How Jonny Wilkinson helped Joe Gray see the light

Harlequins hooker Joe Gray has revealed how Jonny Wilkinson’s dedication to training inspired him to become one of the finest lineout throwers in the game.
Gray has been a revelation for Quins since joining from Northampton two years ago, with his performances for the Premiership champions at scrum-time and in the loose earning him a call-up for England’s summer tour of South Africa.
But it is the accuracy of Gray’s lineout throwing that sets him apart – his current completion rate is 95 per cent – and he puts much of that down to the hours he spent as a youngster, throwing a ball against a lamppost.
“My throwing is something I’ve always worked hard at and prided myself on,” Gray, 24, a former Nottingham junior, told The Rugby Paper.
“As a kid, I remember watching Jonny Wilkinson kicking all his goals, so I wanted to be the same with my throwing and I’d go down the park and throw at a lamppost for an hour every night.
“My dad used to get sick of me going training early on Tuesdays and Thursdays and having to carry this home-made lollipop around for me to throw at.”
Gray’s obsession with self-improvement was in evidence last Tuesday when he was last off the training field following a session with England lineout guru, Simon Hardy.
The additional advice has been crucial, says Gray, and Hardy continues to augment the work of the Harlequins coaches with regular weekly sessions. Gray said: “The work’s paid off and having Simon around helps. I’ve worked with him for five or six years now and he spots little things and helps your confidence.
“He’ll tell you when you’re holding the ball not quite straight, even the tiniest adjustments can make a massive difference.
“Simon’s got unbelievable knowledge and he’s helped me loads over the years. He usually comes in once a week and he tweaks anything he needs to.”
Injury to Bath’s Rob Webber and the retirement of Lee Mears means that Gray is very much on England’s radar ahead of the autumn Tests.
It suggests the decision he took to leave Northampton in 2010 was inspired rather than rash, as some people once believed.
“It was good when I originally joined Saints,” said Gray, who left Nottingham aged 17.
“Rob Hunter was academy manager at Saints and he helped my game massively, but as it went on I just didn’t get the game time I’d been hoping for.
“Obviously Dylan Hartley‘s an unbelievable player and I was never going to get past him, so I wanted to try something new when my contract was up.
“I knew Conor O’Shea from the England age-group stuff and he explained what a young, exciting side Quins had and the style of rugby they wanted to play. It just seemed like it would suit me.
“I’m not the biggest hooker in the world but I like to get about the field and my work-rate is pretty high. Conor thought there might be a place for me and I’ve not looked back since.
“Northampton never really had a shortage of hookers – there was Dylan, Brett Sharman, Andy Long and Mike Haywood after that – so I don’t think they were worried about me leaving.
“The Harlequins boys play an awesome brand of rugby which is easy to slot in with, so it was a good opportunity to come to a new club and fight for a place. Luckily I managed to get game time and winning the Amlin Cup and Premiership has been amazing.”
The irony is that Gray may soon be fighting Hartley again for an England place but that is a story for another time. What matters now is that Quins up their game to another level and ensure the success they have enjoyed is not fleeting.
Gray believes the Quins scrum, once seen as a weakness, is now the rock on which further success can be founded.
He said: “We play a great brand of rugby and that’s not going to change, but we want to take things on again this year, particularly in the Heineken Cup.
“We were very disappointed with losing to Connacht last year and missing out on the quarters, so there are things we want to put right.”
Between practice sessions, Gray enjoys being an ambassador for The Campbell Burns Metabolic Trust, which raises money to help families of sick children under the age of two.
He explained: “My mum sadly lost a child when she was younger. My brother’s twin died of a heart defect, so when I was asked to help the trust I thought it was a great idea.
“Campbell Burns is a young boy who suffers from Leigh’s disease. It’s untreatable and terminal, so it’s something I was very keen to be involved in.”
Details of the Campbell Burns Trust can be found at www.campbellstrust.co.uk
NEALE HARVEY