World Cup hero Wilkinson hailed as ‘extraordinary individual’

ROB ANDREW has hailed England World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson as “an extraordinary individual” ahead of his logic-defying return to the Test match arena.

Despite playing barely 45 minutes’ rugby in 12 weeks, Newcastle superstar Wilkinson will be reunited with England’s number 10 shirt for the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Scotland at Twickenham next Saturday.

New England head coach Brian Ashton has rushed him back into business, charged with supervising the world champions’ Six Nations title assault following three seasons of abject failure in European rugby’s blue riband event.

A demoralising catalogue of injuries and illness effectively put the 27-year-old in cold storage for club and country following his World Cup exploits.

Ashton, though, saw enough during a three-day England training camp last week to be convinced Wilkinson warranted an international recall.

Wilkinson’s former Newcastle boss and current Rugby Football Union elite rugby director Andrew revealed Ashton canvassed widespread opinion before finally making the call last night.

“Jonny is an extraordinary individual,” said Andrew, speaking at a Sports Journalists’ Association lunch in London.

“Every time he comes back from knocks, he looks virtually ready from the first time he touches the ball.’’

The fact Scotland have not won at Twickenham since 1983 would normally suggest a routine Six Nations experience for England.

But Wilkinson’s presence, let alone a Test debut for ex-Great Britain Rugby League captain Andy Farrell and Jason Robinson exiting international retirement, guarantees it will be far from a quiet afternoon at the office.

There are a total of 11 personnel changes – plus positional switches for Vickery and Wasps back Josh Lewsey – from the side beaten 25-14 by South Africa in Andy Robinson’s last game as England supremo just over nine weeks ago.

Gloucester’s Iain Balshaw returns at full-back, so Lewsey moves to the wing, while there are also recalls for Leicester trio Harry Ellis, George Chuter and Louis Deacon, plus Sale’s 6ft 3in openside flanker Magnus Lund.

Despite losing leadership duties to Vickery, Leicester number eight Martin Corry is retained in England’s back row, where he is joined by Lund and Joe Worsley.

Worsley and Corry are the only players who keep their starting positions from the South Africa Test, such has been the extent of Ashton’s overhaul.

* World Cup winner Steve Thompson has been ruled out of England’s entire RBS Six Nations Championship campaign due to a neck injury.

The 28-year-old Northampton hooker faces an eight-week rest period from playing and training because of a disc problem.

England: I Balshaw (Gloucester); J Lewsey (Wasps), M Tindall (Gloucester), A Farrell (Saracens), J Robinson (Sale Sharks); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), H Ellis (Leicester); P Freshwater (Perpignan), G Chuter (Leicester), P Vickery (Wasps, capt), L Deacon (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps), M Lund (Sale Sharks), M Corry (Leicester).

Replacements: L Mears (Bath), J White (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), P Richards (Gloucester), T Flood (Newcastle), M Tait (Newcastle).