Wilkinson boots his critics into touch

By DAVID LEGGAT

Jonny Wilkinson reckoned he didn't read a single newspaper in the week leading up to Sunday night's semifinal.

That was probably just as well, because he was put under a heavy-duty microscope by critics back home and in Australia. There was only one issue: Has Jonny got the bottle for the job, or will he bottle it?

The answer came in capital letters at the rain-lashed Telstra Stadium, where the 24-year-old No 10 carried England to a 24-7 win over France which was even more emphatic than that scoreline suggests.

Five penalties and three drop-goals did the job as the French fell apart.

Wilkinson rarely brought his backs into play. Rightly so in the conditions, he shouldered the job of putting England beyond France's reach and had every right to cock a giant snook at the doubters.

But that is the style of rugby's ultimate match-winner. He even described Sunday's conditions as "interesting," where the other 83,000 at Telstra Stadium would have opted for foul, filthy, miserable or plain grubby.

Verbal pyrotechnics are not his way.

"We had to look at how best to manage the team in those conditions.

"We knew it wasn't going to be the most spectacular game of rugby, but the aim was to win," he said, matter of factly.

If he was bitter at the bark of the critics, he kept it to himself.



"You can't please everyone. When I'm representing my country I'm everyone's property. Everyone's allowed to have an opinion, and rightly so.

"But what I do try to do is please the rest of my players, and the guy on my right and the guy two on my right," he said, nodding at captain Martin Johnson and coach Clive Woodward.



Johnson, all grim and beetle-browed, went in to bat for his first five-eighth.

"A lot of stick has come his way in the last week, totally unwarranted in my view, but there you go. He came through and played a fantastic game. He controlled the match brilliantly and kept us ticking over."

In England's three biggest games at the cup so far - South Africa, Wales and France - they have scored 77 points. Wilkinson has been responsible for 67 of them.

Say what you like about the two most enterprising, entertaining teams at the cup, but they are playing for third and fourth on Thursday.

Wilkinson and England are shooting for the big prize two nights later. And that's the name of this game.