The Albany Gazette - Wilkinson calls for England to find consistency before World Cup

Borthwick's side are on a four-game losing run and finished fifth in this year's Six Nations after losing to Italy for the first time ever and then suffering an agonising 48-46 defeat in a thriller to eventual champions France on March 14.

Before the string of losses, England had been unbeaten across 12 games, including statement victories over New Zealand and Les Bleus which placed them as front-runners for the Webb Ellis trophy in Australia next year.

"With England the key is to be able to find that kind of performance and intensity whatever the situation," Wilkinson told reporters in Paris on Wednesday.

"That performance was a blessing but it brings with it a level of expectation.

"People say 'I can't wait for the next game' if they can find that level of performance and then people think that the next World Cup can be huge.

"If they can find it and secure it, build on it then brilliant, but that needs to be seen soon," the 46-year-old added.

Wilkinson kicked the winning drop-goal as England claimed the 2003 World Cup in Australia under head coach Clive Woodward, still the only triumph by a northern hemisphere country in 10 editions.

He retired 11 years later with more than 90 Test appearances to his name and a trophy-laden spell with French club Toulon.

Since hanging up his boots Wilkinson has remained within sport.

He works as a kicking consultant with England, is a pundit for television and has helped out amateur level clubs in France as part of Societe Generale's YouTube series 'Terrain Favorable' (Home Field Advantage).

Wilkinson admits to have suffered from mental health issues during his career and last week his former team-mate Pierre Mignoni returned to work as Toulon head coach after almost a month off with burnout.

"My experience in Toulon helped me becuase it was a big change," said Wilkinson, who was inducted to Toulon's hall of fame in 2023.

"I was going in a difficult direction with injuries and my mental health.

"At Toulon I managed to recover, thanks to the region, the sun, the blue skies, the culture change."

- 'Blessing, curse' -

During the Six Nations, Borthwick started George Ford and Finn Smith at 10 with Marcus Smith used off the bench as England's attack stuttered until scoring seven tries against France.

Les Bleus had Matthieu Jalibert as their main playmaker during the competition with the equally talented Romain Ntamack out injured.

"When I played, when the gameplan wasn't built around me, I felt like the 10 was forgotten," Wilkinson said.

"What Clive Woodward did with me, he said, for the next two-three years, I believe in you. But that's difficult, you can't forget an Ntamack or a Jalibert.

"It's a blessing and curse, it's a really important job for a coach," he added.

England's next game will be a trip to South Africa in July in their opening game of the new Nations Championship.

The annual competition will replace the July and November tours with 12 countries from around the world competing to reach the final, held this year in London.

The competition decider adds an extra fixture to an already busy calendar for players, with France expected to rest key players for their three games in July.

"It could give rugby another dynamic, because right now it's a bit split between the hemispheres," Wilkinson said.

"Being able to play against teams like New Zealand, South Africa, Australia not in a disconnected way, could be interesting.

"It also depends on the players. Seasons are long, they have to manage it well," he added.

(E.Taylor--TAG)