Don't write me off yet, warns Jonny

Jonny Wilkinson does not intend to make way for the country's new wave of fly halves just yet.

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If England overlook him, it will be their loss. Newcastle's iconic World Cupwinner will be in unfamiliar territory on Sunday — he is due to start a third match in as many weeks for the first time this season.

Again, he is making up for lost time after his hamstring became the latest body part to malfunction, allowing club-mate Toby Flood to finish the Six Nations in England's No 10 shirt with Shane Geraghty of London Irish making a startling impression as a supersub.

Both young pretenders have done enough to suggest that when international selection returns to the top of the agenda ahead of the summer tour to South Africa, Wilkinson cannot expect an automatic recall to the starting XV. Charlie Hodgson's rapid recovery from a chronic knee injury adds further spice to the mix ahead of the World Cup.

However, the king is not about to relinquish his crown tamely.

Jonny has learned to give thanks for small mercies, such as the ability to last 80 minutes without breaking down, but that does not mean he is ready to settle for life in the shadows.

Wilkinson said: "I know what I'm capable of, so I think to myself: 'OK, you can leave me out, but it will be your loss'.

"That's not arrogance, that's me knowing that if they don't pick me, they'll lose what I bring. Others bring other things.

"I'm looking forward to the World Cup but there's a lot to come before then. I'm fit and healthy and definitely available for the South Africa tour, but it's up to other people whether I go. The competition is tough but it's healthy.

"Of course I want to be in the side, but, if someone doesn't pick you, you must have the opinion — which isn' t a bitter one — that: 'If you don't pick me, it's your loss'. If you miss out, you have to use your pride and think: 'Right, I'll show you what I've got'."

Wilkinson believes Flood's development is good news for both of them.

"Anything Toby does with England is going to be great for his learning, so he's going to bring a massive amount of that back with him to Newcastle," he said. "I take confidence from the fact that he's around as a better, more experienced player.

"Having someone like that alongside you week-in, week-out helps me get to my best and he deserves to be with England."

For now, though, matters of national importance can wait. Newcastle need to beat Northampton on Sunday to banish the spectre of relegation, and Wilkinson himself just needs to play, play and play some more. Having seen off the latest injury, like all the rest, it has reached the point where the nation's jinxed golden boy feels he can overcome any conceivable setback.

He admitted: "I've always said that every time I've come back from an injury, it becomes a closed door. The more problems I find, the more doors I close, so I can feel almost invincible now."

What he cannot control are the rumours of a move from Newcastle, with Harlequins and Leicester two of the clubs touted as potential suitors.

Wilkinson's contract runs out at the end of next season, but his response to the speculation is dismissive. "People come up to me in the street and tell me I'm going to a different club every week," he said. "Maybe I should keep a bag packed!"