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Subscribe to RSS FeedWilkinson`s fading fortune
Wilkinson faded into the Parisian night on Saturday
As the final whistle sounded on a cold Parisian night on Saturday South Africa were crowned 2007 World Champions whilst England were left to reflect on a missed opportunity.
The withdrawn looks etched across the faces of England's fallen heroes summed up the feeling that it was a case of what might have been. For until François Steyn landed a monstrous kick to stretch the lead to nine points, England were more than in the game.
A World Cup final is not the place for vast amounts of wide expansive rugby, with the use of the boot the order of the day as both sides looked for a slight positional advantage. Sadly for England, Jonny Wilkinson seemed preoccupied with the boot on Saturday, constantly kicking from hand and wasting two attacking platforms with failed drop goal attempts.
It was his first effort though that was the most questionable. It was the first time in the game that England were on the front foot with quick ball, attacking the South African 22 from a solid line-out. Until that point their line-out had struggled and they were failing to make any serious impressions on the Springbok defence.
Why did Wilkinson decide it was the right option, trailing 6-3 with only fifteen minutes on the clock, to waste a perfect attacking platform? You could understand his decision had there been little else on offer to him, but that was simply not the case. Simon Shaw and Phil Vickery had laid the platform by crashing over the gain line and Andy Gomarsall had kept the pace of the attack going, until Wilkinson wasted all the hard work.
Truth be told, it was indicative of the fly-half's night. So often the hero for England, Wilkinson was strangely off-form and indecisive. He flitted back and forth when England were on the attack, seemingly unsure of what to do, and in the process making it a devil's job for Gomarsall to provide consistent service.
In the past his drop goals have been invaluable to England, but on Saturday his obsession with them cost England dear. The chance to play attacking rugby on the front foot is often at a premium in a final, as was the case in Paris, so to waste such a glorious chance early on is verging on villainous. What's more is it is so unlike Wilkinson, a player of proven ability and with a temperament to match, to select the wrong option.
His second attempt at the drop goal summed England's evening up, it was a kick devoid of ideas and reeking of desperation. It is fair to say that had it gone over, England would have had nine minutes to score a converted try to save the game and create World Cup history. But in truth it was a speculative effort that never looked likely to succeed.
As was the case in 2003 against Wales, Jonny Wilkinson had to rely heavily on Mike Catt to provide the kicking option behind. Catt took to the role with aplomb and it was his boot that nursed England around the park, enabling them to maintain parity in the overall game. His full impact on the game was realised when he departed injured, leaving Wilkinson without a foil.
Mathew Tait tried his utmost to ensure England were still armed and dangerous in the kicking stakes, but with Wilkinson struggling to find any sort of distance with his boot they suffered greatly. The result meant Tait was left to battle alone as he endeavoured to secure field position, but it was a losing battle. For every fine kick he produced South Africa had any number of options to return the favour.
As Wilkinson faded into the night the England grip was slowly but surely eased from the Webb Ellis trophy. Butch James, François Steyn and Percy Montgomery hit the screws time and again, and South Africa's trio of kickers wrestled control of the game. And the World Cup.
By Marcus Leach
