Jonny Wilkinson Interview: 'I want to win the championship with Toulon'

Rugby Union / Geoffrey Riddle / 13 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Jonny Wilkinson is eyeing the French title and a return to the England team

“There is no point saying I hope we finish third or fourth as it means we are actually choosing to lose games. We are not choosing to lose games."

England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson can't wait to get back into action this Friday when his new team kick off the French domestic season with a heavyweight clash at home to Stade Francais. Geoffrey Riddle talks England and France with the World Cup winner.

Jonny Wilkinson was at Twickenham on Wednesday to train with his England colleagues under the watchful eye of his former World-Cup winning skipper, Martin Johnson. He was put through his paces by the England management, who tested his skills on an individual basis before he went back to France to hook up with his club ahead of Friday's curtain-raiser, which is screened live on ESPN.

Wilkinson, who has missed eight months of action with a fractured kneecap, last made an appearance for his country as a replacement in the final game of the 2008 Six Nations, the 33-10 drubbing of Ireland. It was the latest in a string of injuries that has seen the iconic No.10 miss most of the last six years since he landed that drop goal to win the World Cup in Australia in 2003.

"It's nice to be back in England," said Wilkinson, tanned after several months on the Mediterranean. "Arriving at Stansted airport was nice until I got to passport control - things got a bit busy then!," he joked.

Although Wednesday's training session was light, Wilkinson has an extremely difficult first match with which to ease himself back into competitive rugby. He also faces the prospect of fending off compatriots James Haskell and Tom Palmer, who now play for Stade. "I'm certainly easing into the season with a game against Stade first up!", he continued. "I've had a couple of friendly games out there, and we've played hard, and played to win. But they are just friendlies, and this first game will be very different."

"The atmosphere with a full stadium and an opportunity to start is exciting, but when I walk out on to the pitch, I won't know what to expect and I'm sure it will be intense."

Intensity is a fitting word for England's record-breaking fly-half. A Test career that boasts 70 Tests, three World Cups and a record 1,099 points has been achieved by pitching himself against his own exacting standards.

Although Wilkinson has mellowed slightly during his 12 years in top-flight rugby, the passion and determination still shine through.

"I just know the challenge for me will always be to meet my own expectations," he says. "Wednesday afternoon before a Friday night game, you start to get those inclinations to go into your shell and try to work out: 'what if this happens, what if that happens, what is this situation going to be like'?"

"On the other hand, as soon as the whistle goes I will do what I have always done which is to revert to type and do the best I can with what is going on around me, and make decisions based on what I think needs to be done based on my experience and try to help the guys kick off with a win." With an injury-plagued squad set to visit Stade Mayol, it is easy to see why Toulon are likely to start at around [1.57] for the season's opening encounter.

Toulon have recruited heavily in the off-season, a process which has gone right to the top. Former coach Tana Umaga has been demoted to attack coach and new manager Philippe Saint-Andre, formerly of Sale, has drafted in 16 new players. Among those were former Sale Sharks Juan Martín Fernández-Lobbe and Sébastien Bruno, while Felipe Contepomi moved from Leinster along with Premiership stalwarts Tom May, Rory Lamont and Kris Chesney. Australian rugby league convert Sonny Bill Williams, as well as former Brumbies and Western Force scrum-half Matt Henjak have made the mix more cosmopolitan and Toulon are seriously hoping that money can breed success.

The last time Toulon were crowned champions of France was in 1992 - their third time. Those titles are in sharp contrast to Stade Francais' 13 championship victories. But behind that success lies a hidden story. Stade Francais hadn't won a title for 90 years when the francs of billionaire Max Guazzini propelled them to the title in 1998 - the first of five under the ownership of the flamboyant media owner.

It is a process that fellow money man Mourad Boudjellal, the comic publisher who owns Toulon, also has in his sights, and it is a dream that Wilkinson has bought into.

"It's difficult when people ask about the season without saying we want to finish first," Wilkinson conceded after a recent friendly. "There is no point saying I hope we finish third or fourth as it means we are actually choosing to lose games. We are not choosing to lose games,"

Boudjellal may have made his personal fortune in publishing comic books. But if Wilkinson has anything to do with it, Toulon's challenge for honours this season will be no laughing manner.