Rugby World Cup: King backs England

The Brighton doctor's son, the city's slickest master of the oval ball game, diagnoses that defeating arch enemies Australia in the Rugby World Cup final will provide it.

But for injuries it might have been Sue and Ted's offspring wearing his country's No.10 shirt in the Telstra Stadium on Saturday rather than talisman Jonny Wilkinson.

King had the fly-half berth when Wilkinson was a schoolboy but a knee problem before a meeting against the Wallabies six years ago set him back.

More knee damage forced him to pull out when the squad for the current tournament was whittled from 35 to 30 in August.

King said: "It all seems to be about Australia, whether it's going there or playing them. It must be a jinx!"

It was said with a half-smile as we sat in the canteen of the training ground his Wasps club share with the footballers of QPR in west London.

Yet King was reluctant to ponder what might have been, preferring to predict England's most famous team triumph since our footballers won the World Cup in 1966.

"It would be a dream to be out there now and I could have been but for injuries. It's all ifs, buts and whys and if you dwell on those things for too long it'd make you go mad," he said.

"The fact is I'm not there, it is what the guys out there can do that matters. For instance, I've got two good friends of mine from Wasps, Lawrence Dallaglio and Josh Lewsey, and I just hope they can fulfill their dreams.

"I take England to win by ten points, so get down to the bookies and put your money on now!"

King, who has played under coach Clive Woodward and captain Martin Johnson, used insider knowledge, analysis and a series of x-factors to come to his conclusion.

He is convinced this week's build-up will help.

"No stone has been left unturned so far and Clive will want to keep his guys really fresh. I don't think he will have worked them too heavily. There's no need to build the players up, if anything he'll have had to keep things under wraps."

The pre-match atmosphere in the England dressing room will accentuate the positives.

"There'll be a lot of emotion. Lawrence gave the fans an idea of what it is like when he let out his feelings during the national anthem before the semi against France.

"Martin Johnson will give his captain's team talk and it really will have an effect because the players will feel they won't want to let themselves, teammates, family, friends and supporters down.

"There's been plenty of hype around this week. The Australian press have called us boring and David Campese has been insisting how his Australian side which beat England in the final 12 years ago suckered us into playing the wrong game. That will all help Martin motivate the players even more.

"So will Aussie media talk of reducing the points scored for drop goals with Jonny kicking so many of them. It indicates Australia might be a little scared.

"When they step out there Martin will turn to all his teammates and tell them 'we're ready'.

"I'm sure the Australian team and their coach Eddie Jones will realise all this hype will have a motivating effect on the England team.

"Rugby's a different game from Campese's day. They are professionals now and harder mentally, nothing will put them off. England have beaten Australia on the last four occasions they've met. They know they can defeat them.

"The players are experienced, disciplined and know each other's games inside out. The mindset is 'we're going to beat them and how do we achieve that?'

"Australia have got a winning mentality in sports. Now our rugby team have it. I think it will be a great final but we just want to win even if it is winning ugly. Who'll remember what the game was like in a few years? It'll be a case of who won and what was the score."

The semi-final performances of Australia, who beat New Zealand, and England impressed King.

"The winners played sensibly, their defences totally stifled the opposition, starved them of possession.

"All Black Carlos Spencer and France's Frederico Michalak had all the plaudits going in but it worked out our Jonny Wilkinson and Australia's Steve Larkham came out as the better players. A bit of pressure can turn a great player into an average one."

England's lone change from the semi-final victory comes with Mike Tindall replacing Mike Catt at centre reflects a more cautious approach by Woodward, according to King.

"Catt is more of a kicking centre, another playmaker with Jonny. I think Clive's gone for a stronger defensive option with Tindall who is a slightly stronger ball carrier and will give us more yardage. I'm sure Catt will play some part, though."

Rain of shine, King feels England can dominate.

"We went down to Australia and beat them in Melbourne in the summer when Ben Cohen got that great winning try and I believe the only difference to the line-up that day is that Kryran Bracken played instead of Matt Dawson at scrum-half.

"If it is rains like it did against France I see Jonny's left boot coming out as well as it did in the semi-final (in which he kicked all 24 points).

"Larkham's a very talented player but I think Jonny is the better kicker of the two.

"He'll test their back three who are great athletes but not experienced on tactics for wet conditions.

"We will show the passion and heart and combine well as a team, a very experienced team."

And if his country can win it, there is no doubt in the former Brighton College and Hove player's mind about the reaction.

"They'll all return heroes and it'll be fantastic for all sports in this country," he said. "It's been too long a wait for a world team title for a nation which prides itself on sporting ability.

"It'll make us all feel good, from the kids playing mini rugby to the rest of us.."

King, 28, will be proud to play in the premier league of a country which boasts the world champions.

And he intends to help England defend the trophy.

Now that would be food for thought that he just might pass on to his 16 relatives, young and old, as they peruse the menu on Sunday.