Desire still burns for World Cup veteran

In his fourth Rugby World Cup campaign for England, Jonny Wilkinson’s desire to win burns as brightly as ever.

“"Those things are part of the person, they're not part of an exterior thing that you try and aspire to,'' the 32-year-old fly half said.

''It's inside you, it doesn't die. Competitive people are competitive people.

“For me, losing is one of the hardest things in the world, especially in this environment.”

Wilkinson made his RWC debut in 1999 and his last-minute drop goal to win the 2003 final against Australia made the Englishman a national hero, while at France 2007 he became the all-time leading points scorer in RWC history with a tally of 249.

Boasting 15 RWC appearances, Wilkinson is also the most experienced competitor in New Zealand, but the veteran does not believe his tournament credentials are an advantage.

"It's just about preparing one game at a time and just giving it everything I've got,” he said.

“There's something about a tournament where you know that even though there's a group stage, you pretty much know every game is a do-or-die and when you know that, you just have to accept it and leave the locker kind of empty.

“That has always been my approach to ... what I’m trying to do, whether it’s rugby or anything else.”