By James Standley

Wilkinson will be under huge pressure as England captain

In the end, there was very little option when it came to appointing England's captain for their three November internationals.

When you have the man who clinched the World Cup in your side - who is also the IRB Player of the Year, BBC Sport Personality for the Year and even the winner of Haircut of the Year - it would be hard to look anywhere else.

There have been some good arguments against appointing Wilkinson - and you could argue some very good ones remain - but in the circumstances, he is the only man for the job.

Of the players being mentioned as possible rivals for the role, Matt Dawson has been axed from England's training squad, Will Greenwood has only just started playing again after a summer off and a head injury, and Richard Hill is even more introspective than Wilkinson.

And of these three, only Hill - who was injured on Saturday and who may not even be fit in November - was certain to win a place in England's strongest XV.

WILKINSON PROFILE Born: 25 May, 1979, Frimley, Surrey 1997: Played for England U-18s and U-21s 1998: Makes England debut against Ireland as a replacement for Paul Grayson 1999: Makes first England start against Scotland, aged 19 2002: Named Zurich International Player of the Year. Awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List 2003: Nov 22 - Wins World Cup for England with extra-time drop-goal; Dec - Wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year; Receives an OBE 2004: Feb - Undergoes shoulder operation and misses Six Nations; Oct - Named England captain England win World Cup

Doubts remain about Wilkinson's return from the injury that saw him play less than an hour of rugby in the season after winning the World Cup.

His long-term nerve injury seems to have cleared up and he is back in action for Newcastle, but the jury is still out on whether England's record points scorer is the same force he once was.

But with just under six weeks to go before the first autumn international against Canada, he has plenty of time to shake off any remaining rustiness.

Although his fly-half understudy, Charlie Hodgson, impressed during the summer and has led Sale to the top of the Zurich Premiership, Wilkinson has become an iconic figure and was always going to return at fly-half for England.

Like his England football counterpart, David Beckham, Wilkinson may not be natural captaincy material, preferring to lead through his displays rather than rallying the troops with stirring oratory.

Wilkinson is the wrong choice in my opininion From Tim Hague Have your say on Scrum V

But one area where Wilkinson differs from Beckham is his natural tendency to be introverted.

Both men are intensely committed to their respective sports but, unlike the celebrity-obsessed Beckham, Wilkinson does not revel in the limelight off the field.

In his new book, My World, about England's World Cup victory, Wilkinson writes: "I wonder if the world will ever spin normally for me again. I find it depressing to think it won't."

Wilkinson's return to action has gone smoothly so far

Clearly, as England's captain and figurehead, the whirl around Wilkinson will spin even faster now.

Many fans will be unhappy with the idea of putting yet more pressure on the shoulders of the man who brought the Webb Ellis Cup to England.

During the World Cup campaign he appeared almost tortured at times by his desire to perform at his best and win the tournament.

Although a far more rounded and relaxed figure than he often appeared then, fans will be quick to look for signs that the extra pressure is affecting his all-round game.

But Robinson will have weighed all that up and decided that there was no other option.

He may have only been appointed for the three November matches, but if Robinson gets the coaching job full-time then he is clearly looking for Wilkinson to be England's long-term captain through to the 2007 World Cup.

From the first time he stepped on a pitch Wilkinson has been tipped for the very top, and having guided England to a World Cup victory the captaincy was surely only a matter of time.