A decade on from when it first happened, Jonny Wilkinson will have the honour of leading his team out at Twickenham on Sunday, for the second and final time.
That team is Toulon, rather than England, but the moment will feel extremely special and poignant for the fly-half. Back in 2004, one year after a one-off stint as skipper, he was asked to take on the captaincy of the national team ahead of an autumn series at HQ, but another of his untimely injuries cruelly intervened.
Now, he is fit and healthy, and gearing up for what is likely to be his last appearance at the venerable arena which he graced with distinction for many years. At his personal height, it was as if Wilkinson owned the place. Visitors from around the world were crushed by his relentless kicking class.
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His record at Twickenham is startling. The solitary previous club appearance there saw his Newcastle side claim the Tetley’s Bitter Cup in 2001 with a 30-27 victory over Harlequins.
At Test level, he reigned supreme in south west London. Of his 42 England outings there, he was on the winning side 36 times. Wilkinson’s first 30 internationals at the national stadium brought just one defeat - against New Zealand - and a sequence of 23 consecutive victories, between October 1999 and August 2007.
Of course, that period was heavily punctuated by the brutal, soul-destroying series of injuries which plagued the middle part of his career. Having suffered damage to virtually every part of his body in the aftermath of the 2003 World Cup triumph, the fly-half golden boy didn’t play for his country for 1,169 days after his heroics in Sydney.
When he finally returned, he did so in supreme style. Recalled by new national coach Brian Ashton, Wilkinson conjured one of his finest Twickenham performances to mark the occasion - with a Six Nations record of 27 points against Scotland through a try, five penalties, two conversions and one trademark drop-goal. Just for good measure, he ended up with several stitches in a head wound, and the man of the match award.
That was just one of so many HQ highlights. Most of them came in his first phase as a Test player, when England were global front-runners under Sir Clive Woodward at the start of the new millennium. In 2002, two stand-out displays came in quick succession.
Familiar territory: Wilkinson leads England out as captain in March 2003 (above) and makes his debut as an 18-year-old in 1998 (below)
First, another Wilkinson full house - one try, two conversions, three penalties and a drop goal - was the foundation of a 31-28 win over mighty New Zealand. A fortnight later, the stand-off stood up to South Africa’s relentless cheap shots and attempted bullying tactics to pull the strings in a record 53-3 victory to complete a perfect autumn campaign. It all began for him as an international player at the age of just 18 years, 314 days, against Ireland at the old cabbage patch which was transformed into a fortress during his heyday.
Wilkinson’s grand entrance came in unfamiliar territory out on the wing, as a replacement for Mike Catt, who was similarly out of place on the flank. He became England’s youngest debutant since 1927.
Five years later, he enjoyed his one and only stint as captain of the Test team; overseeing a 40-5 home thrashing of Italy en route to a Grand Slam.
Finest hour: Wilkinson poses with the Webb Ellis trophy the day after the 2003 World Cup finalEven in more recent years, when he was not always the imperious first choice and for so long found himself as Toby Flood’s deputy, there was no end to the adulation. Every time he came on at Twickenham, goodwill poured from the stands. He remained the darling of the hordes, to the end.
This time, Wilkinson’s task will be to orchestrate the downfall of an English team, but those present will loudly acclaim him nonetheless. All eyes will be on his personal duel with Owen Farrell and that tussle will convey a sense of the baton being passed from the veteran to his long-term successor. It’s just a shame that a meagre crowd of 25,000 or so will be there to see the nation’s modern-day rugby idol tread the boards on his favourite stage one last time.
Jonny's triumphs at Twickenham:Jonny Wilkinson played for England 42 times at Twickenham and was on the winning side for 36 of those games. Here Sportsmail select five of his finest moments...
Bloody hero: Jonny puts Scotland to the sword in his 2007 comebackEngland 35 Ireland 17April 4, 1998Wilkinson made his England debut as a fresh-faced, promising novice at the age of just 18 years, 314 days, as a wing replacement in this win against Ireland.
ENGLAND 31 NEW ZEALAND 28November 9, 2002Four years after his debut Wilkinson contributed a decisive ‘full house’ with 21 of England’s 31 points, including a try, as the All Blacks were beaten on a glorious occasion.
ENGLAND 53 SOUTH AFRICA 3November 23, 2002During the same autumn campaign, the No 10 was subjected to intimidation tactics by South Africa, but kept his nerve to orchestrate a record win.
ENGLAND 40 ITALY 5March 9, 2003His one and only game as captain of the national team took place against Italy in the Grand Slam season of 2003 as England secured an easy win.
ENGLAND 42 SCOTLAND 20February 3, 2007After an injury-enforced exile of 1,169 days, Wilkinson’s England comeback yielded 27 points and a man of the match award against Scotland.
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Bristol's revival taking shape
Bristol’s achievement in being the first team to beat Newcastle in the Championship this season was not enough to keep them in the hunt for promotion, but the sleeping giant is stirring again.
The recruitment of Sean Holley as head coach is the next major step in Andy Robinson’s overhaul of the West Country club, who are bound to be a major force next season.
Holley’s experience from his years at the Ospreys will be an asset and he remains hugely motivated at the age of 42. Bristol is a rugby city with a proud history and plenty of latent support. The signs of revival are good to see.
Promising signs: Bristol's Fatua Otto takes on the Newcastle defenceBath director of rugby Gary Gold doesn’t come across as a gambler, but he may be ready to take a punt on Gavin Henson. The former Wales centre has been in talks about a move to The Rec, after a season with relegated London Welsh which was disrupted by frequent injury.
While signing the 31-year-old would represent a risk of sorts, it is one worth taking, as he showed flashes of enduring class on behalf of the Exiles. Fit and focused, Henson could still be an asset. In theory after a sabbatical and various enforced breaks, he should still have a number of years left in him.
Gamble: Henson looks set to move to Bath Decision time: Gatland names his squad on Tuesday The last wordKiwi forwards past and present tend to acquire a reputation for being ‘uncompromising’ and Warren Gatland - an All Black hooker in his time - must remember that billing when it comes to finalising his Lions squad.
The head coach and his assistants will have to pick some players who have only just returned from injury, such as Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton, while Scotland lock Richie Gray is also in contention after passing a fitness test this week, despite not playing since early March. Yet, the number of men with question marks attached should be kept to a minimum; the Lions don’t have time to nurture several players back to match sharpness.
And Gatland must not allow politics - in terms of the balance of nationalities - to be a selection factor now or in Australia.
He must choose teams to win, not to appease. Encouragingly, the signs are that he will do just that.
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