The one thing that was not suggested, thank goodness, about the Six Nations Championship just past was that England's failure to win it was down to Jonny Wilkinson's bad knee.

During the heat of the campaign the man who didn't take part in it claimed more column inches than anyone who actually did but that's celebrity for you.

On basic rugby matters, Wales were well served. The newspapers were a pleasure to read on Monday morning, especially the one that had Will Greenwood's reflections in it.

The old England centre, the son of the old England flanker, distilled the Welsh effort down to its essence; did so more eloquently than anyone else I read and, thanks, Will.

"What sets Wales apart was their organisations within the team," he wrote, somewhat ungrammatically. And choosing Kevin Morgan's try to demonstrate his point, set it all down in graphic, understandable words.

But Morgan's try and Wales' triumph were not the only subjects for consumption. By Tuesday, the Six Nations and its conclusion had become secondary to another matter: The British Lions' impending tour.

Who's going on it? I don't think there was a journalist in the land who had not picked the team. Not that 43 of the 44 tour places appear to matter very much.

The big question is this: is Jonny Wilkinson going to be fit? Everyone, naturally, hopes that he gets better and gets his game back and we don't have to labour the reasons for that.

Just spare us the daily Oh gosh, will-he-won't-he? bulletins, please. Because if it carries on like this Wilkinson is going to become bigger than the tour itself and that is decidedly unhealthy.

It will become a distraction and distractions are not helpful and here's a fact with which to make that point. Wales, although they were faced with severe distractions, refused to believe that any such thing existed. Before the Six Nations began they lost Colin Charvis, their one world class ( so it was thought) forward.

Tragedy? They never let it become so; they simply went out and picked someone else. But, worse, in theory, was to follow. In the heat of the toughest battle that they were required to fight - against France who were swarming all over them - they lost their captain, Gareth Thomas.

Their leader, arguably their best player and their inspiration was out for the remainder of the season.

And did they make a song and dance about it? As with Charvis, they simply went out and picked someone else. When all is said and done, it's what you've got to do and when all the plaudits stop raining down on Mike Ruddock, his calm ability to absorb those setbacks are what sets him apart for me.

So we arrive back at Jonny Wilkinson. If he's fit, if he's as good, or even nearly as good, as he was then, of course, he is going to be a major asset.

But we've got to countenance the possibility that he isn't. And sitting around wailing about the fact is not going to help. As far as I'm concerned, I shall be happy to see Stephen Jones in the No 10 jersey.

I'm not saying that Jones compares with Wilkinson as a marksman or as a tackler, although he was Wales' leading man in the hits list, which says a great deal.

I don't think that the Lions will have a problem at fly-half but I shall be fascinated to see the eventual selection of their mid-field.

Brian O'Driscoll and who in the centre? Jamie Noon? Promising. Gavin Henson? Interesting. But what about Tom Shanklin? He wasn't really in the frame when Wales were contemplating their campaign but he was a heck of a force by the end of it.

Now there's a bloke who just gets on with the game!