Jonny Wilkinson says he hopes to use his move to France as a way of forcing his way back into the England side.
Fly-half wants international return "more than anything"
Jonny Wilkinson has told
Sky Sports News that he hopes to use his move to France as a way of forcing his way back into the England side.
The fly-half said he was as enthused as ever about his rugby following his move from Newcastle to Top 14 side Toulon over the summer.
Shoulder surgery and a dislocated knee - the most recent examples of Wilkinson's infamous litany of injuries - mean the World Cup-winner has not played for his country since the 2008 Six Nations.
But more performances of the type seen on Sunday, when Wilkinson kicked all Toulon's points in their
18-13 victory against Toulouse, are sure to bring him back into the reckoning ahead of the autumn internationals
"I feel good, I feel fresh, I feel like I'm ready to play," Wilkinson said. "I'm playing, I'm taking knocks in the games and getting up the next morning and feeling stiff and then just getting through it.
"It starts to feel a bit like it used to."
New start
The 30-year-old said he had adapted to life in Toulon - a naval port between Marseille and Nice - quickly after 12 years in the North East.
"It's a brand new start and it's promising to be at that next stage of my life and hopefully the right place for me to be. It feels that way: the people, the place, the region, the support and the rugby," he said.
"If I play my best for Toulon and I never see another field for another team, whether it be England or whoever, them I know I'll be happy because that's what's important. It's about getting the most out of this opportunity for me and my team."
Wilkinson admitted he his keen to play for England once more, saying: "Without a doubt. Everyone wants to be on that stage and me as well - more than anything.
"Like I said, you realise how much you miss things until you're forced to sit there and watch other people do it and you think: 'That's everything I wanted - and it still is.'"
Meanwhile, French opposite number Frederic Michalak, who saw Wilkinson at close quarters playing for Toulouse at the weekend, said he thinks he is back to his best.
"He is without doubt back to his best level," Michalak said. "Each time he came into our half he scored points. It's important to have someone like that in your team."
