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EXCLUSIVE Interview with Johnny The Twelve newcomers in Women’s Under 20s Harlequins Hitmen Squad

Meet the most electrifying squad in the Guiness Pre- miership

WIN £500,000 worth of Beer! Send us a mail to qualify Twelve newcomers in Womens Under 20s Squad

be an imp 20s squad is about developing and preparing players technically, physically and mentally for senior international rugby. Charlotte Male and Marlie Packer have already been called up to th season, and I am confident that there are several more players in this group with the talent and ambition to progress to full international honours.”

England Women’s U20s Squad Sasha Acheson Shelford Victoria Cornborough Richmond Twelve newcomers in Women’s Under 20s *Fiona Davidson Richmond squad Hannah Field Wasps 01 December 2009 Victoria Fleetwood Lichfield Worcester Warriors 12 Saracens 12 Twelve new faces join 13 of last season’s Jessie Flowers Oxford University Saracens dropped their first Guinness victorious Nations Cup side Rose Fong Darlington Mowden Park Sharks Premiership points of the season as their England Women’s Under 20s face interna- *Milly Fuggles OA Saints eight-match winning streak came to an end at tionals with Wales and France in spring 2010 *Hannah Gallagher Welwyn Worcester. Nicola Hoole Bristol Photo: rugbymatters.net *Rebecca Hughes Bristol For the home side, it was the second 12-12 England Women’s Under 20s squad contains *Rose Jay Burfield draw in consecutive weeks after the same 12 new faces as the side looks to build on last Garnet Mackinder University of Birmingham score at Sixways against Bath. season’s Nations Cup win. *Stacey Maguire Lichfield Charlotte Male Bristol Player Development Manager Tom Stokes Opposing fly-halves Willie Walker of Worces- Amy Millar Worcester ter and Derick Hougaard each slotted four has also retained 13 members of last term’s Harriet Mills Lichfield outfit for home and away fixtures with Wales penalties, while Walker has scored all his Marlie Packer Bristol team’s points in the last three matches. and a clash with France in spring 2010. * Bristol *Emily Scott Welwyn The England Under 20s programme will be Juliet Short Darlington Mowden Park Sharks headed up by Stokes and England Assistant *Geraldine Thomas OA Saints Coach Graham Smith, who comes in as *Sophie Watkiss Worcester technical advisor. Specialist coaches will also * Richmond be brought in to concentrate on specific skills *Amy Wilson-Hardy Hove areas, including former England international and Newbury RFC head coach Ben Sturn- * Indicated new Under 20s squad member ham, Bedford Blues coach Martin Hynes and Newcastle Falcons Academy Manager Mark England Women’s U20s playing schedule Laycock. France U20s v England U20s, March 21, KO 1pm, Sainte Nazaire England Under 20s will take on France for England U20s v Wales U20s, April 7, venue the first time ever in a curtain raiser game for and KO TBC the men’s England versus France Under 20s Wales U20s v England U20s, May (weekend The first of two new opportu- match at Saint Nazaire, near Nantes in March, of May 8/9), venue and KO TBC nities beckoned Dylan Hartley and they will also play Wales twice, in April and May. when he made his initial Test starts against Argentina in June Stokes, the RFUW’s Player Development with Lee Mears on duty with Manager, said: “The international match against France will be a fantastic opportunity the British and Irish Lions in for the players and an excellent challenge. South Africa. in a high pressured environment which will Statistics

Squad Toulon Country England Position Fly Half Age 30 Height 1.77m Weight 88kg Caps 82

