How do you know when someone has transitioned from mere mortal to legend status?

For some there are clear moments. Take Brazilian football great Pele, whose two goals in the 1958 World Cup final at the tender age of 17 launched him into a stratosphere from which he never descended. 

For Ireland rugby great Brian O'Driscoll, an extraordinary Six Nations hat-trick in Paris was the moment which helped him burst past the try-lines of many an imagination.

Sometimes the process of creating legend-hood is more gradual than either of those cases. But that does not apply to England's Jonny Wilkinson who will always be remembered for one moment in particular:

Regardless of his achievements at Six Nations level or his contributions to Heineken Cup victories for Toulon, winning a World Cup for one's country is the pinnacle for any sportsperson.

Wilkinson was only 24 when his boot connected with the oval ball at Sydney's Telstra Stadium at the death on November 22nd 2003 to put some stardust on three points which separated England from Australia in that night's final.

Yet even before that moment, he had been enjoying a career of remarkable achievement. In 1998, he had become England's youngest cap at 18 by taking to the field against Ireland in a Six Nations match and was an integral part of tournament-winning sides in 2000 and 2001, before helping to kick England to Grand Slam glory in 2003 as a launchpad to the World Cup.

Yet sometimes hindsight colours views that were once peddled. Take this Guardian service piece on England dated to November 2003 which seemed to question Wilkinson, saying, "for all his 23 points against Wales, Wilkinson's contribution in open play, and therefore his contribution overall, has diminished markedly. At the moment the team lack a creative force at outhalf, which is why Woodward had to bring on Mike Catt at half-time."

That is a dozen days before the final when Wilkinson had already delivered 51 points in three pool games, including a haul of 20 in a 25-6 win over South Africa.

The Welsh quarter-final had "only" seen him muster a drop-goal, conversion and penalty in a victorious effort in Brisbane, but he was back to life in the semi-final against France with an incredible five penalties and three drop goals, scoring all his side's points to lead them to the Sydney decider - "a stunning individual haul" as The Irish Times declared it. 

And of course, the decider was yet to come and the moment where his footprint put a cave painting in the history books of English rugby.