Wilkinson retires

First topic message reminder :

Former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of this season.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27467391

flyhalffactory wrote:But again its all speculation and opinion

And this is why we have a forum, we don't always have to agree.
But for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would disagree with any of MY opinions. Haven't been wrong yet.
Except if you ask:
my Dad
my missus,
my daughters
my sons,
my teammates
my mates,
and my mates wives ('cepting one, he, he, he)

Not a bad way for Jonny to bow out.

Well done fella!

Some lovely passing, kicks from the touchline and a droppie.

Happy retirement.

He will be well and truly missed. Especialy in toulon where he has become a living Legend.

I would just like too say Good luck for the Future Johnny Wilkinson.

Hop too see you in the England coaching set up soon.

All the best Jonnie on your retirement ,as to Toulon there a joke.
Do they play in the Barbarians strip?,2 French Starters in the
team.Another title bought not earned by a French team.

emack
What are you on about?.

This is the professional era and all that goes with it. JW was the star in a team of stars, and that team won the HC on merit

flyhalffactory wrote:JW was the star in a team of stars, and that team won the HC on merit

Toulon played as an integrated well drilled team.  A mere collection of stars could never have performend like that nor could they have won consistently against teams in their own league, which also have 'collections of stars'.  Are Toulon paying a lot of money for their players?  Of course.  But do these players play as a cohesive team?  Also yes.  Once again, they are the best team in Europe.  

it is a completley different discussion whether it is good for Rugby to have such a financial imbalance in Eurpoean Rugby.  Today is about celebrating the victory of an excellent team as well as the accomplishments of a great player on the occasion of his retirement.  The class approach is to save the other stuff for another day once things have died down.  There won't be much disagreement that the financial underpinnings of Rugby are still weak and highly inconsistent.  And that something needs to be done.  Obviously.  Just not today.

For French rugby its not good and St Andre has said so much in the past but its a professional sport now and all the Toulon fans (and there were plenty) didn't care how the team was assembled they won and won well in the end.

Anyone know anything about Billy Vunipola snubbing Wilkinson after the match.
Mako has been on twitter apologising about his brother behaviour.
He (Billy) behaved badly at the Ulster - Saracens match as well and had to be restrained by team mates

Maybe he's just an extremely bad looser.

He didn't lose to Ulster though he won

emack2 wrote:All the best Jonnie on your retirement ,as to Toulon there a joke.
Do they play in the Barbarians strip?,2 French Starters in the
team.Another title bought not earned by a French team.

Bought? maybe, but hardly not earned. Deserved winners without a doubt. This is a professional sport, like it or not and in sport you can't be half professional just as you can't be half pregnant. Toulon played as a team and Sarries looked a bit off the pace, certainly compared to the Clermont game.

Toulon do look a lot like a Barbarian team, but you can't blame Toulon or the players who sign for them.

He was obviously gutted and ****ed off! I think it's easy to forget the guys only 21 as well, he'll get more mature.

But he could have posted the apology himself - his brother doing it on his behalf doesn't really cut it

When I stationed in the North East

Hey BedfordWelsh - just being nosey, so you can tell me to bogoff, but whereabouts?

Catterick, Albermarle or Boulmer?

Or somewhere more exotic?

Big brothers look out for you. Shame he didn't add #storminateacup

geoff998rugby wrote:But he could have posted the apology himself - his brother doing it on his behalf doesn't really cut it

There are plenty of 21 year olds in professional sport who show grace in defeat. Billy will come to regret this and not apologising directly himself. A "the occasion got the better of me and I was wrong" sort of statement would go a long way.

Most 21 year olds have more pratice in being defeated than Billy!

Of course it is a storm in a tea cup but after his loutish behaviour at Ravenhill, as well, he doesn't want to get himself a reputation.

Wilkinson, at 21, would not have behaved in the same way.

TrailApe wrote:

When I stationed in the North East

Hey BedfordWelsh - just being nosey, so you can tell me to bogoff, but whereabouts?

Catterick, Albermarle or Boulmer?

Or somewhere more exotic?

Trail,

Stationed at Boulmer but worked out of all 3 on various occasions, well not so much worked out of Albermarle but it was used as a stop over regularly for the job I was on at the time.

geoff998rugby wrote:Anyone know anything about Billy Vunipola snubbing Wilkinson after the match.
Mako has been on twitter apologising about his brother behaviour.
He (Billy) behaved badly at the Ulster - Saracens match as well and had to be restrained by team mates

It was at the end of the match Geoff, Wilkinson tried to shake his hand but he walked past and sulked down the tunnel - Wilkinson called him a couple of times but he just ignored him and kept walking. I don't think he was snubbing Wilkinson specifically, just upset at losing but it was pretty immature not to stay on the pitch to do a post match handshake with the opposition before heading back to the changing room.

In fairness too Jonny was surrounded by media at the time so Billy may not have heard him call him.

Thanks BedfordWelsh,

Been to Albermarle but never got to Boulmer - although my Dad who was a TA Scaleyback and a BT Engineer used to go underground a few times.

Before I got a proper job I was on one of those job creation schemes in the lates 70's and this particular job was going around Northumberland and checking the O.S. Maps against what was actually on the ground. I wandered around Longhoughton puzzling to why all of the streets had names like 'Bader Crescent' and 'Trenchard Way' and what was this rather large village doing here in the middle or ruural Northumberland - no harbour, power station, open cast site or Prison anywhere around.

And what was a NAAFI doing there? Puzzling times for a callow youth.

As for Catterick, well N.Yorkshire is a nice place but some parts aren't as picturesque as others.

Boulmer was a little gem one of these best kept secret places, Longhoughton was nice village with great local pub, then you had Alnwick and wasn't a huge trek to the Toon.

Done just under 2 years there and loved it.

Wheres all this criticism of Billy come from?
Over on the other threads there saying his performance was poor and he was owned by Steffon etc.

I thought he had a great game..made yards everytime he got the ball - no mean feat against Toulons defence...and the reason for the turnovers was his supporting team members simply not following him close enough.

Yes he should have shook hands...but hey he's 21, and will learn from that. Im glad to see he was upset at losing...

Wilkinson half-time team talk, taken from a new Toulon documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScYuSs3Vdpg

great clip.

that's the most animated i have ever heard JW. what a professional. leading that group of experienced ex-internationals, with all the language barriers, to :Le Double: last year, is very impressive.

Wasn't he captain?

Yes he was

I saw the new Guinness advert for the first time the other day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjMho7lsb2s

Wilkinson did a video with Rémi Gaillard



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAZIMVbkMxo