Woodward eyes his prize. (Getty Images)

By Neal Collins

Mission accomplished. Clive Woodward, as promised, is bringing the Webb-Ellis Cup to Heathrow on Tuesday, and from there it will take the short trip to the Twickenham Trophy Cupboard.

Who needs that tiny Ashes Urn, when you've got Australia's World Cup?

But for the England coach, suprisingly calm on Sturday night after leaping around in the box behind us throughout the game, the job has just begun.

Woodward, who will no doubt face accusations of arrogance for his response, said cooly: “I was very confident going in to today's game. I was shocked we had to go in to extra time to win it. We've won five in a row against Australia now.

“We're on a roll now. Winning the World Cup is very important but no more than that.

“We feel very lucky and privileged we could put the icing on the cake. But we've got the Six Nations coming, our job now is to keep this going, make sure it isn't just a four year blip in history.”

Asked if he recognised the impact this dramatic victory, the first for a northern hemisphere side, will have back home, he said: “I'll find out when I get there. I think the England players have conducted themselves impeccably on the pitch and off it. They always do. They're a great bunch.

“When you win Tests, people tend to be interested.

“There's been a lot of nonsense written about us. There's never been any process. We've just gone game by game. There's no plan. We've had good support from the RFU and the First Division clubs.

“But we've gone in to every test match in the last four years, apart from Marseille (the friendly in France two months ago, England's only defeat in their last 22), with our strongest team.

“International rugby is about today, not next week. I thought the World Cup would fall into place and it's happened.”

With a little help from Jonny Wilkinson of course. Woodward grinned for the first time, saying: “Jonny's going to need a couple of minders for the next few weeks.

“He put in an amazing performance. We're very lucky to have him, especially after all the nonsense which has been going on all week.

“I hope the Australian media noticed Dad's Army kept going right through to extra time too.

“The comments from the opposition camp may have come back to haunt them.

“I've loved the support here. I think we have to make it compulsory you don't get a seat at Twickenham unless you've got a white shirt on.

“It's what you work so hard for, moments like this.”

And of course, having lived in Manly, seven miles from Sydney, for five years in the 80s, this was the perfect triumph.

Woodward, relaxing now, said; “Yes, if I could have picked it, it would have been Australia. It was a pretty epic game and I wanted to beat them badly."

Then, jokingly, he added: “If the conditions had been better we might have won a bit easier.

“It's just relief, not sheer joy, because we made it so difficult for ourselves.

“I thought man for man we were always a better side. But that's sport.”

Then came the fulsome tribute to his old sparring partner, Aussie coach Eddie Jones: “A big well done to Eddie's lads, they stepped up to the mark tonight. They'll be disappointed.”

The expected rush to retirement of Dad's Army is apparently not going to happen for a while. Woodward revealed: “I said to the players I didn't want any player making some big announcement about retiring.

“I said, let's leave it till the Six Nations come around, the hunger will be back. I've just asked them to wait a couple of months.”

He left with this for England fans: “Just fantastic. A big thank you from all of us.”

And this for the Australian media: “How can I put it politely without uspetting anybody?

“I think we are one of the most expansive teas in world rugby. The little campaign didn't work. If you guys in the Aussie media want to deal in facts, we've won five in a row.”