Rugby Home Nations heroes No 4: Jonny Wilkinson

THE man with the golden boot, Jonny Wilkinson’s defining moment remains the World Cup-winning drop-goal he struck for England against Australia in 2003 with just seconds of the match to go.

By The Newsroom

Published 11th Jan 2013, 00:00 BST

Famed for his metronomic kicking, the fly-half scored a record 1,179 points for his country in an international career spanning four World Cups, 91 caps and six Tests for the British and Irish Lions.

Wilkinson made his England debut aged 18 in 1998 and went on to help them to Six Nations success in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2011. Although dogged by injuries, he made repeated comebacks and made his last England appearance against France in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup after which he retired from international rugby at the age of 32.