Wilkinson hails Johnson

Wilkinson has learned from Johnson

Jonny Wilkinson has paid tribute to Martin Johnson, describing England's retiring captain as a "living legend".

The England fly-half, who was vice-captain during the World Cup, praised Johnson's aura as a leader.

"He is without doubt the greatest captain I've known and during that World Cup he was brilliant to work with," Wilkinson said in The Times.

Wilkinson added that although the captaincy is an honour, he was not "desperately yearning" to take it on.

Instead he was happy to reflect on what Johnson gave the team, and admitted being intimidated by the giant lock when he first joined the England squad.

"The moments Martin was at his best and most influential were in those final minutes before the start of a game," Wilkinson said.

"He'd say something to us - maybe just one line. It might be about the opposition or us, or the occasion or game-plan, but it was always right and always so aggressive and ruthless.

"I'm sure it fired up the other guys, but I found myself becoming more comfortable.

"To see your captain like that makes you think 'God, am I glad he's on my side'."

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Wilkinson has particularly fond memories of this moment in the minutes before the World Cup final victory over Australia - Johnson's last game in an England shirt.

With the teams lined up together in the bowels of the Telstra Stadium, Johnson just turned to look at his England colleagues.

"He was about to speak, but then he saw that he didn't have to. When he turned back again, everyone knew what that meant," Wilkinson said.

"Looking at that, I wonder what was going through the minds of the Australians next to us.

"But the genius of it for us was that it was so genuine, it wasn't done for effect, it wasn't contrived.

"He wasn't going to stop doing it just because the other side were there and he wasn't going to hype it even more."

Wilkinson also praised his former skipper for helping take the pressure off him during the tournament and deflecting some of the huge media interest at press conferences.

The 24-year-old stood in for Johnson during last year's Six Nations, captaining his country in the Twickenham victory over Italy.

However, he is in no rush to lead the team out a second time.

"I've always said that it's such an honour playing for England and that though I'm not desperately yearning for it, I feel that captaining England would be an even greater one," the presently injured Wilkinson added.

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"It goes with the childhood dream of everyone wanting to captain England when they grow up.

"But for the moment I'm more keen just to get back playing."