dislocated left knee cap in Octo- It was more like a coronation Johnny... ber 2008 that ruled him out for than a press conference. Mourad The word unique must be used eight months. sparingly but Jonny Wilkinson Boudjellal, the master of ceremo- Jonny Wilkinson: ‘I still feel in- of sporting perfection has forced “At Toulon we’ve got great qualifies for that description nies who doubles as the Toulon ternally obliged to hit everything him to seek serenity in different French players like Pierre Migno- Stoicism, together with the belief president, stood on the stage in a spot on’ fields – from Buddhism to quan- ni, Sébastien Bruno and Laurent with a kaleidoscope of national that he would return mentally and world records that dovetail large hotel function room next to tum physics to studying French Emmanuelli and they are ruth- stronger every time, has run paral- the Stade Mayol and pronounced with his triumphant injury time The fly-half has a new life in Tou- and music. “Definitely. I’ve less professionals. You could put lel with his enduring skills. that there were two icons of dropped goal that secured the 20- lon but the old fires still rage as he been searching for tranquillity them in an England dressing room the world game. “One is Jonah 17 win over Australia in the 2003 contemplates a return to England in a world created by obsessive and, apart from the language, He was voted the International Lomu,” he said. “The second is RWC final in Sydney. colours thoughts. The panic and doom that you wouldn’t see the difference. Player of the Year for 2002 and Goneee Wilkinson of Tooolon.” comes from thinking ‘if I don’t They’re looking for conviction, the PRA Players’ Player the fol- He spun the word out. His list of accolades is almost It’s definitely coming back,” get this last kick it means this or commitment, effort, dying for the lowing year when he also be- As he did so, the assembled press Jonny Wilkinson says quietly of that – and if I don’t do that well cause.” endless but headed by his global came BBC Sports Personality of corps, committee men and spon- record of 1,119 Test points, in- the form and assurance that once enough today I’ll regret it the rest the Year. Other honours include sors - together with dozens of helped him win a World Cup of my life.’ Those feelings went Wilkinson looks blissfully dreamy cluding 67 for the British & Irish supporters - stood as one and becoming only the third player at the death. That same deadly into creating a world induced by as he recites the raw semantics of Lions, a world best of 31 dropped clapped frenziedly.surely con- to win the Golden Boot award conviction was evident earlier this fear of failure. The whole search rugby. “They speak with aggres- goals, together with 249 points in firmed in Wilkinson’s mind that by reaching 1,000 Premiership month when Wilkinson scored all was to break away from that.” sion and their performances are the RWC, another peerless total. he had made the right decision. points. of his new team’s 18 points and Does Buddhism still help him fuelled by aggression and preci- He first appeared for England at steered Toulon to a memorable achieve tranquillity? “Yeah, sion. It’s a million miles from He expanded that total to 1,489 victory over their illustrious op- definitely. It’s a philosophy and those stories you hear about these the age of 18 years and 314 days before switching to Toulon on a against Ireland 11 years ago, ponents, Toulouse, before a crowd way of life that resonates with French guys saying, ‘Hey, let’s two-year contract for 2009-10 of 60,000. me. I identify with it. I agree with give it a go.’” captained the side against Italy in from Newcastle Falcons, the club 2003 and has since set national so much of the sentiment b ehind he had joined from Lord Wands- He made 20 big hits, over three it. I enjoy the liberating effect Few current or former team- records for most conversions and worth College in 1997. penalty goals, as well as dropped times the tackles expected from a it’s had on me to get back into mates would undertake the mis- goals and points. fly-half, and proved as withering the game – in a way that’s sion Wilkinson set himself in His playing days had begun when in defence as he was relentless so much more rewarding because the off-season. In the company four at Farnham RFC and he later with the boot. Despite defeat, his you’re enjoying the moment of of his brother and Steve Black, His 72 Test appearances have made representative appearances yielded 54 victories and he would opposite number, Frédéric Mi- being on the field. In the past it his former mentor at Newcastle, for Hampshire, London and Eng- chalak, spread his hands wide and was basically me getting into the Wilkinson immersed himself “in have won many more caps except land Schools before being chosen for the intervention of 13 different said of Wilkinson’s return: “It’s changing room, wiping my brow, a research project to look at how for the national under 21s and great for rugby. and thinking, ‘Thank God that’s sportsmen do things at the highest injuries, including his latest one, a n Advertisement for RFU thriving on the world stage. over.’ I just managed to keep my level. We went to the [American Wilkinson’s impossible pursuit head above water.” football team] Denver Broncos. Paul Sackey: ‘I shop for shoes like a girl. I’ve got a ridiculously large shoe collection, worth an absolute fortune A car is the ultimate accessory for a man. I’ve always had stylish wheels ? my first ever car was a Mercedes CLK. I source sports cars for people as my other business outside of rugby, so obviously I’m always ahead of the game. My ultimate is the Pagani Zonda, but who can justify spending £700,000 on a car? Well, I could. But not yet. Kanye West has the most amazing dress sense. If I looked on DANNY CARE Ugo Monye Jordan Will Skinner anyone as my style icon it would be him. Some of the bright- er, louder colours he wears I wouldn’t put myself in, but his Internal disciplinary Turner-Hall feel in general really works. hearing Increasingly, Ugo Monye A bonus point victory for is a name, not a number. Harlequins secures them Following the yellow When I was younger I He will wear No15 for a home quarter-final card, awarded to Quins played a little bit. It is the first time for Eng- in the Heineken Cup, is my colour ? it looks really good with my skin tone. scrum-half Danny Care an awesome sport and it Pink land tomorrow but the although no decision on Sale Sharks recently played in pink shirts, and good for them in last Friday’s Guinness did help me when I first Twickenham L plates whether to take the game . I’d love to play rugby in pink. The Paris team Stade Fran- Premiership match away started. I was a run- have been emphatically across the road to Twick- çais have a seriously wicked pink kit. Though most of the against Leeds, an inter- ning back for the Sus- removed. Top try-scorer enham has been made. If boys can’t pull it off, I’d look the business in pink. nal disciplinary hearing sex Thunder and I was for the Lions, the snappi- Quins captain Will Skin- was held at the club also in the Great Britain est drey turn around and ner continues his form he There’s nothing worse than being in a scrum with someone today, where Danny was squad. It helped me with say how much he en- could soon be playing at who smells. There was a player at Wasps with a major per- awarded a one match my evasion skills but in joyed watching the Lions Twickenham in England sonal hygiene problem and I had to get close to his armpits ban. American football I was and how proud he felt.” colours. every day in training. I won’t name names ? but he’s recently Danny Care will now only on offense whereas For a man without a Test The Quins back-row is moved to Bristol? miss this Sunday’s Hei- rugby calls for you to cap this time last year, it beautifully balanced. neken Cup game against attack and defend. Sale Sharks. has been a sta Skinner stole ball at the I have a habit of buying two of everything. I’m obsessed with breakdown and is matur- my clothes looking pristine, so I tend to buy one item to wear ing into a fine leader. and another just to keep, untouched. It makes me feel better