He said that his young teammate had come in for undue stick Sometimes in sport, as in life, you have to believe whatever you choose in order to get through the toughest of challenges, and when Johnson dismissed the critical pressure on Wilkinson and the rest of the team as unfounded, he missed out on the most compelling dimension of the victory that takes England into next Saturday's showdown with Australia.It is that there is nothing more glorious in sport than a triumph over uncertainty and fear of failure, and if Jonny Wilkinson's face had not been a mirror of such concern in the days leading up to yesterday's trial, he should immediately apply for a scholarship from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He said that his young team-mate had come in for "undue stick." He had just dismantled a mythical challenge to his reputation.The idea that he had to "turn a corner" here in the Telstra Stadium was preposterous. "Christ," said Johnson, while shaking his head, before eulogising the tide of a Wilkinson performance that surgically destroyed the theory that this French team had conjured enough style and ?n to make it to their second successive final.It was unquestionably a massively impressive tide, as powerful as those beating against the shores of this city on a turbulent night: six penalties, two drop goals and a sure-footed awareness of every phase of the battle that utterly overshadowed the putative star of world rugby, the 21-year-old Fr?ric Michalak.There had been, however, realities that England and their troubled young hero had to engage before the French could be beaten. He had won the most important match of his career and, it was hard not to believe, a great slice of redemption.Naturally, England's captain, Martin Johnson, would have none of that last proposition. And Wilkinson, a desperately uncertain figure just seven days earlier, had performed his version of Lazarus getting up from his deathbed and walking. England were in the final of the World Cup after exploring more blind alleys than Inspector Clouseau. England made a fortress in the rain like magnificently resolute dog soldiers and whenever the French faltered, which was often, Jonny Wilkinson stepped up and hit them over the head with rugby's equivalent of the ball and chain. Indeed, on the rugby pitch and in the bars here, this was a weekend when normal service was resumed.. They have a winning habit that should not be underestimated and have proved they can cope with any conditions and any opposition. England must keep the ball, and for that matter themselves, away from that pair, as well Mat Rogers at full-back.That is one of the reasons why I believe Saturday's final will be a tight affair and after yesterday I make England slight favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. Australia proved on Saturday that they have the big-match players to beat anyone, with their scrum-half George Gregan absolutely magnificent in all his work off the ball and the centre Stirling Mortlock having the game of a lifetime.New Zealand, for their part, tried too much pretty football and when they got the ball out wide found the huge frames of the ex-league duo, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuquiri, there to block any progress. Indeed, the England coach will fancy his side against Australia, despite the Wallabies' superb defeat of the All Blacks in the other semi-final.
England will need to play a very similar game plan to yesterday, although they will endeavour to be more expansive (unless the rains stay around). And who better than the player doing all the damage?Betsen might also have chosen Richard Hill, who was immense on his return from injury. He put in a few big hits, made a few big turnovers but more than anything gave the England back row the balance they had been missing Clive Woodward will be so pleased to have him back. This misdemeanour was born purely of the frustration of being on the back foot that left the blind-side flanker determined to get his hands on someone. Nevertheless, there were no such excuses for the rest of his performance, especially those wasted up-and-unders that were all up and no under. Michalak has too much talent to stay down for long, although yesterday's horror show is bound to haunt him for a few months yet.Serge Betsen will also have sleepless nights after his criminally late tackle on Wilkinson that handed England three more points and left his own team short-handed for 10 long minutes. Even Wilkinson skewed a couple and like Michalak - whose wayward attempts were admittedly in front of the posts - this was because the swirling wind made it so difficult to kick from distance. The French tried their best mind you, which many considered would be good enough in the run-up to this semi-final, but were strangled by an opposing pack that took their game plan back to basics. They played to the conditions, kept the ball in hand and refused to take a step backwards. And when they did get the field position their tireless efforts deserved that man Jonny Wilkinson was there to turn the possession into points, whether from penalties or drop-goals, from left foot or right foot. That England failed to score a try was about as relevant as the weather, because when you're competing in a World Cup semi-final it is all about winning.If I have one small criticism - and even this seems churlish - it was that England did not try to spread the ball wide when they had the chance. |
 |
 |
