Wilkinson looking for more of the same against Tonga

ENGLAND have started dusting themselves down for part two of their World Cup-defining Polynesian double header, with Jonny Wilkinson declaring: “exactly the same rules will apply.”

After sending Samoa crashing out of the tournament, England must administer a knockout blow to Tonga at Parc des Princes next Friday night or face pool stage elimination themselves.

But such an unthinkable scenario – a fate not experienced by any previous reigning rugby world champion – has rescinded when compared with the gloom and despair that accompanied England’s record tournament defeat against South Africa nine days ago.

England looked down and out in the immediate aftermath of that 36-0 drubbing. Wilkinson’s return from injury though, allied with a much-changed team’s admirable resilience in the face of suffocating Samoan second-half pressure, brought a potential quarter-final clash against Australia sharply into focus.

Throughout the side, players stood up and were counted, from skipper Martin Corry to his two-try accomplice Paul Sackey, while scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, lock Simon Shaw and flanker Joe Worsley also delivered towering displays.

But it was Wilkinson, so often England’s calming influence in their hour of need during a 61-cap Test career, who guided them home.

With Samoa out of the way though, England have got to do it all over again by beating opponents who gave Pool A winners South Africa a major fright in Lens before succumbing 30-25.

Wilkinson said: “Exactly the same rules will apply in the next game. It is essentially the same position.

“We’ve got the opportunity now to analyse and go forward with a positivity, having won, which is very different to coming off the back of the previous two games (against America and South Africa) when there is disappointment.

“It is tough, knowing you are hanging by a bit of a thread and that the pressure is on. We had to deal with it.

“It was looking like a very tough second-half, but we managed to turn it around. We managed to find a path to a win when things looked difficult.”