Toulon's Jonny Wilkinson had to be replaced shortly after half-time in Sunday's final in Marseille © Getty Images

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Matches: Cardiff Blues 28 - 21 Toulon

Players/Officials: Jonny Wilkinson

Tournaments/Tours: England tour | European Challenge Cup

Teams: Cardiff Blues | England | Toulon

Jonny Wilkinson is remaining optimistic that he will be able to link up with his England colleagues for next month's tour of Australia and New Zealand despite picking up an injury in Toulon's European Challenge Cup final defeat by Cardiff Blues on Sunday.

The World Cup-winning fly-half was forced off in the early stages of the second half in Marseille with a suspected broken rib but Wilkinson now believes that the initial diagnosis might have been incorrect.

"I'm not sure if it's a cracked rib," the former Newcastle Falcons said. "It feels like a bit of a back strain and I will find out this week. At the moment it does feel a bit uncomfortable but I am not in a position where I am feeling dread in any way."

However, Toulon boss Philippe Saint-Andre revealed that Wilkinson was in serious discomfort after the game and admitted that if the player has suffered a broken rib there is no chance of him being cleared to tour with England.

"He took a bang. He was very sore. We don't know if it is a big matter, if it is a broken rib," the Frenchman said. "He will have some tests. I am not sure they will be tomorrow because it is a Bank Holiday in France and nobody works in France. We will know more on Tuesday."

Meanwhile, Blues boss Dai Young admitted that Wilkinson's deparature had turned the game decisively in his side's favour.

"It was key when Wilkinson went off," he said after Cardiff had become the first Welsh region to claim a European title. "When we were putting them under pressure Wilkinson was able to relieve that. We were playing into his hands. We were hanging on in the first half by our toe-nails. But we have been a second-half team for the last two to three months and we had the confidence that in the second half we would come strong.

"The attitude was excellent - we could have chucked the towel in at some stages. It's another sign of how far we're moving forward as a region. To come here and win a European final on a neutral ground was a big achievement for us."