Wilkinson set for season bow
Scrum.com
September 11, 2008

Jonny Wilkinson will make his Guinness Premiership comeback at Kingston Park this Sunday, as he lines up in the starting XV for Newcastle Falcons against Northampton Saints.

Director of rugby Steve Bates will wait until Friday lunchtime to name his side for the second match of the season, but has revealed that Wilkinson will start at fly half after successful surgery on his shoulder over the summer.

The England and Lions star has taken a full part in training, including contact, with Bates saying: "Jonny is in great shape and raring to go.

"I thought Rory Clegg did very well for an 18-year-old guy making his Guinness Premiership debut last weekend against Sale, but with a world class talent like Jonny in the side we will be a much more potent attacking force.

"The attention that the opposition have to give him often presents opportunities elsewhere on the field for other players. He knows what we as coaches are trying to achieve, and what he also brings is a great emphasis on precision in attack.

"He brings a huge amount of problems for defenders to deal with, firstly because he is a prolific goal kicker and teams are wary of conceding penalties in their own half, which in turn could well have implications on other areas of the game."

© Scrum.com

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.