Topsy Ojo: Jonny May is now Mr Consistency — and there’s no better time to deliver

When I think of the first time I played against Jonny May, the one thing that stands out is that he just had out-and-out pace.

He was one of those wings who would almost never run a straight line. You were a bit like, what are you doing? Run forwards!

Of course, he would eventually find that hole somewhere and, while he doesn’t do it as much anymore, he still uses it effectively to isolate lazy inside defenders. It is still a threat of his, but Jonny has matured and developed. The standout thing now is the consistency in his game.

When Jonny first came on the scene, you noticed his pure speed, but as you develop and get older, the pressure comes on.

It becomes more about your all-round game. What’s your defence like? How are you positionally? What’s your work rate off the ball? What are you like aerially?

Probably, out of all the wings in the England squad, Jonny (right, scoring against Australia last Saturday) has been the one who has consistently performed in all of those areas. It is why I have no hesitation in saying he is up there with the best in the world at the moment.

He is 100 per cent reliable and you know that when he is on the pitch he is going to deliver a nine to 10 out of 10 performance most weeks, which is incredible.

I think there was a sharp intake of breath when everyone saw Jonny go off injured against Australia and it is huge lift that he is fit to face New Zealand.

He has perhaps been undervalued in terms of what he really brings to this team, but if you take arguably your No1 weapon out, there is a difference.

On the other wing, Anthony Watson has also been brilliant during this tournament. When you are out injured for that long, like he was, there are always question marks.

Are you going to come back the same player? Are you going to have the same speed? He has been fast-tracked straight back in and he has delivered.

I think, all in all, you are going to see some really exciting play from both teams’s wings tomorrow.

We talk about Jonny’s speed and ability, but on the counter attack you have the excitement of both Anthony and Sevu Reece, looking to bring that extra bit, that X-factor in terms of footwork and agility. But then you also look towards Jonny and George Bridge to bring that consistency of performance. It might not be a stellar move, but they will just deliver quality every time they have the ball.

It means both sets of wings are actually really well balanced. You have Anthony and Reece bringing the X-factor and then Jonny and Bridge supplying the consistency.

When you have wings who provide different threats, but are equally dangerous, then your opponents don’t know how to handle them.

Who will win the semi-final?