/ 12 January 2005

Injured Wilkinson ‘desperate’ to join New Zealand tour

The biggest name in Northern Hemisphere rugby, Jonny Wilkinson, is desperate to tour New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions and may not play in the Six Nations series, Lions coach Clive Woodward said in Auckland on Wednesday.

Woodward, in New Zealand to inspect grounds and training facilities ahead of the 11-match tour starting in June, said the star flyhalf would be a key part of the team if he can recover from a knee injury.

Wilkinson suffered a new injury to his left knee over the weekend that is likely to keep him out of the game for up to six weeks.

”I’d be surprised if he plays in the Six Nations,” said Woodward, who rates Wilkinson as the biggest name in northern hemisphere rugby ”by a mile” and who was ”desperate to come on this trip”.

The Lions will bring a bulging 44-player pool to New Zealand from which the midweek and Test sides will be drawn.

Woodward said he would coach the Test side playing the All Blacks in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and remain involved in the midweek side coached by Ian McGeechan.

He also defended the decision to bring 26 other personnel — including coaches, medical staff and Prime Minister Tony Blair’s former press secretary Alistair Campbell — saying the size of the management team was necessary to cope with the demands of the professional game.

The 2005 Lions would be the best-prepared team ever, he said.

He also heaped praise on the current All Blacks, describing their 45-6 defeat of France at Paris in November as ”just outstanding” and singling out flyhalf Daniel Carter as a ”fantastic player”.

Although Woodward denied he was here to launch a charm offensive, he outlined plans to have all Lions players not involved in the Tests made available to unions for public appearances. – Sapa-AFP