Newcastle are getting used to life without Jonny Wilkinson © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Jimmy Gopperth | Jonny Wilkinson

Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership

Teams: England | Newcastle Falcons | Toulon

For Jonny, read Jimmy. The No.10 baton at Newcastle has been handed from Wilkinson to Gopperth, a surf-loving New Zealander who arrived on Tyneside the week when Britain was basking in a heat wave.

"Jimmy thought the weather was better than back home in New Zealand but he's quickly changed his mind," advised Steve Bates, Newcastle's director of rugby.

It is a daunting challenge for the Junior All Black who has spent the summer training and exploring the joys of surfing off Tynemouth beach.

His task, undoubtedly, is lessened by the fact that Wilkinson had become an irregular player at Kingston Park due to the succession of brutal injuries that have limited his appearances since the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Wilkinson last played for Newcastle, against Gloucester, on Sept 30 2008, and had flagged up his intentions to join a Top 14 club when he held a press conference after a pre-season friendly against Racing Metro Paris 12 months ago. His standard of French surprised the media huddle and triggered a number of offers ending in Toulon signing him up despite having not played since his night at Kingshom was ended when he dislocated a knee cap.

Bates has forecasted that it will take until about next December before he does not have to face a 'Jonny question' at a post-match press conference. "Whatever happens, people will want to speculate on what might have happened if Jonny had stayed. I can understand that."

He is blunt as to why Wilkinson moved on. "One of the big things for Newcastle was that the injury situation had become something that in the present financial climate we just could not take a risk on. The opportunity has arisen for Jonny and it is a great one.

"It's a big challenge. Perhaps, it is something that he needs to experience. When it arose it made a lot of sense for him. From my perspective I hope he has an absolute fantastic season and he plays for England. But from Newcastle's perspective, if he had been fully fit and could have played the whole season then it would have been perfect, but over the last three or four years it has been very difficult for us.

"We will miss him, obviously, but we have the chance to build a new team and have brought in fresh people. What I've seen from Jimmy so far is that he's very skilful, very knowledgeable and a very confident player."

Aged 26, Gopperth has given up hopes of playing for the All Blacks and swapped the Auckland Blues for a three-year deal in the English Premiership which will bring him a six-figure salary each season. He is part of a new-look squad that has undergone greater change than even the upheaval at Saracens.

"We've kept under the radar a little, but we are ahead of Saracens by one or two players. It has been quite a dramatic spell since the New Year," Bates explained.

Bates is well used to the changing fortunes of professional rugby. His own coaching career has helped him develop immunity to the ups and downs. He was sacked by Newcastle in 2003 and returned to Kingston Park when the professional team in the Borders folded four years later.

Bates has seen a whole Newcastle team leave in the past two years. Wilkinson is the lead figure in a list which includes Toby Flood, Mat Tait, Jamie Noon, Tom May, Phil Dowson, Lee Dickson and Dave Wilson. All either England players or prospective internationals.

Bates has made no secret of the fact that money at Newcastle is tight. "The way things are structured at the moment we cannot have players who are not going to be around for the whole of the season. It's great that they play for England, but we have no money to get in replacements.

"There is one part of me that says it's sad to see them go. But there again they were not going to be around forever. They deserved the opportunity and new challenge. I do not have a major problem with it.

"It's sad to see them go, but the bigger picture is that I hope they do well and I will be really, really pleased for them. But I think to believe that a player will stay at one club all their career is no longer applicable."

Bates hopes England manager Martin Johnson will keep a watching eye on another batch of young players coming through the ranks at Kingston Park. At the moment, Newcastle have only one representative - scrum-half Micky Young - in a Twickenham senior squad.

"Martin has made a decision on England's short-term future and we've not got any players in that age bracket who might well have played. But I hope he continues to look at our young players.

"I think England would be very short-sighted not to look at Tim Swinson, a second-row, Alex Gray, who is captaining England Under-18s, and Under-19 Will Welch who is looking in great shape. Alex Tait at fullback is another player and there is James Hudson who has joined from London Irish. He seems to be missing out at the moment because Johnno seemingly does not want a player under 25 stone."

Bates is keen for overseas players to remain in the Premiership. "They bring something different to the competition and help our young players. I'm sure a player like Rob Miller, a young fly half here at Newcastle, will benefit enormously from playing alongside Jimmy this season."

The Newcastle coach has developed a peppery sense of fun from his years in professional rugby. He was quick to smile at the thought of the French League looking at ideas to cut the numbers of overseas players following the recent English invasion.

"Perhaps, Jonny, Jamie and Tom will be among the lucky ones before the drawbridge is pulled up. Who knows? All I can say is that I believe we have a squad as a good, may be better, than the one last season. I'm in an upbeat mood. I can't be anything else - we've not played a match yet."