately hungry because I had unfinished business in me. I desperately wanted to stay in Newcastle and had no intention of moving. I missed three years with injuries and my knee completely failed. Newcastle just said: “We can’t do this”. I never wanted to play against Newcastle, so I just thought: “Let’s go abroad”. There was a hunger in me. My intention was to go there and just let it rip with what was left. It was a tough end to my England career and the France thing was exactly what it was meant to be.
‘It all depends on your intention and staying true to it. You’re not there to mess around. There is still unfinished business with Owen. There is an energy that causes terrible suffering when it should be fun. It’s like Leigh Halfpenny. If that energy is strong enough, what happens is inevitable. Leigh brought it, you brought it and I think Owen will bring it.”
With guys like Owen not playing a role this weekend, it feels like the start of a new era in this match. Looking at the young age profile of the players, this could set the tone for this rivalry for the next decade. I was in the Wales camp on Tuesday and the group felt like they were riding a bit of a wave after that second half in Cardiff, but there was no part of me that wished I was training with them again . It’s the first Six Nations I haven’t been a part of for twelve years and instead I join Jonny in the TV box and play the smart kid who tells everyone what they’re doing wrong!
Biggar added that he admires England captain Jamie George’s call for his teammates to be fearless in the pursuit of glory
“It takes time to find that comfort, ease and distance to enjoy the experience,” Jonny told me. ‘It feels like I’m still playing the game, but with a different shirt on. There is always a sense of anticipation at Twickenham, the crowd always turning up to give the team a chance. Now I’m one of those guys on the edge of the field and it almost becomes a bit mythical. I used to do that, pedaling for hours. Now that I look at it, it’s divine. It still has that high presence for me, but physically it is no longer relevant to my life. I can enjoy it and enjoy the journey of young players.
‘This weekend’s competition is open to anyone who puts their authority on it. Who finds that ruthlessness and self-confidence, no matter how many mistakes you make, to say: “We’re going for it”. There is always a reason to be reluctant. It’s about not being reckless or irresponsible, but about finding the energy to say, “Why not?” If you come up with ideas about how to make it safer, you won’t get anywhere.
‘Playing at Twickenham is definitely different to Cardiff. There is an openness to Twickenham. You feel less susceptible to that energy. Twickenham always feels fast, a big field with lots of space. I always have confidence in England, especially at Twickenham.’
Jonny tipped England for an eight-run win and on this occasion I agree with him. They’re coming home from a win in Rome and physically I think their fifth will have the edge. I hope Wales will prove me wrong. I can’t wait to watch from the sidelines – I just have to remember that it’s unprofessional to ask Jonny for his autograph!