Warren Gatland yesterday left the door ajar for Jonny Wilkinson to join the Lions tour of Australia and the former England fly-half is ready to answer an emergency call — if his body can take the strain.
The frenzied speculation about the newly-anointed European Player of the Year being summoned for a third Lions crusade has escalated following Toulon’s Heineken Cup triumph against Clermont Auvergne in Dublin.
While Wilkinson remained in the Irish capital — training with his club before a Top 14 semi-final against Toulouse on Friday night — Gatland was interrogated on the subject of the revered No 10.
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Still going strong: Jonny Wilkinson added the Heineken Cup to his list of career achievementsHaving already revealed that there are 30 players on stand-by for the tour, the Kiwi head coach said: ‘If we picked up an injury on tour then maybe there’s a conversation to be had with Wilkinson.’
There is a suspicion that his arrival is an inevitability, at some stage, even if both the chosen fly-halves — Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell —stay fit.
An injury in another position may be used as the excuse to send for the World Cup-winner. Yet Wilkinson is unsure whether he will be physically able to meet the challenge.
Brain: Wilkinson's running of a game is still among the best, as is his kicking‘As far as the Lions is concerned, I’ve been asked if I’ll be an injury replacement,’ said the 33-year-old. ‘I’ve said “Quite happily. Let me get to the end of the season and see if I’m not the one who needs replacing rather than the one who goes out there”.
‘I can’t guarantee the state I’ll be in. It’s the same with my body as with the kicking; I’m trying to hang in there. I lacked a couple of things against Clermont. I didn’t feel as I should, but I’m going to go out there, give it everything and see what happens.’
Travel: For Wilkinson to be called up either Johnny Sexton or Owen Farrell will have to pick up an injuryWilkinson confirmed that the possibility of a late Lions call-up was related to ‘injury only’ — dismissing the notion that he will automatically be invited to join the tour as soon as his Toulon duties are over for the season.
‘If I can physically front up to being there if there is an injury, then great. If not, then they’re not losing much!’
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