Little Jonny's huge hits were game changers

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring photographs, and explains the story behind the iconic image

- Brendan Gallagher

What’s happening here?

It’s February 19, 2000, a raw afternoon in Paris, and a diminutive 20-year-old kid making only his second Championship start for England at fly-half has just felled France wing Emile N’tmack with a shuddering tackle that sent shock waves around the Stade de France and indeed the rugby world. The name was Wilkinson, Jonny Wilkinson.

The story behind the picture?

Anybody who followed and reported on the England Schools XV already knew that Wilkinson was a major rugby talent, a sublime dead ball kicker, a brilliant choreographer and kicker of dropped goals, and a neat and clever passer. A fierce but cool competitor, he possessed a nice half break, the only component missing from his game was searing pace but he was always going to be more of a creator than a finisher.

All this he had demonstrated during the England Schools Grand Slam season of 1997 and then their triumphant tour of Australia that summer when his talents were displayed at inside-center.

And all this was gradually becoming obvious in his senior career with Clive Woodward quickly promoting him to full England duties. His baptism came on the ‘Tour from Hell’ in 1998 and then he played center alongside Jeremy Guscott throughout the 1999 Five Nations.

Initially, he showed up well during the World Cup that autumn but ultimately Woodward preferred Paul Grayson as his starter at fly-half in the quarter-final against South Africa when England got well-beaten courtesy of five incredible dropped goals from Jannie de Beer.