Jonny: My Autobiography by Wilkinson Jonny

Author:Wilkinson, Jonny [Wilkinson, Jonny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780755362905
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2011-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

IF you are a perfectionist and you have set out a goal, it can be a challenging experience when you finally achieve it.

The celebrations after Catty’s kick are just incredible. I find myself running around in a circle, jumping up and down with Will Greenwood, shouting World Cup! World Cup!

A tidal wave of hugging and emotional outpouring is unleashed. Every single player and coach in the squad is out there on the field, totally consumed by the moment – apart from Mark Regan, that is, who has seen this as a very opportune moment to pull down Simon Shaw’s tracksuit bottoms.

We do our laps of the pitch and I eventually find myself alongside Johnno, who drapes a long arm around my shoulder. Mate, he says, looking down to me, it’s all been worth it, hasn’t it?

After all those times of asking – Wilko, are you all right? – this seems to supply an answer. It seems to tie up the loose ends, to seal all those meetings, all those words on the pitch, all those experiences together. For once, I’m able to say you know what, I’m pretty damn good.

And I am, but it’s not that simple. It never is.

I am now a World Cup winner. The stadium is an expression of everything I wanted. People are supporting me, cheering me, giving me their respect. But what happens afterwards? What happens when we all leave here? What happens when I wake up tomorrow?

The problem with reaching the peak of your tallest mountain is that there is only one way to go, and that is down the other side. Here I am, celebrating the achievement of my life’s goals and yet I can’t stop thinking it can only be downhill from here.

The next morning, I go down to breakfast and Neil Back is reading the papers. Of all the days to look at what’s been written, I guess this should be it, but I can’t. I go straight back to looking the other way.

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