England colossus Johnson battles on

The best came when an Australian reporter asked a long one about whether England would be testing out Ben Darwin's replacement in the Aussie scrum. "If you mean pushing the scrum, then yes," he responded.

There is something almost Australian about Johnson's bluntness. An argument to say that the most compelling reason why England will win this World Cup is not that the team boasts Jonny Wilkinson - but that it will be led by a man who in his coach's book is just the best captain in world rugby by some distance.

When Lawrence Dallaglio, sitting next to his blessed leader, was asked about his best qualities today, he couldn't help responding: "You mean apart from giving away a couple of needless penalties now and again?" In truth, of course, Dallaglio admitted after all the laughs that everyone connected with he squad admires him unconditionally.

Woodward explained earlier in the tournament: "His leadership is just fantastic and what everybody likes about him is that he doesn't talk a great deal but when he does, everybody just shuts up and listens.

"He is a tremendous man but people also sometimes forget just what a world class player he is, how his playing ability is outstanding. He's the best lock in the world bar none."

Indeed, he was still nothing short of magnificent against the French and, off the field, Woodward clearly believes he has raised his game to even higher levels right from the moment they stepped on to Australian soil.

"He's probably spoken more this week than I have ever heard him before because he knows how important this game is," revealed Woodward before the South Africa match.

At half-time in the dressing room at the Telstra Stadium on Saturday, whether England are winning or losing, the first thing Woodward will do is take Johnson aside and get his views.

He never says anything to the rest of the team until he's done that.

"It's a key time. There's a temptation to go in there and launch straight into saying what I think but I need to listen to Martin first because he's such a very, very astute reader of the game," Woodward once told me. "He's probably the best I've ever worked with in this area."

So, what is that style of leadership? Nobody in his team can quite put a finger on it for he offers no fancy oratory nor hair-drying screams. To a man, team-mates promise you that just a glance at him during a match when things may be going awry is somehow a colossal source of comfort.

After the historic win over the All Blacks in Wellington, Steve Thompson sounded almost starstruck as he noted: "He was everywhere, taking it up, smashing it up, always in the thick of it right until the end when it felt like we were defending for our lives."

Yes, a man to play for your life. If we must look for comparisons with 1966, let's concede that he doesn't exactly cast a Bobby Moore glow but you don't want polish from your rugby leader. You want a warrior. What bigger comfort could there be when the great Colin Meads, a tall, glowering dour bugger calls Johnno "a tall, glowering dour bugger".

In a sports world where everyone has to be a character, he just has character. He laughs at we press men when we wonder wide-eyed about what stirring words he must be using in the heat of battle to rouse the troops. "You lot love all that stuff, don't you?" he'll tease before attempting to shatter all our illusions.

So what would Johnson's exhortations to his troops be if this really was his final quest to beat the world? Forget the fight them on the beaches stuff. We'll settle for 'Let's get on with it' because if it's hardly Churchill, it's just perfect Johnno. No floweriness, no fuss, just brutal business as usual.

The others ready to quit

Neil Back Has contract with Leicester but at 34 may quit Test stage.
Mike Catt May be persuaded to carry on by new enjoyment of game.
Lawrence Dallaglio The 30-something warhorses & Richard Hill have no intention of quitting.
Paul Grayson Likely to quit Test rugby after deputising for Wilkinson.
Jason Leonard After 112 caps, how much longer can he carry on?
Dorian West At 36, will probably see this as the perfect farewell.