Andrew cool on home hopes and maybe he’s right

ON reflection, Rob Andrew will doubtless concede that the eve of a home World Cup — amid rising hype and expectation — is perhaps not the occasion to emphasise the senior England team’s long-term potential.

Four years ago, the RFU’s professional rugby director sat passively and awkwardly alongside Martin Johnson as the great English rugby icon fell on his sword in the aftermath of a World Cup debacle.

On that occasion, Andrew was at pains to insist that the country’s results in the Test arena were a minor element of his wide-ranging brief.

A cynic would argue that this time, the former England flyhalf has made a similar statement before the tournament even starts. Asked if Stuart Lancaster’s team will peak for the global extravaganza on these shores, his response was measured rather than bullish.

‘i doubt it, to be honest,’ he said. ‘i suspect this team will get better over the next two or three years.

‘That doesn’t mean it’s not going to be good enough to win this World Cup. World Cups are about momentum.

‘We have these marks in time around a World Cup, but this was an even longer journey than just 2015. As magnificent as this tournament will be, it will come and go, and before we know it, it will be next year’s Six Nations and a tour to Australia. Nothing stops. it will be a moment in time.’

This was certainly not a bold message of hope and intent designed to ignite anticipation around the land. it was not a stirring endorsement of the England squad’s ability. in emotive terms, it may not strike the right chord, but there is no arguing with what Andrew has to say.

There is no escaping the fact that Lancaster will have less international know-how at his disposal than he would like. The English cap-count is lower than their rivals, particularly New Zealand.

Lancaster will wish he could call upon Dylan Hartley, but the hooker was banished on disciplinary grounds. He would like to have a settled midfield by now, but injuries and form swings have scuppered that.

Asked about the shortage of caps, Andrew said: ‘There’s an experience factor, but they’ve gained significant experience over the last three years. Has the team settled in certain areas? Possibly not. The strength in depth is there. The squad is going to be as deep as any at this World Cup.’

it is hard to dispute his point. England lack experience, but they do have greater depth than most. The age profile of the squad means that if most of these players stay involved in the years ahead, they will become better together.

But Lancaster knows that in his role, this cannot be regarded as just ‘a moment in time’, it must be seen as the moment when all that matters is here- and- now results, not any prospect of future success.