"Wales is a great place with a tradition and passion for rugby" retiring Jonny ...

As he prepares to bring the curtain down on his amazing career Jonny Wilkinson admits he can’t wait to play at the Millennium Stadium for one last time.

The Lions and England legend revealed he will retire at the end of the season, meaning Saturday’s Heineken Cup final will be his last appearance in the UK.

Wilkinson, who scored 1,179 points in his 91 appearances for England, will play for Toulon in Saturday’s showpiece against Saracens, a week before finishing up against Castres in the French Top 14 final in Paris.

Moments after revealing his plan to end on a high, the 34-year-old, who has had mixed results playing in Cardiff through his career, said: “I’ve played in a lot of great stadiums and there aren’t many better than the Millennium. It’s a hell of a place to play.

“Wales is a great place with a tradition and passion for rugby so it fits very well.

“It’s a great opportunity and moment for me.”

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But, ignoring the hype and emotion of Saturday’s showpiece, Wilkinson said: “It’s brilliant to still be alive in the tournament at this stage of the season.”

Teammate Carl Hayman will walk out with him at the Millennium on Saturday and the All Black prop paid tribute to the departing English points machine by saying: “ His contribution to the game has been enormous.

“To play at the top level for his entire career is amazing. A player like that doesn’t come along very often.

“We’ve got two big finals to come and we will be doing everything we can to win them for him.

“Everybody remembers his drop goal that won England the World Cup but I will remember Jonny for the commitment and dedication he’s shown on the training field at Toulon.

Hayman, who has represented the All Blacks at the Millennium Stadium, is also looking forward to playing in the Welsh capital again, saying: “It’s great for the players when it’s full and noisy. It poses a few problems communications wise but it’s obviously one of the world’s best stadiums.

“Hopefully the pitch will be good on Saturday and then it will create a great spectacle.”

Jonny Wilkinson trains for the Lions at the Millennium Stadium

 

But both players are highly experienced and. as they aim to win back-to-back Heineken Cups, they know that emotion will have little part to play in their preparation for the big game.

Wilkinson said: “It seems like every game at the moment feels so damn important.

“I don’t think that life or death feeling will go away in the next two weeks.

“You’ve got to forget about the consequences and think about the performance itself.

“I’ve carried fears with me for the whole of my career. The fear of regretting not trying enough, doing enough or taking the opportunities when they come.

“There will be no holding back now.

“The best way to go out is trying to show everything that’s good about yourself.”

Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/stevejames/10825243/Crickets-Decision-Review-System-could-be-the-answer-to-rugby-unions-TMO-problems.html

"Wales is a great place with a tradition and passion for rugby" retiring Jonny ...