 | WILKINSON v HODGSON 25------------Age-------------24 Newcastle---Club-----------Sale 52---------Test caps---------11 817----------Points-----------79 106--------Club apps---------61 1,194--------Points----------757 |
With just five weeks remaining before England step into the cauldron of the Millennium Stadium for the start of the Six Nations, the identity of the team's number 10 remains the major talking point. When England play Wales on 5 February, the world champions will look to build on their encouraging autumn Test displays.
And to the wider public there is no debate over the fly-half question - if fit, World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson should get the nod.
But the choice is not so simple despite the 25-year-old being appointed captain by England coach, Andy Robinson.
At the heart of the matter is Wilkinson's year-long injury struggle. On Sunday, he made his first start for 11 weeks - interestingly enough coming face to face with his rival for the England number 10 shirt, Charlie Hodgson.
Wilkinson has been sensibly eased back into action by Newcastle coach Rob Andrew and looks to be finally ending his injury nightmare.
That said, the man that helped make England world champions has looked a different player this season.
Gone are the bone-crunching tackles which ripped the world's best asunder. In their place, his usually supreme defence has looked inconsistent at best.
A year ago, no-one would have betted against a defensive Wilkinson in a one-on-one situation. Now, things have changed.
While Wilkinson has been nursing his injuries, Hodgson has been winning plaudits left, right and centre.
Against South Africa, he had the sort of game a fly-half dreams of, finishing with 27 points, including a try. After that, few among England's hierarchy would have worried about rushing Wilkinson back into action.
Admittedly things did not go entirely to plan in the final November Test against Australia. Two straightforward kicks went awry, which Hodgson later admitted cost England victory.
But aside from that, the 24-year-old was once more prolific in the outfield, directing play and unleashing a superb long pass which effectively sealed club team-mate Mark Cueto's breathtaking try.
Hodgson, whose mental toughness is still slightly questionable, believes the gap with his rival "has closed" but insisted: "I'm not bothered about playing better than Jonny." There are two answers to this selection quandry for Robinson. One is a simple selection of his preferred 10; the other to play both, moving one of them to centre.
According to former England fly-half Paul Grayson, there is only one answer for the Six Nations.
The Northampton playmaker told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "Having Charlie at 10 and Wilko at 12 would give England a huge amount of options. "It doesn't really work with Charlie at inside centre and Wilko at 10 but it would, with devastating effect, the other way around.
"Charlie is perfectly OK defensively but Wilko redefined the number 10 role in the way he launches his big hits. I believe he would be even more useful doing that from inside centre."
Hodgson has played at centre before for England - against France and Wales two years ago. It was an experiment that did not go particularly well, even by the player's own admission.
Robinson's hand may yet be forced because of injuries in midfield. Will Greenwood has just undergone shoulder surgery, while Mike Tindall has a stress fracture in his foot.
Both hope to be fit in time to face Wales, but ex-England number 10 Mike Catt believes now is the time for Robinson to take a risk.
Catt said: "It's a great chance for England to use two truly world-class players together. They can alternate between 10 and 12 with their left-foot, right-foot combination and would cause havoc to opposing defences."
Robinson has shown himself to be a risk taker in the past - most notably relying on Henry Paul in the autumn internationals.
After that gamble failed to pay off, it remains to be seen whether he takes another.
MMIX
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Having Charlie at 10 and Wilko at 12 would give England a huge amount of options 