Jonny Wilkinson's participation in England's tour to Australia and New Zealand is in doubt after he was helped off the pitch in Marseille today, 49 minutes into Toulon's Amlin Challenge Cup final against the Cardiff Blues. The Toulon fly-half will have a scan on his back, probably on Tuesday, to see if he is fit to join up with England before the weekend. Wilkinson played down the severity of the injury, saying he thought it was merely a "strain".
Toulon were comfortably ahead with Wilkinson at the helm but they collapsed without him as the Blues became the first Welsh team to win one of the two European cups. Toulon's director of rugby, Philippe Saint-André, feared Wilkinson had suffered a broken rib after a jinking run. Wilkinson thought the problem was a back spasm.
"We will have to wait for the results of the scan, but it feels to me like a strain," said Wilkinson, who had until todayenjoyed a first injury-free season in eight years. "I think it happened after I had dummied a drop goal and ran at two defenders, rather than when I took contact. That is why I am inclined to think it is a strain rather than a break or a crack. My experience with injuries has taught me to look on the bright side and get on with it. At this point I am reasonably optimistic I will tour with England and I do not see this as a big issue. The scan will tell either way and I will have it before joining up with England at the end of the week."
Wilkinson was making his 30th appearance of the season for Toulon and his eight points against the Blues had taken him to 389 for the campaign.
The Toulon owner, Mourad Boudjellal, said Wilkinson's injury occurred because some of his players took the threat of the Blues too lightly. The Top 14 side were leading 13-6 when the flanker Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe ran a kickable penalty. The subsequent move saw Wilkinson suffer his injury.
"This was a high-level game and when points are on offer you should take them," Boudjellal said. "We did not respect the Blues team and the defeat was unacceptable. We not only missed out on the chance to go 10 points ahead but we lost Jonny Wilkinson and with it the match."
The Blues' captain, Gethin Jenkins, is a doubt for Wales's tour to New Zealand after leaving the field at half-time, having aggravated a long-standing calf problem.
