Rugby: Eagle-eyed Wilkinson on the ball

England's Jonny Wilkinson kicks a penalty in the win against France. Photo / Brett Phibbs

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PARIS - Jonny Wilkinson rejected a ball before kicking a vital penalty for England in their 14-9 Rugby World Cup semifinal win over France because it wasn't one designated for match use, his mentor Rob Andrew revealed here today.

Wilkinson, who has voiced concerns about the balls in use at this event, was lining up a 47th minute penalty when he asked for the ball to be changed.

The first five-eighths, who'd missed his first two goalkicks at the Stade de France on Sunday, then landed the difficult touchline effort to make the score 9-8 in France's favour.

Former England first five-eigths Andrew, now the Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby and the man Wilkinson replaced as England's record points scorer, said this was the second time in as many matches that problems over which balls should be used had been an issue.

Wilkinson kicked all of England's points in their 12-10 quarter-final win against Australia but was also off-target on several occasions as well.

"We didn't say it last week but a non-match ball got onto the field in Marseille which Jonny kicked," Andrew explained at England's hotel. "He didn't think about it while he was kicking it."

"The match balls are marked, numbered one to six. Last night they had 'World Cup semifinal England vs France,' written on them," Andrew, who brought Wilkinson into the professional game while in charge of Newcastle, added.

"On match night, Jonny was vigilant when kicking for goal that they were actually match balls he was kicking."

Wilkinson, whose extra-time drop-goal in the 2003 final saw England to a dramatic 20-17 win over Australia, has been unusually wayward with his goalkicking this tournament and he came into Saturday's match with a relatively low success rate of 62.5 per cent.

Asked how Wilkinson had been so sure he'd been given a non match-ball, Andrew replied: "There were two panels that were on the same side of the ball, which is not the way the match balls are set up.

"The practice balls lose pressure and shape. The whole issue last week, the organisers accepted all six match balls should be used by both sides on the Thursday before game."

But with both teams using additional practice balls while warming-up Andrew, who rejected suggestions of French foul play, added: "There could well be practice balls knocking round the stadium."

- AFP