Jonny Wilkinson has pulled the plug on his long and generally highly successful England career.Wilko made the announcement on his official website: http://www.jonnywilkinson.com/news/my-england-retirement/
Wilkinson earned 91 caps and scored 1,179 points and enjoyed a brief tussle with Dan Carter for the title of international rugby's most prolific points scorer. 3 of those points helped win the 2003 Rugby World Cup for England in most memorable fashion.
Wilkinson travelled to the north-east from his birthplace in Surrey to play much of his club career for the Newcastle Falcons. He spent 12 years there before taking up the big bucks to play for French glamour club, Toulon. Jonny will continue to play for Toulon despite hanging up his boots for his country.
Wilkinson was a very fine fly-half and deserves to be considered in any rugby hall of fame. Yes he wasn't as flashy as Dan Carter but as a pivot and leader of the backline, he was par excellence and led the way with his kicking. He was also the meanest tackler and defender you'd ever see.
Given his long spate of injuries after the 2003 World Cup, it's quite a surprise to see how long Wilkinson's career lasted. Yes, it probably might have gone a bit longer than it should have as evident at the 2011 Rugby World Cup but to be still playing after the serious shoulder injuries Wilkinson suffered after that glorious night in Sydney is quite an achievement in itself.
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