It didn't matter that Johnson had no coaching or managerial experience. He would get around that by appointing good men around him - in particular, former Wallaby Brian Smith, who is doing most of the actual coaching, providing the team with a more expansive, faster game plan. A bit of Australia up north. And it appears Johnson is embracing it.

Like Clive Woodward before him, Johnson is more of an overseer, a mentor to the new-look team, an off-field organiser, the front man, an inspirational figure as England dramatically transform the look of their side with an assortment of new players, who have taken to Smith and Johnson's eagerness to get them playing at high speed.

And while Johnson may spend a lot of his time at training on the sideline, arms folded, watching others do the work, it is his sheer presence that is expected to give England a decided edge. He has that look that tells players he will stand for no nonsense, but that he also knows exactly what they are going through.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says of Johnson's presence in the England set-up: "Martin is obviously a legend in the game, for good reason. He was a great captain, and hugely influential on the field. He'll bring that forward into the coaching area, because of the history. He's a bloke who is accustomed to winning, likes to win, and that will rub off onto the players."

Deans said it was crucial for teams to have characters like Johnson hovering around dressing rooms, because impressionable players responded to winners. But it seems Johnson has had to change his ways. Not surprisingly, being one of England's most recognisable sporting figures, his first few weeks as the new manager prompted a media frenzy.

Every local newspaper, television and radio station focused on him, analysing his every movement. They all seem impressed he still looked like he could take off the team trackpants, put on the Superman suit, run on and again dismantle the Wallabies lineout.

Early in the week, he was on BBC television being interviewed by his old England teammate Lawrence Dallaglio. He reminded Johnson that during his playing days, he enjoyed sleeping in and wasn't too enthusiastic about attending team meetings. As the manager, Johnson's life has become far more regimented.

"I'm now up at 6am, wide awake and thinking," he told Dallaglio. "As a player, you knew when to switch off - especially when you had confidence in the people around you. You could go to Thursday training, and then switch off. But it's different as a coach. It is difficult to switch off."

But the player values remain. Johnson will continue to stress to the new England team the importance of playing for each other. "You're playing for your mates. That's what it is all about. After you come in after a tough Test match, it is best when you can look around that dressing room, and look every other player in the eye and you don't have to say anything."

The following day Johnson was swamped by the media at Pennyhill Park. As he has had a long association with the British press troupe, touring all over the world with them, he knew which ones were trying to get the provocative one-liner out of him to inspire a wild headline and which ones wanted the good analytical quote.

He knew who to be careful around. He knew the ones who wanted the proper information to flesh out the story. As ever, he towered over them all. They weren't giving him too much cheek. And, unlike Woodward, who used these sessions to toss firecrackers under the backside of his then Wallabies counterpart Eddie Jones, Johnson doused everything down.

For most of the session, which came across like a fireside chat, Johnson had the makings of a smirk on his face, and appeared to genuinely enjoy the banter between himself and the diverse characters in the English press corps.

Sitting next to him was England scrum coach Graham Rowntree, who was getting noticeably agitated by the frequent questions about how the supposedly hopelessness of the Wallabies pack. Rowntree bit, but Johnson held his decorum, remained calm and made all the right comments, including using the age-old tactic of dramatically building up the opposition, and in the end being ever so nice without giving anything away.

He didn't criticise anyone, would not play anyone off anyone else, and half an hour later was off down the stairs for more pressing business. The smirk remained. Dealing with the media was as easy as winning an unopposed lineout at training.

After all, he has been around far too long, knows too much about what is exactly going on, and understands the importance of being polite and measured. He also knows that to keep them off his back, he has to do what he does best - winning. Which is why the Wallabies remain ever so wary of Martin Johnson.