Updated December 13, 2011 18:33:43
England's World Cup winning star fly half Jonny Wilkinson, who famously broke Australian hearts in 2003, has retired from international rugby.
The 32-year-old kicked the winning drop goal in extra-time in the World Cup Final against Australia in Sydney in 2003.
He ends his career as England's record points-scorer with 1,179 points from 91 matches and is second on the all-time list behind only All Black Dan Carter.
Wilkinson said he would play on with French club side Toulon.
"I would like to take this opportunity to announce my retirement from international rugby," Wilkinson said in a statement on his website.
"To do so fills me with great sadness, but I know I have been blessed in so many ways to have experienced what I have with the England rugby team."
Wilkinson's feat in 2003 assured him a place in rugby union history.
But afterwards his Test career was blighted by a succession of injuries and at the recent World Cup in New Zealand even his normally reliable goalkicking, so long a cornerstone of his game, let him down as England, beset by off-field problems, crashed out in the quarter-finals to France.
Wilkinson bowed out with a haul comprising six tries, 162 conversions, 239 penalties and a record 36 drop goals.
He also scored 67 points in six Tests for the British and Irish Lions on tours of Australia (2001) and New Zealand (2005) for an overall tally of 1,246.
But in the view of some pundits, Wilkinson became symptomatic of all that was wrong with a misfiring and conservative England attack in that during his numerous injury absences none of his possible successors were able to make the number 10 shirt truly their own.
Wilkinson's statement added: "To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other setbacks gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfilment.
"But by now I know myself well enough to know that I will never truly be satisfied!" he added.
Fellow World Cup winner Lewis Moody, England's captain in New Zealand before announcing his Test retirement in October, told Sky Sports he'd been "humbled" to have played alongside Wilkinson.
"I'm saddened but his contribution over the years, his work ethic, professionalism and commitment, has been immense," the Bath flanker said.
"The fact he missed four years of international rugby but still amassed 97 caps is unimaginable," Moody said.
"It's a real shame he's decided to retire but what he's given to the sport, and a generation, is immense."
Stuart Lancaster, appointed England's acting head coach following the post World Cup resignation of team manager Martin Johnson (the 2003 World Cup winning captain) also paid tribute to Wilkinson.
"Jonny has had a fantastic international career which has spanned four World Cups and 91 caps and ranks as one of England's greatest ever players," Lancaster said in a Rugby Football Union (RFU) statement.
"He will of course be remembered for that drop-goal but he is more than that, a model sportsman - down to earth and hard working, who has never stopped trying to be the best that he can."
ABC/AFP
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united-kingdom First posted December 13, 2011 06:04:38
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