Rugby union and professionalism was not a natural fit. Years after the reforms, the bulk of players in this country still maintained an amateur mindset in regards to how many hours they had to put in to get to the top of their sport and the huge level of dedication it required to be the very best. Jonny Wilkinson was different. From the very start he approached rugby in the manner other professional athletes approached their sport and embraced a work ethic that made him a forerunner among his peers. It is no exaggeration to say Jonny's 'first in, last out' approach to training set the benchmark for modern English rugby.
In fairness, Jonny's attitude in this regard was heavily influenced by Rob Andrew, who dedicated a similar amount of time to improving his game when the pair were together at Newcastle. Steve Black [Wilkinson's longtime friend and guru] also played an important role; together Jonny and Blacky had a great feel for how far a rugby player's body could be pushed in the pursuit of achieving maximum potential without it being severely affected by the brutal physicality that is part and parcel of the sport.
It could be argued that Jonny did ultimately push himself too hard, as the many injuries that blighted his later career testify to, but it would be wrong to suggest, as many have, that this was the consequence of Jonny's obsessive pursuit of self-perfection. What people always underestimated about him was his desire for the team to do well. All that individual training, all those individual sacrifices, they were to make sure the team, whether it be Newcastle, England, the Lions, performed as best it could. He was the ultimate team man and I can tell you that when that kick flew over the posts in Sydney in 2003 Jonny's first thought was not for himself, but for his team-mates, his coaches and his country.
For all the success he had at international level, I know Jonny would have loved to have played with more freedom, being allowed to do more off the cuff. The England set-up and how it was organised back then did not allow him to do that. Ever since his school days, Jonny had an appetite and enthusiasm for running with the ball. He was also an outstanding passer, awesome from both hands, and in that regard it is a shame that he will always be remembered as a kicking fly-half. It would have been interesting to have seen him play at scrum-half for England; his skills would not have let him down and the nation would have appreciated just how good he was with ball in hand.
That is not to take away from his kicking. He was outstanding in this department and again Andrew's influence and Jonny's own dedication to self-improvement were central to this. I have lost count of the times I had to tell him to stop practising and come inside when we were together at Newcastle. And then when he wasn't practising kicking he was talking about it. I remember one trip to Perpignan in the early days and seeing the pair of them in a pre-match practice session going on and on about kicking techniques. It was incredibly dull but ultimately that dedication to the small details was what made both of them tick.
The English public will always remember Jonny for what he did in Australia in 2003, and rightly, too, but his legacy stretches far beyond that. He showed English rugby what needed to be done to achieve excellence in the professional era and through that, as well as his contribution to England's World Cup win, shaped an entire generation of children's enthusiasm for the sport. When you see a youngster now, whether it be on the playing fields or at a rugby club, kicking the ball over the posts for hours on end, or pushing themselves in practice and in the gym to be the very best they can be, think of Jonny. He inspired them to do that and, in retirement, stands as English rugby's greatest modern-day servant and role model.
Steve Bates is a former Newcastle head coach and also taught Wilkinson at Lord Wandsworth college in Hampshire
