Lions handled Wilkinson badly - Andrew

Newcastle Falcons coach Rob Andrew has criticised Clive Woodward for his treatment of Jonny Wilkinson on the Lions tour to New Zealand.

The former England player believes the Newcastle fly-half was cosseted by the Lions coach as the tourists plunged to a series defeat against the All Blacks and claims Wilkinson needed a far more testing playing schedule.

Andrew told The Mail on Sunday: “The Lions experience was not good for Jonny. I thought he was handled poorly.

“The one thing he needed more than anything in New Zealand was to play matches.

“Not playing him and then drafting him into a Test match out of position, as happened out there, is not the way to handle Jonny Wilkinson.”

The 26-year-old, who kicked the points that saw England win the World Cup in Australia, has recently suffered from an inflamed appendix and will not make Newcastle’s Guinness Premiership opener at Sale next week.