Jonny: My Autobiography (61 page)

I remember the Thursday outings with amusement. We never knew what time we’d actually be leaving because it all depended on how neurotic Jonny had got during the morning, and how many extra kicks had to be done.

But that was just the way he was. The only time I got a bit concerned was during the World Cup. I remember having a conversation with his dad in the build-up to the later stages, and there was a certain amount of worry.
The key was to try to get him to relax as much as he could, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. In Sydney, we tried to grab him to go out for a coffee, but we failed. Maybe we shouldn’t have worried. In hindsight, it’s fairly clear that he had a pretty positive impact on our destination.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that pre-World Cup summer camp. That was a complete eye-opener. I certainly remember being put in some fitness groups with him and it was just crazy. He was just smashing us.

It all fed his desire to be the ultimate player. He rewarded the forwards massively for our hard work. It got to the stage where, psychologically, we were playing with our opponents’ minds. We didn’t overelaborate and sometimes we maybe could have gone for tries, but the way he kept the scoreboard ticking over – it put opposition defenders on edge because they knew that every time they made a mistake, they were going to be punished.

I’ll never forget the one he kicked in extra time in the final. What was it – 49 metres? I looked at their faces and just thought oh my lord, that’s been a killer blow. They have not enjoyed that one.

I remember when Jonny arrived as a 17-year-old at Newcastle, this young boy in a team of real established international players. The first time I saw him at training, I turned to Inga and I said: ‘Mate, this is the closest thing I’ve seen to a New Zealand number 10.’ His skill level, his tackling ability, but also his enthusiasm for the game and in particular the running game – I thought this kid’s got something really special. If I was in any doubt, it was eradicated a little later in training when he hit me with a tackle and absolutely slaughtered me.

In those early days, I remember my wife and I had three of the young, single Newcastle boys round for dinner. My wife was particularly impressed
by Jonny, his nature. She could see that he was a real quality person – and that was before he started teaching my 10-year-old, a young fly-half, how to kick. That’s what Jonny was back then, a team man with a lot of values.

When Jonny was here in Auckland for the World Cup, he came round for dinner. We’ve now got five kids, teenagers, and Jonny was with them from six o’clock to 11.30 and they were talking about music and everything. I looked at Jonny and I thought how far he had come. Only the night before, England had lost to France, and here he was interacting with my family. After everything he had been through, he hadn’t changed at all from that first time he came round to dinner. It was awesome to watch.

We went to say goodbye to him at the England hotel the next day before they left – and Jonny gave my boys the England team guitar. When they left, my boys said: ‘What an inspiring guy to meet.’ Teenagers don’t often say things like that.

I always looked up to Jonny. When I joined Newcastle, he was in the first team and had already played for England. It was strange because he’s the same age as I am and yet he was so much more advanced. A group of youngsters around at that time wanted to be in that first team – and he was already doing it. Everyone looked up to him for what he’d achieved – but the way he was, the way he talked, the way he understood rugby, he was mature beyond his years.

At the same time, we all wanted to go out and have a good time. He came out with us at the start, but did so less and less. It was pretty obvious from an early point that he was getting a lot of attention. If he went out at night, or at any time, he’d be pestered. It was non-stop, brutal, and it was clear it was getting to him.

It was funny in those days, given the way some people have tended to categorise him as a player. I remember playing loads of games that were really tight and we’d say to him kick us down the pitch. And he’d say no, I don’t want to kick, I think we should have a go. The way he played the game was important to him.

Yet overall, we saw that what he was doing was what he thought was necessary to be the best in the world. And obviously he achieved that.

So he became the benchmark for us. He always set the bar very high and we tried to work towards it. He instilled in us the desire to be the best. I still have that now.

As the 2007 World Cup rolled around, the big thing was the comparison with the last one. The closer we came to it, the more they showed the drop goal, and the more they talked about the victory in 2003, and ‘Wilko is back’. I think that was a major stress for him, and extra pressure, extra expectation. I think he struggled with that expectation. His whole career culminated in one moment. After it, he was always compared with it, and I think, deep down, he wishes someone else had done it and not him.

A lot of pressure fell on Jonny because of everyone else’s expectations. He generated a feeling that everything will be all right, especially around the 2007 World Cup. I think he was aware of that. He kind of put people at ease, because of what he’d achieved, and how he was around the group. There was a feeling that if we were in a pickle, he would kick a drop goal or a penalty – and 99 times out of a 100 he did.

I didn’t expect him to be the person he was – so shy, so humble. I thought he’s a world-wide figure who transcends rugby. I thought he’d have more of a swagger. But he’s not like that. He’s one of these guys who keeps his distance until you have earned his trust. I’m pleased to say that I was one of the lucky ones who got close to him. We clicked and became like brothers. He’s quite a funny bloke but also a deep thinker.

Without Jonny, I wouldn’t be where I am today. One day I asked him to help me out with some passing. Straightaway, he seemed to know what I needed. He knew my weaknesses. I really respect the way he educated me.

When you’re in a team with Jonny, you don’t want to tell him what to do. You don’t want to jump into the number-ten position and push him out. That’s his domain. But he gave me the confidence to get in there and mix it up, and I think that took a bit of pressure off him as well. I think, by the end, he must have got sick of my voice, always trying to run it.

Some days when I get to the gym, I can’t wait to get through it. But every day Jonny is an animal in the gym and fearless on the field. And he’s the best bloke I’ve ever met during my rugby playing days. Hands down.

OBE for services to rugby football 2004;

IRB Player of the Year 2003;

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2003

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