Former England fullback Simon Hodgkinson has a simple piece of advice for Hong Kong youngsters hopeful of becoming the game's next goal-kicking machine - practise properly and try to emulate the style of current England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.
'The key to goal-kicking is practice. Practise properly. Goal-kicking is like a golf swing. To understand the fundamentals of a golf swing, you break it down into parts, study each and then put it back and practise. The same with goal-kicking,' says Hodgkinson, who kicked 198 points for England.
Flown in by Cathay Pacific, along with two coaches from England, for a week of coaching clinics organised by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, Hodgkinson also says it would not be a bad idea for youngsters to follow in the footsteps of Wilkinson, whose metronomic boot has kicked 579 points (before yesterday's match against Wales) for England in just 39 appearances.
'Jonny Wilkinson has a great style. He generates a lot of power with accuracy. Goal-kicking is far from being a simple job but he makes it look easy,' said Hodgkinson, who won the last of his 14 caps at the 1991 World Cup against the United States.
The former Nottingham fullback, most famous for helping England to the 1991 Five Nations Grand Slam, has nothing but praise for Wilkinson. 'He has complete control of his body. There are very few moving parts when he kicks and his follow-through is fantastic. The fewer steps you take in your run-up, the less chance you will be in a wrong position,' adds Hodgkinson, who is now passing on his experience to all levels of players in the SAR, men and women.
En route to the 1991 Grand Slam, Hodgkinson landed a half-century of points, including a record seven penalties against Wales. That was a mark only surpassed by Wilkinson in June 2000, against South Africa, with the youngster nailing eight.