After Jonny Wilkinson shaped rugby history again he saved one last pass to heap praise on those around him.

"These nights come about from being amongst a fabulous bunch of guys who work their socks off," Wilkinson said after kicking England into the World Cup final with a momentous 14-9 victory against France.

"It must have been evident from the sidelines that the guys just worked and worked and worked until they were almost fit to drop."

Typical Wilkinson. Modest, self-effacing, almost in denial of the extraordinary composure and wonderful talent which allows him to kick the most crucial points at the most vital times in the most important matches.

Just as well then that those around him sing like a canary when it comes to putting his achievements, such as the penalty and drop goal which clinched an unlikely triumph in the last six minutes, into perspective.

"A world-class player with a world-class head," was the verdict of Martin Corry.

"You could trust him with your life," said Newcastle team-mate Toby Flood, while captain Phil Vickery duly marvelled at the superbly-balanced drop goal which thrust the stiletto into the heart of French rugby.

"With that final kick, if you had to put your mortgage on it he would be your man. He duly stepped up to dink it over like it was a Sunday afternoon stroll," said Vickery.

The amazing thing on a tense and tumultuous night at the Stade de France was that Wilkinson did all that, and more, after missing a conversion, a penalty and a drop goal in the first half and seeing a drop-goal attempt in the second rattle a French post and bounce back into play.

The point is that when it really matters Wilkinson pops into his personal telephone box, dons cape, sheds his Clark Kent introspection and becomes one of the most ruthlessly effective sportsmen ever to represent England.

Not with the daring swagger of a Botham or wearing the ringmaster's showy cloak of a Beckham, but with the studied calm and decisiveness which comes from all those hours, including Christmas Day, devoted to practice.

Some call it obsession, but no-one would deny Wilkinson his place once more in the sun following almost three years out with persistent injury since kicking the most famous goal ever to win a World Cup back in 2003.

There must have been times when he wondered whether he would ever kick a ball again let alone lead England into another World Cup final but Wilkinson glides over his pain and hard times with the ease of an Olympic skater.

He said: "You never presume anything. It's just been enough to get back and have an opportunity of doing what I love doing and that has been a blessing.

"We got lucky with a few calls at the right times but it was a memorable night. We came through some incredibly tight spots."

No arguments there. At one point the French appeared to have pitched their tents on the England try line. Each time, most notably when Joe Worsley tap-tackled wing Vincent Clerc, they were repelled by English muscle, plus the "body and soul" for which Vickery had called.

And if the French betrayed their own genius by kicking ball away which they could have run much more profitably then that was the difference between the callow mind of 21-year-old fly-half Lionel Beauxis and the steely experience of England's number 10.

Wilkinson explained the tactics which turned swathes of the match into a cautious tit-for-tat kickfest.

"We kicked it deep just to stay in the game," he said. "That's what we've been trying to do, just stay in the game with a shot at the end and we managed to turn it to our advantage.

"We spent a lot of time on the five metres line when the French nearly scored, there was that tap tackle from Joe Worsley. Moments like that really matter and the more of those moments you can get through continue to keep the belief moving. It's those challenges which make or break."

If he was remotely concerned about the furore over the match balls which had preceded the game and the fact that his own kicking success rate is hovering around the 60 per cent mark in this tournament, rather than the 100 per cent which is his benchmark, then he did not show it.

He added: "When a few kicks are missed the guys just get on with it and forget them. They clean up the mistakes.

"A couple were missed, a couple went over, thankfully probably in the right order."

And his thoughts on next weekend's final?

"We'll just go in with the same attitude, dig deep, stick together and give it our best shot."

His best shot, another late winning drop goal, would do nicely.

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