The fly-half has been called upon by England coach Clive Woodward to replace injured captain Martin Johnson, and insists he will not attempt to copy the inspirational Leicester man.

"What I can't do is try and be someone else. It wouldn't be convincing for me to try and do what Johnno did, people wouldn't take to that," he said.

"Everyone's different. I really enjoy playing under Martin Johnson as a captain. He's someone who has a massive effect on me because of his authority and his approach to the game is no nonsense, a straight-talking get in there and get the job done approach and that's something I really appreciate as a player," said the 23-year-old fly-half whose goalkicking has proved important so often for England.

Wilkinson believes he has learned from all his rugby experiences, and reckons captaining a struggling Newcastle team has been invaluable preparation.

"I have learnt a lot at Newcastle this year through being in an undesirable area of the league. I'm aware of the pressures there. This is another challenge for me to try and meet and one I'm keen to prepare for and make the most of," he said.