WillGreenwood

Was Jonny Wilkinson England's greatest fly-half? He was certainly the finest that I've ever seen. He didn't so much redefine the role of the ten as expand it: the job is to kick consistently, from hands and tee, and help the attack move with incision, but Jonny added sublime defence, making 25 tackles per match as well as slotting points from all angles, at crucial moments. He was brilliant at controlling the game.

In a good rugby team you need trust, as a back you must have absolute faith in the men to your right and your left. For his skill, bravery and perfect communication, Jonny, who stood to my right in England's World Cup-winning backline, was the most trustworthy team-mate I could have hoped for. It was a privilege to play in the same side as him.

Jonny took preparation to another level, he was an outstanding professional and my abiding memory of him is at Pennyhill Park. As the rest of the England team, myself included, headed for a hot bath after an arduous workout, Jonny would stay out to practice his kicking. His dedication was one of the key factors in our transformation from a half decent pub team into world beaters.

Everybody talks about the 2003 World Cup, and rightly so, but in the build-up we enjoyed a momentous run of away victories - in Dublin, Wellington and Melbourne - that compare with any of England's achievements over my lifetime. Jonny played a huge part in those results, especially in windy Wellington. Allow me to explain some of the difficulties facing a kicker: 25 yards from the posts the wind blows one way, 35 yards away it breaks two ways and at 45 yards it manages to blow in three directions. To kick a rugby ball hard, high and accurately enough to prevail in those conditions - in a stadium full of Kiwis who are baying for you to fail - is unimaginably difficult. That day in Wellington, and throughout his England career, Jonny Wilkinson consistently achieved that.

The game has changed enormously over the course of Jonny's career, demands on and opportunities open to players are varied. But I wouldn't expect to see him on Strictly Come Dancing. Publicity and plaudits aren't his thing. That isn't to say he's always a quiet man off the pitch: the public only saw the determined perfectionist but we saw the laughing, relaxed Jonny too. In the end, all he really wanted was to be able to hold his head up high in England team meetings, which is staggering when you think how good he was.

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