Wilkinson is now in danger of axe, says Woodward

Sir Clive Woodward, the only man to drop Jonny Wilkinson from the England team, today admitted the fly half is under the most intense scrutiny of his career.

Woodward left Wilkinson out of the 1999 World Cup quarter-final with South Africa, but then made him a key figure in the successful campaign to win the trophy in Australia four years later.

The former England head coach now believes the emergence of Danny Cipriani, Shane Geraghty and Ryan Lamb, along with Charlie Hodgson, creates a genuine debate over who should be the No10 against Italy on Sunday following the shock defeat by Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wilkinson remains favourite to play after avoiding a citing for a tackle on Wales No6 Jonathan Thomas.

Woodward said: "You cannot judge someone on just one game and it comes down to how a player is performing in other matches, but what's different is that for the first time since Jonny was 19, there are serious contenders coming through.

"It's pretty logical to discuss who should be picked when other outside halves are putting on the pressure.

"It shouldn't make any difference that it is Jonny in the No10 position. The head coach has to make the tough calls - it's part of the job.

"These big decisions are what selection is all about. It's a real art and people don't understand that it is very complex. Selection is everything - it's as important as that."

But England centre Toby Flood today insisted no one should be seen as "a fall guy" for the defeat by Wales and said he had been shocked by the attacks on Wilkinson.

England did not hold any crisis meeting - as happened early in the World Cup campaign - and have pinpointed a series of errors throughout the team as the reason for the 26-19 defeat.

Flood, a Newcastle clubmate of Wilkinson, said: "I was shocked to learn that he was being criticised. I thought Jonny had a good game and he will be hugely disappointed by the result because he played in an England team that lost.

"He is a strong enough character to realise what needs to be done. There doesn't need to be a fall guy when a team loses. A lot of times, people search for something that isn't there. When Tiger Woods doesn't win a tournament then he is a failure, even though he came second. Jonny has set the bar so high that when he reaches 80 or 90 per cent then he is put in the firing line."

Scroll down for more

Michael Lynagh, who as an Australia fly half amassed 911 Test points over 11 years, was concerned by Wilkinson's display but said England should stand by the 28-year-old and let him start in Rome, where he needs just four points to break the 1000-point mark for his country.

"Jonny deserves another crack and you don't drop him after just one bad performance when everyone else was losing their heads as well," he said.

Lynagh, who used to play for Saracens and Treviso, expects the Italians to take great heart from the way England collapsed in the second half against Wales.

He said: "Just like the quarter-back in American Football, the outside-half is exposed - when things go right he gets all the praise and when they don't then he must take the criticism.

"I would still keep Jonny in the side because while Danny Cipriani appears to "the one" who will emerge from the crop of players vying for the No10 jersey, he is only young. While he will become a great outside-half, he is not ready yet.

"I have some sympathy for Jonny, although you have to say that pass to Cipriani in the second half that caused real problems was a bit average!"