Wilko kicks old habits
30 Aug 2006
Jonny Wilkinson has changed his kicking style in a bid to stay injury-free this season.
Wilkinson, who has not played a test match for England since the World Cup final in 2003, believes he has identified what was causing him to break down during every attempted comeback and reckons it will no longer be a problem.
“In terms of goalkicking, the mechanics of my body, the strain on my groin from years of bashing balls around needed to be changed,” he said. “One muscle was tearing repeatedly under pressure, causing a succession of setbacks. I have managed to ‘switch off’ that muscle by altering my kicking style and the way I practise.
“I am not working any less in terms of preparation but there is more rest time and more enjoyment time.”
He told The Sun newspaper: “Had any of the injuries ended my playing days, I could have looked back on what I have achieved and taken my time to absorb everything. But that is not the case. I had a number of different injuries, all are healed and I am 27 and believe there’s a lot more to come.”
53 Comments
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31 Aug 2006, 10:46 am
Ye Joel Stransky got the drop in 95 and so did Wilko for England what did the All Blacks get? O ye right they got dropped out!!!!!!!!!!
31 Aug 2006, 10:47 am
Be good to see Wilko back in the rose jersey. He was an awesome flyhalf, survived some hectic hits, made a few of his own.
31 Aug 2006, 11:24 am
London,
Maybe we Kiwi’s just never saw Johnny at his best.
We had such high expectations of the Lions when they toured last yr, but thanks to Sir Clive and his blind loyalty to his old and worn out Englishmen the tour was a huge disappointment.
Wilko had a miserable time with his shoulder and everything else.
Even so he had every 10 yr old boy imitating his unique kicking style.His was the name that every school boy knew.
I think one of the reasons we don’t rate him as highly as some is that the English forward pack was so dominant and often played 2nd rate teams.
e.g. Italy, Wales(apoligies to any Boyo’s who may read this).
Larkham on the other hand probably plays half of his games against top 5 nations.
In my top flyhalves(I have seen) of all time Wilko would be about 7th. Behind the likes of:
John,
Bennett,
Carter,
Ella,
Honiball and Larkham.
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