Johnson autobiography describes World Cup clincher

The autobiography of England rugby captain Martin Johnson is going on sale, and pre-orders for the book have already exceeded 100,000.

The book includes his description of the World Cup final in Sydney, including Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal which clinched the 20-17 victory in the last minute of extra time.

"On his wrong foot, Jonny smashes it through the posts and we are in the lead. People told me later it was an ugly kick but it's the best thing I've ever seen on a rugby field," he writes.

Publisher Headline said that by midday on Monday pre-orders had reached 110,000 and were rising.

Ian Marshall, non-fiction deputy publishing director, said: "On the Sunday morning, I came into the office to work on the last chapter of the book.

"Some months before, we'd taken the risky decision to wait until after the tournament before publishing, not least because Martin didn't want to provide any ammunition for his opponents from what he said.

"Despite all the celebrations, dinners and unbelievable media attention, Martin had managed to find some time to himself to sit down and gather his thoughts about what he'd been through. As always, he was determined to get it absolutely right."

The book looks at Johnson's career and how the sport has changed since going professional in 1995.

Johnson, who made his England debut in 1993, explains why he led the national team to the brink of a strike in the autumn of 2000.

The book also gives insights into British and Irish Lions tours - for the last two of which he was captain.