Time up for struggling Wilkinson

Can’t live with him, can’t live without him. Yet as another Six Nations campaign appears destined to end in mid-table mediocrity following last weekend’s home defeat to Ireland, it is time for Martin Johnson to bring the Jonny Wilkinson story to a conclusion.

All good things must come to an end, and if England are to develop into a side remotely capable of regaining the World Cup in New Zealand next autumn, they must do so without Wilkinson to hold them back. For in the opening three matches of the current Six Nations Championship, that is exactly what he has been doing.

That is not to say, of course, that he does not have his strengths. Despite an occasional wobble in matches against Ireland and Italy, he remains one of the most reliable goal kickers in the world. His ability to chip in with pressure-relieving dropgoals can be crucial when the scoreline is tight, and even though his body has been ravaged by a succession of serious injury problems, he continues to produce tackle after tackle, something that could not be said for some of his rivals at fly-half.

But while the credit column remains considerable, the downside to Wilkinson’s presence has become increasingly apparent in the last 12 months. Now, perhaps for the first time ever, the balance has shifted towards the negative.

The former Newcastle Falcon has never been the most intuitive of thinkers, but in England’s glory days, there were plenty of players around him to pull the strings. The image of Wilkinson marshalling England’s World Cupwinning backline has always been a deceptive one. The likes of Matt Dawson, Will Greenwood and Jason Robinson directed the traffic – Wilkinson listened to their instructions and followed them to the letter.

Six-and-a-half years on, and England, particularly behind the scrum, are a work in progress.

There are plenty of willing musicians, but they need a conductor to lead them, and Wilkinson, introverted to the point of anonymity, is not the right man.

He struggles to think on his feet or spot gaps in the opposition defence. He much prefers set trainingground moves, which are easier to spot and defend against, than off-the-cuff displays of spontaneity. He plays the percentages, which, in the modern game, effectively means playing straight into the opposition’s hands.

All of that would be bad enough if it was just impinging on his own ability to set up try-scoring opportunities, but because fly-half is the most pivotal position on the field in terms of orchestrating attacking moves, England’s number ten is dragging the rest of his team-mates down with him.

On Saturday, Wilkinson was standing so far behind Dan Care that the scrumhalf needed a telescope just to see him, let alone locate him with a pass.

By standing up to 25 yards behind the scrum, Wilkinson gave himself time to assess his options.

But he also gave Ireland’s defenders an age in which to reorganise, and by the time he either passed, kicked or broke, any impetus generated from England’s recycling was lost.

Riki Flutey and Mathew Tait were crying out for early ball close to the gain line, but Wilkinson was in no position to provide it, and while England dominated possession for large periods of the match, they never looked like scoring a try via their backs.

Compare Wilkinson’s safety-first style to his opposite number’s instinct, and his flaws become even more apparent. Jonathan Sexton barely saw the ball last weekend, yet he still set up Ireland’s first try with a spur-of-the-moment chip over the top for Tommy Bowe – a move it is hard to imagine Wilkinson would have attempted – and supplied the crucial pass that enabled Keith Earls to cross for Ireland’s second score.

Sexton was only starting because Ireland coach Declan Kidney has reluctantly decided that Ronan O’Gara’s international days are numbered. With Toby Flood and Shane Geraghty desperate for a chance to show what they can do, it is time for Johnson to reach the same conclusion about his own exalted number ten.

THE broken leg suffered by Aaron Ramsey last weekend was horrendous.

But it was also a sad, yet inevitable reality of football being a contact game.

For Arsene Wenger to claim, in however subtle a manner, that it was a direct result of teams targeting Arsenal players is an indefensible inflammation of an already delicate situation.

True, three Arsenal players have suffered broken legs in the space of four years, but a statistical anomaly is no reason to condemn the whole of the English game.

Ryan Shawcross’ tackle on Ramsey was poor, but it is impossible to prove it was malicious.

The Stoke defender was clearly upset when the extent of the injury became clear, and has conducted himself impeccably in the aftermath of the incident.

Wenger, on the other hand, has failed to cover himself in glory. Was Shawcross’ tackle any worse than the William Gallas challenge on Mark Davies that so angered Bolton boss Owen Coyle in January?

“I am sorry if it was a foul,” said Wenger at the time. So are mistimed tackles only allowed if it is Arsenal players that are making them?

THIS year’s National Swimming Championships will be a welcome addition to the roster of top-class sporting events staged in the North-East.

For years, the likes of Sue Rolph and Chris Cook succeeded against the odds despite inadequate facilities in the region.

Sunderland’s impressive Aquatic Centre addresses that failing, and hopefully the opportunity to see the likes of Becky Adlington, Jo Jackson and Liam Tancock in their home pool will inspire the next generation of North-East swimmers to future glory.