Backing from Becks as England launch bid against Georgia
Fly-half Wilkinson and England football captain Beckham recently appeared in a television advert for sportswear giant adidas.
"He has been very supportive, and passed on his best," said Wilkinson, who will line up in a full-strength England side for their Pool C opener at Subiaco Oval.
Georgia have little chance of avoiding a landslide defeat, with England boss Clive Woodward fielding 14 of the side which defeated world champions Australia in Melbourne three months ago.
The exception is at scrum-half, where Matt Dawson returns as number nine instead of Kyran Bracken, who is a substitute.
It will only be only Wilkinson's second England start since facing the Wallabies Down Under, while prop Phil Vickery and number eight Lawrence Dallaglio missed all three warm-up Tests in August and September.
"I am desperately keen to get going, and get some game time under my belt at the start of the competition," said Wilkinson.
"There is no worse feeling than hanging around with that nervous anxiety."
Woodward has no qualms about parading his strongest side for the first fixture.
"This team needs a game now, so we wanted to get out possibly our strongest 22.
"It is the side that did well in the summer and in the Six Nations last season.
"But a lot can happen, and we will certainly use replacements."
Australian manager Eddie Jones has made five changes for the Wallabies' opening clash against Argentina but insisted it showed strength not weakness.
Jones brought Matt Burke back into the starting line-up and switched Mat Rogers to full-back after both Stirling Mortlock and Chris Latham were ruled out through illness.
Joe Roff, is back from a rib injury and is included on the opposite wing to Wendell Sailor, with Lote Tuqiri squeezed onto the bench.
In the pack, Alastair Baxter completed a meteoric rise and will start his first Test match after being named as tighthead prop, while Nathan Sharpe got the nod ahead of Daniel Vickerman in the second row.
The loss of Toutai Kefu with a broken shoulder meant Australia would be forced to name a new number eight. As expected, Jones opted for David Lyons with George Smith to remain on the blindside flank.
"You pick a World Cup squad and you've got 30 guys competing for 22 spots; the pleasing thing for us is we've had that.
"We've got eight guys who are really hurting because they're not in the 22 and all they want to do is get their chance," he said.
Controversial South African captain Corne Krige insists his Springbok side are revelling in their underdog status.
"The underdog status motivates the guys because we want to prove people wrong," said Krige, "but the team also knows that we haven't performed at close to our potential yet.
South Africa are bound to be physically abrasive to the point of intimidation, in their first match against Uruguay on Saturday or their defining clash against England, yet Krige insisted the Boks would "play it as physically as we can within the law".




