World Cup is still possible if they learn from this

IWAS part of the England side that crashed out of our home World Cup in the pool stages in 2015. The pain of that disappointment was unbelievable but we used that as motivation to win a Grand Slam the next year. There’s no reason why we can’t see this England team produce a similar turnaround from this year’s Six Nations and go on to win the next World Cup. I firmly believe Eddie Jones’ men are on the right path for France next year.

Yes, there’s a danger England could finish fifth for the second successive Six Nations campaign, and I know some people will be saying that’s not good enough.

They have a point but there’s a massive difference between last year and this. England have shown in 2022 — as well as last autumn — that this is a side that’s evolving.

In the 2021 Six Nations, England not only had poor results but they played boring, kick-chase rugby. Now things are different with Marcus Smith, Harry Randall and Freddie Steward there.

We saw that at Twickenham yesterday. After Charlie Ewels was sent off, England’s resilience and backs-to-the wall effort was superb. I have to give credit to Eddie and his players for that.

Twickenham went mad as England won scrum penalty after penalty. The fans’ backing of the team was huge and that bodes well.

People think that sort of performance in the face of adversity is easy to produce. Let me tell you, it’s not, and it doesn’t just happen by accident. It’s no fluke.

It was no surprise to me that England thrived and played better by going down to 14.

When I was in the camp, Eddie would throw several situations at us in training out of nowhere. One of those would be losing a player to

a sending off and adjusting to it. Jack Nowell has got plenty of praise for his emergency flanker role, and rightly so. But again, it was no surprise to me. Eddie has had him practising scrummaging many times. And England’s forwards were superb but they just ran out of puff. The front row and Maro Itoje were especially outstanding.

It will be a huge challenge against France but they should go out there looking to express themselves in attack while having that same grit, determination and heart in defence they showed against Ireland. If England can reproduce the display their pack delivered against Ireland, then they will have a chance.

Whatever happens, England will end this Six Nations with more defeats than they would have liked. But as important as the Six Nations is, losses in this championship can be no bad thing so long as this young team learns from them. That is what England must do.

I firmly believe they can and will before the next World Cup.