Now that Wilkinson's gone...

...will Hodgson also retire?

...will John Inverdale pack it in?

...will the World come to an end?

...will England ever win the World Cup again?

...will Joe Public recognise anybody in the England team?

...will he be knighted?

...will he go into coaching or the media?

...will Toulon still want him?

...will Simon Shaw follow suit?

...will there be more or less mentions of his name before every 6N match?

...will he get a proper send off?

...will England fans realise how much of a loss he is sooner or later?

...will News International be digging for dirt?

...will the RFU utilise his experience, at all?

...will Kiwis admit he was the prototype for Carter?

...will he get the respect he deserves from other nations fans?

...will Hodgson also retire? - Doubt it, indeed I'd expect him back in the EPS

...will John Inverdale pack it in? - We live in hope

...will the World come to an end? - No, that will be CERN's fault for finding the meaning of life, the Universe and everything

...will England ever win the World Cup again? - more chance of the RWC than the FIFA one...

...will Joe Public recognise anybody in the England team? - I reckin most of them will recognise Manu Tuillagi before too long, especially if they bump into him in the street...

...will he be knighted? - probably, inside the next 5 years, especially if HRH Tinds can have a word with his missus's gran

...will he go into coaching or the media? - I reckon he's better cut out for coaching

...will Toulon still want him? - I think he's a couple more years club rugby yet

...will Simon Shaw follow suit? - Surprised he hasn't announced it yet. Also, when are the refs going to stop him bringing his zimmer frame onto the pitch?

...will there be more or less mentions of his name before every 6N match? - oh, at least as many, and as for how many times THAT drop goal is shown before each Australia game...

...will he get a proper send off? - I was going to say I doubt it, but since the only person in RFU towers is Rob Andrew, JWs long-time mentor, there's a chance.

...will England fans realise how much of a loss he is sooner or later? - I think we already know, based on the decline since 03

...will News International be digging for dirt? - They'll have already tried. DOn't think there's anything there.

...will the RFU utilise his experience, at all? Oh come on, the RFU do something sensible?!?

...will Kiwis admit he was the prototype for Carter? I think many of them already do

...will he get the respect he deserves from other nations fans? - Again, I think most fans do respect him greatly, just a few of the one-eyed fans from the other home nations diss him. Same as most fans have plenty of respect for Shane Williams

The second to last one NEVER!

The last one. He already has it and will never lose it.

I certainly hope he goes into commentating. Maybe then Guscott would retire out of shame and we might have some insightful, objective comments for a change instead of endless guffs of hot hair or in the case of Brian Moore an endless stream of invective.

I like Brian Moore's passion. Him and Butler have faults, but gel together to make a good team.

I think he would be an excellent pundit, which is why he should become a coach.

...Will he be knighted in the new years honours list?

Sir Jonny Wilkinson

Sadly, Inverdale with his matted grey chest hair, air of condescension and his inability to care about correctly pronouncing any remotely ethnic Celtic name will never pack it in.

He'll end up doing interviews on the sidelines with his iron lung and fanny pack of Viagra.

'matted grey chest hair of condescension' is my new favourite phrase even though that isn't what you wrote. Inverdales celtic pronunciation is not as bad as Jiffys French...just appalling and quite lazy. I know his first language is Welsh but put some effort in and stop making yourself look so ignorant.

Anyway on the actual point England need to start afresh. create a backbone of a team with Hartley, Cole, Tuilagi and some others (who I don't know because I don't watch the premiership but I gather Dowson is quite good) and build from there. Accept that this season might be an experience building exercise and get some continuity.

stop making yourself look so ignorant.

That's his accent, which I am quite glad he's had the balls to keep despite playing rugby all over the World.

If Wilkinson does become a commentator does that mean we'll stop hearing about him now he's not actuallly playing ?

Wait, we heard about him during nearly every match he wasn't playing in anyway

He'll make a great coach though - someone to look up to and younger players would want to emulate on and off the pitch

Glas a du wrote:

stop making yourself look so ignorant.

