Jonny Wilkinson weighs in on Lions fly-half debate - it's bad news for Finn Russell
Rugby NewsTuesday, 04 March 2025 at 09:45
With just two rounds left in the 2025 Six Nations, the battle for a starting spot on the British and Irish Lions tour is intensifying.
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Speaking on The Rugby Pod, Jonny Wilkinson explained why Marcus Smith’s performance against Scotland had particularly impressed him. He highlighted the England fly-half’s patience and composure, calling it a “powerful” aspect of his game.
Wilkinson said: “I think early on in my career, I would have just been too exuberant and too kind of keen to just fly around the place to have had the kind of composure and calm and the vision and what have you.
“And then at other times later on in my career, I would have been too keen, like you said, to try and make something happen.
“But he found that balance between the two, having the patience, the poise, and the trust just in his team to wait. And I think that’s quite powerful.”
Despite his admiration for Smith, Wilkinson believes Lions head coach Andy Farrell may opt for Ireland’s Sam Prendergast instead, citing the fly-half’s familiarity with Farrell’s style of play.
He explained: “I don’t know Andy Farrell’s preferences.
“I know Owen [Farrell] really quite well and sort of had a connection, I guess, with Johnny Sexton and seeing how he’s played his Ireland team in the past, what kind of teams he’s had and how that’s functioned with a game plan he likes.
“We’ve seen what he’s done with Ireland. We haven’t been able to see what he’s done with, you know, at this point, another team. What would he do with a team if he had different players?
“As we know, his Ireland team seems to be enormously strong at running these great lines, great movement in the backs, but ruthless, direct team. So I would hazard a guess that that’s the kind of look he’ll go for with the Lions.”
With Ireland dominating the northern hemisphere, could Farrell stick with what he knows? The race for the Lions' No.10 jersey is far from settled.
"Most important position" - Jonny Wilkinson names the five best fly-halves of all-time
When picking his all-time dream team of players he's played with or against, England legend Jonny Wilkinson listed his five favourite fly-halves from down the years.
“This is the key position for any World Cup winning team," revealed Wilkinson
"You need guys that are going to lead and continue to do so right to the final seconds when it gets very, very tough. I can’t just pick one.”
The group boasts four Rugby World Cup winners, and between them the five have amassed 553 points. Each individual played their part in their countries’ successes and all possessed the qualities to take the pivotal spot in the team.
1. Michael Lynagh (Australia)
For a decade from his debut in 1984 to his international retirement in 1995, former Wallaby Skipper Lynagh was one of the most distinguishable players in World Rugby.
After 72 internationals, he had set a new point-scoring record of 911, which is still an Australia record. He was an important member of the side that won the 1991 World Cup in England, but retired from International Rugby after Australia’s loss to England in the quarter-final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Did you know: His son, Louis Lynagh, currently plays for Harlequins academy and has represented England U18
2. Dan Carter (New Zealand)
The double World Cup-winner has established himself as one of the greatest players in history, being near faultless in every department: he can attack, break the line and kick accurately tactically or at goal.
He was named the World Player of the Year in 2005, 2012 and 2015 and has won three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders, and nine Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships with the All Blacks.
Did you know: In 2008, American Cable Channel E! judged Carter to be 11th on its list of the world’s sexiest men.
3. Joel Stransky (South Africa)
Fly-half Stransky cemented his place in the hearts and minds of the nation by kicking the drop goal that saw South Africa claim the sport's biggest prize in 1995.
He also wrote his name in the history books in the opening match of the tournament when he became the first Springbok to score a try, a conversion, a penalty and a drop goal in the same game - a 27-18 win over defending champions, Australia.
4. Stephen Larkham (Australia)
While we in England will never tire of Wilkinson’s drop goal in the 2003 World Cup Final, Aussie nostalgia freaks prefer Larkham’s 48-metre effort against South Africa in the 1999 semi-final. A converted full back whose kicking was supposedly so errant that a triumphant TV ad poked self-mocking fun at it, Larkham celebrated his World Cup success by having laser treatment to correct his dodgy vision.
Did you know: Larkham was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2012
5. Grant Fox (New Zealand)
Despite not being a great player with the ball in hand the former All Black Grant Fox was one of the games greatest ever kickers in history. It only took Fox six games to amass 100 Test match points, and two years later he won the inaugural World Cup on home soil in 1987. During the tournament, he scored 126 points from six matches finishing the tournament as the top points scorer.
Did you know: In December 2011 he was named as an All Blacks selector in Steve Hansen’s new coaching set-up.
QUIZ: Can You Name Every England Six Nations Captain (2000 – 2024)
Today, we pose you the challenge of naming all 20 previous England captains, that have led the country in the modern Six Nations Championships.
From 2000 to today, some of these captains only led the side for a handful of matches, whilst others had numerous campaigns under the belt.
Good luck, your time starts now!
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