Wilkinson’s winning ball could be in Kiwi hands

THE English think the Aussies have stolen it, but the ball drop-kicked by Jonny Wilkinson to win the Rugby World Cup final may have ended up in Kiwi hands.

Mystery surrounds the fate of the ball kicked by Wilkinson in the closing minutes of extra time to take England to a 20-17 win over the Wallabies in Sydney last month.

One English newspaper has mounted a campaign, demanding Australia hand back the famous ball.

However, there's a chance the ball in question is now being kicked around a back yard in New Zealand.

Gisborne accountant Richard Stannard was in the crowd at Telstra Stadium when, after the World Cup presentation, what was apparently a match ball was kicked into the crowd.

"About eight minutes after the cup was presented to [England skipper] Martin Johnson, the England team was doing a circuit of the ground," Stannard said yesterday.

"We just can't recall who it was we're pretty sure it was [England scrum half] Matt Dawson he just kicked it into the crowd."

Many supporters had left by this time, but Stannard remained.

"He just kicked the ball and it bounced once and into a [vacant] seat a couple in front of us ... and I just dived over and grabbed it.

"There was another Kiwi bloke who tried to get it too, but I tried my George Smith skills on the ball and flicked it back, and that was it."

Stannard admits he does not know if the ball is that kicked by Wilkinson, because several were used during the game.`

The ball had a blood spot presumably from a bleeding player and a few scuff marks, but was otherwise indistinguishable from the other balls.

Stannard said the ball was now sitting at home, where his kids had been passing it around, and he was keen to hold on to it.

But when told it could be worth more than NZ$100,000, he added, "I suppose everything's for sale at a price."

However, Stannard's hopes of a windfall may have been dented by an Australian memorabilia company, which claims the drop-kick ball is among four match balls collected after the final, to be given to fans who paid to enter a draw.

Michael Fahey, of Legends Genuine Memorabilia said one match ball was lost in the crowd after a first half England try, but the four other balls used in the match, along with three unused reserve balls, were all recovered.

He said there was no way of knowing which of the four was the Wilkinson ball.