Jonny Wilkinson on Sky Sports panel for European Champions Cup final
Saturday 2 May 2015 19:51, UK
Jonny Wilkinson, who guided Toulon to back-to-back European titles, will be in the Sky Sports studio on Saturday to see if the club can make history by winning three in a row.
Wilkinson retired in 2014, after taking Toulon to the Top 14 and Heineken Cup title in his final season, but is still involved with Toulon in a coaching capacity and will offer fans his expert and unique insight into what playing in a final is like.
Jonny will join his 2003 World Cup winning team-mate Will Greenwood who is delighted to be working with Jonny again.
"We have a lot of fun, he is getting used to television," said Greenwood.
"The great line we have had so far was in Paris after round one when he turned to us afterwards and said 'Maybe you guys are not so bad after all.'
"I think he finally understood that you had to condense 80 minutes of a fly-half's performance into about seven seconds. We had a four minute package on Danny Cipriani but we did not quite get to it. Jonny asked where it was and we had to tell him that he sort of went on a bit at the start so we had to cut it!
"He is getting it though - he was brilliant in the semi-final down in Marseille. He gives us and the viewers an insight that no one else in the world can give. To hear him talk about Toulon before that semi, well it was as though he was ready to play himself. He still has that appetite and he is bringing that to our viewers at home.
"He is a great student of the game; we had our clashes on the field and I hope we have our clashes on the TV - it is only a game and only an opinion. His opinion seems to hold a lot more sway then mine though and I bow downto his superior opinion but I will fight my corner."
Live European Rugby Champions Cup Final
Sky Sports rugby presenter Alex Payne is impressed with Jonny's professionalism in the studio and says he has challenged them all to raise their game.
"Jonny was a player who drove standards for 10-15 years throughout the course of his career on the pitch, " said Payne.
"Since he has joined us, he is driving standards for us as well. He is a guy that whoever you are and whatever you do, you want to perform to the best of your ability because that is what he is going to do.
"It is a privilege to work alongside him."
Join Jonny Wilkinson for Clermont Auvergne v Toulon, live on Sky Sports 3 HD, Saturday from 4pm.
