1. Jonny Wilkinson (England)<\/p>\n
Bio:\u00a0Jonny Wilkinson, born in 1979 in Frimley, England, is one of rugby\u2019s greatest fly-halves. Best known for his 2003 World Cup-winning drop goal, Wilkinson scored 1,246 points in 97 international appearances for England and the British & Irish Lions. Renowned for his precision kicking and dedication, he remains a benchmark for professionalism in rugby.<\/p>\n
Williams on Wilkinson:
\u201cI\u2019m lucky enough to say I\u2019ve played with Jonny Wilkinson and have seen the commitment that he had. When I played with him, he was pretty much at the height of his powers, but the way he dedicated himself to his craft was unbelievable and I learned a lot from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying with Jonny in my second season at Toulon gave me a lot of confidence and helped me believe I could play international rugby. That was one of the reasons I wanted to go back home and try and prove to people and myself that I could play.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t have dreamt of all the help that Jonny gave me. I came to France carrying a lot of doubt, but his guidance really gave me that kickstart of believing in myself as a rugby player.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t get complacent. As soon as you start thinking you\u2019re in the team or the squad and you\u2019re going to get picked every time, you take your foot off the pedal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fun fact:\u00a0Jonny\u2019s brother, Mark Wilkinson, also played professionally for Newcastle, making 16 Premiership appearances predominantly as a centre between 2002 and 2005.<\/p>\n