Jonny Wilkinson retires

[Elong]

That was in the Heineken Cup, so maybe, what, 9 games?

That's a decent work load like.

 

[bluejock]

In the Evening Standard (found the paper) it said in this years Heineken Cup he'd made 45 tackles and missed 15. That doesn't sound like he's a very good tackler at all. Different positions I know, but I read that thus far this season, John Bateman has made over 300 tackles this season and missed 13 of them.

Richie McCaw wants a word.

Ah but McCaw is an absolute bear of a man.

I'm not referring to number of tackles per se, more the technique and quality of the tackle. Wilkinson, as a number 10, had the ability to take much larger opponents and not just slow their run, but wrap them up completely and turn the ball over.

Obviously this has waned a bit over the last couple of years as injuries have taken their physical toll, but watch videos of him tackling in the mid 00's and when he first moved over to France. The technique was unbelievable.

 

[Elong]

Ah but McCaw is an absolute bear of a man.

I'm not referring to number of tackles per se, more the technique and quality of the tackle. Wilkinson, as a number 10, had the ability to take much larger opponents and not just slow their run, but wrap them up completely and turn the ball over.

Obviously this has waned a bit over the last couple of years as injuries have taken their physical toll, but watch videos of him tackling in the mid 00's and when he first moved over to France. The technique was unbelievable.

True, but I guess the demands of a fly half change depending on the country they play for, or even hemisphere. Telling a NZ flyhalf to tackle first, sidestep second would be like telling a Brazilian striker to run to the corner flag.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Ah but McCaw is an absolute bear of a man.

I'm not referring to number of tackles per se, more the technique and quality of the tackle. Wilkinson, as a number 10, had the ability to take much larger opponents and not just slow their run, but wrap them up completely and turn the ball over.

Obviously this has waned a bit over the last couple of years as injuries have taken their physical toll, but watch videos of him tackling in the mid 00's and when he first moved over to France. The technique was unbelievable.

It wasn't so much the number that surprised me as his success rate. To miss 1/4 of all tackles attempted is pretty awful. Suffice to say, I don't have defensive stats from him at his peak, but for someone with such a big defensive reputation it was a tad surprising.

 

[Walken]

Are we really comparing the moral fibre of a gent lile wilkenson with ritchie mccheat and the rugby kopites he plays for

 

[Elong]

Are we really comparing the moral fibre of a gent lile wilkenson with ritchie mccheat and the rugby kopites he plays for

Martin Johnson says hello*


*Mind you, probably learned all his cheating habits whilst playing over here as a young up and comer.

 

[Allezfan]

Won the french title with his last ever game after winning the european cup with his second from last.

Hard to argue with that.

 

[Allezfan]

Still think England will burgle the world cup though, they're putting together a really good squad, just the timing of the tour is always terrible when Northern Hemisphere teams come in June. So much depth though. I reckon their 5th choice fly half (Sopoaga at Highlanders) would make most international teams. 5th choice ffs!

The English have the toughest world cup group, mind. Australia, Wales, Fiji and one other, home advantage is huge but having to knock out either the welsh or the aussies just to reach the last 8 isn't ideal.

And with the rise of the french league their no foriegn based players policy is tying one hand behind their back.

 

[L4Everton]

Bye bye Johnny, spend the mint you make working the tory toff circuit wisely.

 

[chicoazul]

Bye bye Johnny, spend the mint you make working the tory toff circuit wisely.

Is right.

 

[Elong]

The English have the toughest world cup group, mind. Australia, Wales, Fiji and one other, home advantage is huge but having to knock out either the welsh or the aussies just to reach the last 8 isn't ideal.

And with the rise of the french league their no foriegn based players policy is tying one hand behind their back.

Two positives though, firstly they will knock out another serious team, hopefully that's Aussie, and secondly it will make them tougher for the rest of the tournament, providing they don't pick up too many injuries against the massive Fijians.

 

[dubfade]

I don't think the Boks have dominated Carter too much, rather their forward pack was bigger than NZ's for a couple of years there. Burger and Mattfield were absolute beasts.

But it's true, blessed with talent and free running backs.

Meh, arsed about the Northerners, they still go mad over cast offs like Tuilagi and Waldrom

Jeez Waldrom, those were dark days.....

Glad to see Jonny won vs Castres yesterday as well, great send off.