Dubai: Former England and British Lions stars Neil Back and Richard Hill think Jonny Wilkinson won’t be included in Tuesday’s 37-man British and Irish Lions squad announcement, despite the fly-half’s resurgent form.
Wilkinson, 33, scored all Toulon’s points in a 24-12 Heineken Cup semi-final win against Saracens at Twickenham on Sunday.
It takes his total points haul on the continent to 97 points in eight matches this season and has prompted comparisons with his 2003 World Cup-winning form, when he scored a last-minute drop goal to help England beat Australia in the final in Sydney.
Persistent injury hampered his career up until his international retirement in 2011, but now the veteran of two Lions tours in 2001 and 2005 has been tipped for comeback into Warren Gatland’s Lions tour of Australia, from June 5 to July 6.
However, Back and Hill, who were both in England’s 2003 World Cup squad with Wilkinson and on the last winning Lions tour of 1997 against South Africa, believe Wilkinson should make way for youth.
“I don’t believe Jonny will go,” Back told Gulf News on the sidelines of a St. George’s Day party at The Westin in Dubai last Thursday. “I think he’s had a fantastic career and I’m glad to see he’s overcome injury and signed for another year at Toulon.
“Obviously their European Cup run has been through his boot and intelligent play. But I just think he’ll miss the boat. I think they’ll take younger players that are chomping at the bit. Jon has been on two tours and has been very successful. I just think this tour might elude him.
“You can’t go along the lines of just set-piece orientated play. If you get stuck in a stagnant game where we are into territory and kicking, I think we’ll come unstuck and I’m sure that’s not what Warren Gatland will bring to the party,” added Back.
Hill said: “I concur. Unless we’ve been given a red herring about Gatland and his strong desire to take two front-up fly halves – and a third mysterious fly half, suggesting he’s an outside back, whether centre wing or fullback – I don’t think he’ll go.”
Wilkinson himself has stated the case for younger fly halves such as England’s Owen Farrell and Toby Flood, Wales’ Dan Biggar and Ireland’s Jonny Sexton.