That's his accent, which I am quite glad he's had the balls to keep despite playing rugby all over the World.

Glas I've got a lot of respect for you as a poster but his pronunciation of French names is nothing to do with accent. It's laziness. Ieuan Evans doesn't have the same problems and he hasn't lost his accent

Yes but it's hard enough to pronounce Welsh with a Trim* accent. He could make an effort if he's paid I suppose, but he's hardly set a good example by the rest of them is he?

(*see they can't even say the name of the village, Trimsaran, in full)

At 32 i'd imagine he has 2 seasons of top flight rugby left in the tank...after that he has a fashion buisiness he runs with his brother mark. Somewhere down the line he will make a good assistant, but not head coach as he is too nice without enough ego.

Now Dave Alreds been kicked into the long grass there would always be room for him as a specialist kicking coach very similar to the one Neil Jenkins fills for the lions and Wales, but knowing Jonny if his futures lies in rugby it will be with his family and old club in Newcastle.

Glas a du wrote:

stop making yourself look so ignorant.

That's his accent, which I am quite glad he's had the balls to keep despite playing rugby all over the World.

Now come on Glas I'm not sure that two stints in Cheshire interspersed with a couple of extended beach holidays down under constitutes 'all over the World'!

You didn't see "7 ar y paith" then? He, Ieuan Evans and a few other Welsh internationals went to a 7's tournament in Argentina. He was amazing.

I'd like to see him as a back coach somewhere a bit like Elissalde is doing in Toulouse.

admittedly i didnt see that no but i have watched a lot of six nations matches where he hasn't been brilliant

...will Hodgson also retire?-i hope so.

...will John Inverdale pack it in?-i hope so

...will the World come to an end?-maybe in december 2012

...will England ever win the World Cup again?-i dont think we will anyway

...will Joe Public recognise anybody in the England team?-NO

...will he be knighted?- probably

...will he go into coaching or the media?-i hope not, he's boring

...will Toulon still want him?YES

...will Simon Shaw follow suit?-no he will play until he's 60

...will there be more or less mentions of his name before every 6N match?-NO

...will he get a proper send off?-no

...will England fans realise how much of a loss he is sooner or later?-no

...will News International be digging for dirt?-yes

...will the RFU utilise his experience, at all?-NO RFU ARE USELESS

...will Kiwis admit he was the prototype for Carter?-no

...will he get the respect he deserves from other nations fans?-i hope so.

George Carlin wrote:Sadly, Inverdale with his matted grey chest hair, air of condescension and his inability to care about correctly pronouncing any remotely ethnic Celtic name will never pack it in.

He'll end up doing interviews on the sidelines with his iron lung and fanny pack of Viagra.

It must be illegal to write 'fanny' in UAE?

mckay1402 wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

stop making yourself look so ignorant.

That's his accent, which I am quite glad he's had the balls to keep despite playing rugby all over the World.

Glas I've got a lot of respect for you as a poster but his pronunciation of French names is nothing to do with accent. It's laziness. Ieuan Evans doesn't have the same problems and he hasn't lost his accent

Raphael Ibanez's pronunciation of the Welsh players names was equally dodgy! And don't get me started on Serge Betsen!

Glas, you are a mischievious rascal and no mistake.

Gatts wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Sadly, Inverdale with his matted grey chest hair, air of condescension and his inability to care about correctly pronouncing any remotely ethnic Celtic name will never pack it in.

He'll end up doing interviews on the sidelines with his iron lung and fanny pack of Viagra.

It must be illegal to write 'fanny' in UAE?

I have checked and my fanny is UAE compliant.

mckay1402 wrote:admittedly i didnt see that no but i have watched a lot of six nations matches where he hasn't been brilliant

He was playing!

PJHolybloke wrote:Glas, you are a mischievious rascal and no mistake.

I missed you on Sunday PJ, gutted, it's still an ambition of mine to see rugby at the Rec. I hope we draw you in Europe so we see the rag doll again before it's knocked down!