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December 14, 2011

Posted on 12/14/2011

'My debt to crackpot Jonny'


Jonny Wilkinson embraces team-mate Will Greenwood following their Rugby World Cup triumph © Getty Images

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Will Greenwood pays a personal tribute to Jonny Wilkinson following his international retirement.

"The lad was born with talent, and there can be no doubt about the gifts he was given. But that is only part of the story. His brilliance was achieved through his dedication to his craft.

"He worked harder than anyone to maximise his talent, even to the point that his own physical and mental wellbeing came into question.

"When the rest of England’s players were already deep in their baths, Dave Alred, the kicking coach, would drive his car onto the pitch so that Jonny could keep practising in the beams of his headlights. In terms of running he would do the drills and switch off his brain to pain.

"When others were limping off after heavy contact sessions he was just getting warmed up. No matter how long a session was he would do each drill as if it was the only one, giving his all each and every time. I still don’t know how do you do that."

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