Martin Johnson was adamant he’d no issues with Jonny Wilkinson’s ability after the outside-half marked his first Test start in over a year by guiding England to a 23-19 World Cup warm-up win against Wales at Twickenham.

Wilkinson, one of rugby union’s greatest goal-kickers, not only booted over 13 points, including two drop-goals, he also ‘ran’ the match, with the fly-half providing a well-timed inside pass that allowed debutant centre Manu Tuilagi to score one of the hosts’ two tries.

The 32-year-old Wilkinson, now with French club Toulon, has found himself playing second fiddle to former Newcastle understudy Toby Flood for England lately and hadn’t started since playing against Scotland in March 2010.

Johnson, Wilkinson’s captain when the latter landed the drop-goal that saw England beat Australia in the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney, said it was wrong to read too much into his choice of No.10.

“Jonny doesn’t have to prove anything to me, we know he can start a Test match.

“It’s just a question of which way we want to go,” said Johnson, ahead of Saturday’s return match against Wales in Cardiff.

“There’s never been any doubt about Jonny,” said the former lock, whose team complete their preparations for next month’s World Cup in New Zealand with a match against Ireland in Dublin on August 27.

Johnson added a hard-fought contest would serve England, bidding to appear in a third straight World Cup final after losing to South Africa in Paris four years ago, well when they played Wales at the Millennium ­Stadium.

“We wanted a proper game, a real Test match, it’s what you have in the World Cup,” Johnson said.

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