Woodward told the Standard today: "We have to put security now round Jonny Wilkinson. If you could see him last night just getting off the bus, he was absolutely mobbed and we need people around him to look after him.
"We are very professional about it and we do our job no differently from any large corporation." Woodward is also taking no chances with dirty tricks upsetting his plans. His staff will carry out a sweep of the team hotel, looking out for bugging devices in the players' rooms and in suites used for team meetings.
Eddie Jones, the Australian coach, last week claimed espionage was a problem at the World Cup. Now Woodward has announced that he too is taking the threat seriously - and explicitly suggested that he feared the Australians really might stoop to such lows.
Woodward said: "We have a machine that anyone can buy in the shops that checks for bugs. We have this little device and it is no bigger than a matchbox. Tony Biscombe, who is our IT man, goes round the hotel rooms and the team rooms and makes sure there are no devices."
He said the need for such precautions had become apparent two years ago when the Australians had seemed a little too familiar with the secret plans of the British Lions.
Woodward added: "We could lose a World Cup if we don't pay attention to these things, so that is what we are about and it is a serious matter
"If anyone could hear what actually happens in team rooms I am sure that they would be very interested. But you just don't allow that to happen, it is just security and we take security very seriously."
Beckham told the Standard he believed the team could win the tournament. "I watched the semi-final in our team hotel," he said. "I also spoke to Jonny a couple of days ago.
"It was a proud day for everyone in the country ... Jonny's one of the best kickers in the world, if not the best, and he proved that against France.
"If Jonny keeps kicking like he did yesterday I am sure we will win the World Cup."
