Wilko takes ouster by England in his stride

BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson never bought into the adulation that surrounded him at the peak of his prowess and it was no surprise he took an equally phlegmatic view after being left out by England.

Three days after entering the record books as international rugby's highest points scorer, Wilkinson was on Tuesday dropped to the bench for Saturday's Six Nations clash with Ireland, the only change from last weekend's defeat by Scotland.

One of sport's most introspective performers, he said he was down for "about one millisecond" after being told he would sit on the bench after being replaced by Danny Cipriani. "There was disappointment but that's a good thing and to be expected," Wilkinson told reporters.

"I was immediately aware of what that meant to my approach and the difference in my role this week and in the millisecond it took me to get over that, I moved on and was thinking about training.

"It's not an ideal role but it's one you get on with."

Nobody expected anything else from the ultimate team man, who immediately set about helping Cipriani as the 20-year-old prepared for his first England start.

The demotion was not a complete surprise as Wilkinson had a poor game against the Scots and coach Brian Ashton said the 2003 World Cup winner had been inconsistent throughout the tournament.

Wilkinson does not get his rugby highs from kicking penalties or making big hits but from his team clicking into gear.

"I got that (this season) in the France game and at times against Wales and Italy," he said. "My best performances have been when you stop thinking and really get that brief fleeting enjoyment."

Wilkinson has spoken lately of how he has tried to change his approach, losing some intensity and learning to enjoy the moment, but he made it clear the new mindset has not diminished his desire.

"On Monday we had a day off. I woke up in the morning and before I knew it I was in the gym. The fire is still there, absolutely," he said.

"One thing that will never change is I will never stop going out there every day and trying to get better. I still desperately care about what I do. I still do the extra training, that will never change because you care so much.

"This has never been a job to me and never will be. Being great and trying to be great is the pinnacle of the process and I'm making sure the process is enjoyable."

At 28, having missed three years of international action through injury, Wilkinson is not about to follow many of his fellow World Cup winners into retirement when he hits the magical 30.

"If someone says they don't want me then that's a different matter," he said.

(Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies)