Phil Larder, England's defensive coach, told me after the All Blacks win that what marked Wilkinson's completeness as a footballer was his willingness to buy into the belief that rugby was about more than laser kicking and dazzling breaks, and that wearing the No 10 shirt wasn't just about being some precious creator.
No, Wilkinson had found glamour in the brutal, unglamorous defensive chores - yes, unlike Beckham, he can tackle - hurling himself at any opponent, however gargantuan. In the process, he has almost redefined the role of the fly-half.
"The suicide bomber of world rugby," one Kiwi commentator put it. "And a genius." If so, it's a genius built on 100 per cent perspiration. This week, Wilkinson explained how he "beat up" on himself because of his poor kicking from hand. No excuses about the swirling Wellington wind which made it almost impossible and no mention of how his goalkicking had been decisive.
Even though England have been outscored in tries over the last three Twickenham encounters with Australia, Wilkinson, with a total of 60 points, strangled them on each occasion. Every time he does this, his reputation here as the southern hemisphere's bogeyman grows.
Although the sort of fuss made over him at England HQ this week would doubtless have felt like an afternoon in a library to Beckham, Wilkinson was still the one all the Aussies were clamouring around. How, Martin Johnson was asked, could this young bloke - still only 24, remember - handle the pressure of being portrayed as the man who's going to single-footedly win the World Cup?
"I guess it is difficult but he handles it pretty well. What can we do about it? Get him to play a couple of bad games, I suppose," shrugged Johnson, leaving everyone to wonder when Wilkinson last had an off day.
Was it his first full Test in Brisbane in 1998 when England lost 76-0 and he missed two kicks? Even then, the recollection has only fuelled his quest for perfection. "It made me realise how much I had to improve, a memory I have in my bank that I can go back to if need be. I often do," he said.
Johnson said: "Jonny's Jonny. He knows it's not all him, that there's a team with him. He doesn't believe he has to do everything himself." In other words, they let him wander off for his obsessive kicking sessions with Dave Alred knowing he always returns as the perfect team player.
It's the story of an Englishman abroad with a golden boot and it needs no hype. Come Sunday, he may even have knocked Beckham off the back - but don't hold your breath.
