Wilkinson warning on French threat

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Jonny Wilkinson warns it will be much tougher second time around when holders England face hosts France in their World Cup semifinal re-match in Paris on Saturday.

Four years ago in Australia, the French were washed away when Wilkinson kicked all the points as England triumphed 24-7 in Sydney before going on to lift the crown.

Wilkinson, who kicked the winning points in the final against the Wallabies but has since endured four years of injury agony, insists that the French will be a completely different proposition this time.

"This French team is outstanding. They have enormous strength out wide and up front, impact substitutions, as well as the classic flair we all know about," said the fly-half. "It is as good a French team as I've seen in my time."

France scored a dramatic come-from-behind 20-18 quarterfinal victory over favorites New Zealand to reach the last four against all the odds.

And Wilkinson recognized: "The pressure must have been enormous in that Cardiff dressing room and they withstood a huge barrage from the No. 1 team on the planet and came through to win."

Wilkinson made it clear: "I think it would be a fool who presumed anything about this French side. Especially after what they showed last weekend; do not presume that they have any kind of problem with the ability to deal with the pressure."

He added: "We've also seen from them playing England in those two warm-up games in August. They beat us both times and they didn't crack in either of them.

"In fact, in the first Twickenham game they did just the opposite and came back in the last 10-15 minutes and won the match."

Wilkinson has been particularly impressed with his 21-year-old opposite number Lionel Beauxis who has ousted Frederic Michalak in the France starting side.

"He's clearly a hell of a player," said 28-year-old Wilkinson. "To take that weight of expectation and play with direction and composure and also with a real desire is a real talent."

Wilkinson admits that the Frenchman's game is ahead of his at the same age and added: "To do that against a team like the All Blacks, who seem to have the answer to every question, is a performance that deserves as much respect as any in recent times."

Beauxis currently has a better place-kicking return than Wilkinson in the 2007 World Cup and the outcome on the day between two unchanged sides could well be determined by the battle between the No. 10s.

Wilkinson has been off-target with nine of his 24 goalkick attempts and has questioned the quality of the balls being used in the tournament -- but he insists his confidence is not suffering.

"Three or four years ago I'm sure it would have been different," he admitted. "If someone had said "you've not kicked this many and your percentage is this or that,' I'd probably be thinking about that.

"But my confidence hasn't changed. It's troubled me amazingly little."

"What I care about is giving everything to this cause, giving everything you've got to this game on the weekend bearing in mind, after the last three years, there might not be another one."

Wilkinson was referring to his catalogue of injury woes that have included problems with his shoulder, arm, knees, groin and hamstring

It looked as though his injury hoodoo had struck again when he suffered an ankle ligament injury during England's first training session in France last month.

Wilkinson missed the opening two Pool matches, including their record 36-0 World Cup defeat by South Africa, but now the Newcastle star once carries the hopes of a nation in his cultured left foot.

The winners will face either Argentina or South Africa -- they clash in the Stade de France on Sunday -- in the final on Saturday 20 October, in Paris. E-mail to a friend