Wilkinson gets Beckham cell phone backing

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2003

LONDON (AFP) — England fly-half star Jonny Wilkinson has revealed the England soccer captain David Beckham has been calling regularly on his cell phone during the Rugby World Cup to offer encouragement.

The two became friends after shooting a TV advertisement and Wilkinson said in his column in The Times: "We're mates and it's been really good to talk to him. It's great to get that support from David, especially as he's obviously someone who knows what it's like to be an athlete in these sort of pressured circumstances."

But Wilkinson had words of encouragement of his own for France fly-half Frederic Michalak who was a huge disappointment in Sunday's semi-final.

"England's forwards managed to get going a bit, which meant I had a lot more opportunity and time...