Welsh victory is springboard for success, says Wilkinson
FLY-HALF Jonny Wilkinson believes England’s storming 30-17 victory over Wales at Twickenham on Saturday can prove the perfect platform for a successful Six Nations campaign.
The 30-year-old kicked over 15 points while two tries from flanker James Haskell helped England to a first Championship victory over the Welsh in four attempts.
Martin Johnson’s men are now looking to follow that up with victory over Italy in Rome on Sunday and Wilkinson believes the squad will take plenty of heart from their opening display.
“It’s a big, big step forward for us and that’s what we need to build on,” said Toulon star Wilkinson, who added to his world-record Test points tally. “Just getting on the right side of the scoreline and maybe not succumbing to that big swing and momentum that appeared in the second half, and just managing to push through – that’s the big step forward for us.
“That’s something we need to maintain. We need to work hard to try and build on top of that and make sure we can continue to go in the right direction.”
Match-winner Haskell echoed Wilkinson’s comments but warned his troops not to get too carried away with the victory.
“We’ve always stuck together and believed that we had the potential to do it and at times we showed what we can do,” he added.
“This is a step in the right direction. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. It’s a very small step, but it’s a positive step.”