Jonny Wilkinson, who has not played for England since clinching the 2003 World Cup with a last-minute drop goal, has changed his distinctive kicking style in a bid to stay injury-free this season.
The 27-year-old Newcastle player insists he has identified what was causing him to break down during every attempted comeback and reckons it will no longer be a problem.
”In terms of goal kicking, the mechanics of my body, the strain on my groin from years of bashing balls around needed to be changed,” he said.
”One muscle was tearing repeatedly under pressure, causing a succession of setbacks. I have managed to ‘switch off’ that muscle by altering my kicking style and the way I practise.
”I am not working any less in terms of preparation but there is more rest time and more enjoyment time.”
He added in The Sun: ”Had any of the injuries ended my playing days, I could have looked back on what I have achieved and taken my time to absorb everything.
”But that is not the case. I had a number of different injuries, all are healed and I am 27 and believe there’s a lot more to come.”
Newcastle travel to Northampton in this weekend’s Premiership opener, their first match since boss Rob Andrew left to become the Rugby Football Union’s elite director of rugby. — AFP
