Keep Improving To Be World Champs

LEADING into the World Cup England had become renowned as a team who start fast, build a lead but then tail off in the second-half following the Six Nations defeat to Wales and draw with Scotland.

These last two weekends against Australia and New Zealand have earned them a new reputation.

Beating the world-ranked No.1 side in such style will give them huge confidence for the final. It was a big step up from the display against the Wallabies and, as Eddie Jones said after the match, the challenge now is to improve further for next week’s final. Eddie got his tactics spot on and the players executed the plan from minute one.

Jones took Australia to the final in 2003, helped South Africa win the title in 2007 and then in 2015 with Japan pinpointed specific tactics to win games – it’s a forte of his.

I’ve played in two semi-finals – beating Scotland in Edinburgh in 1991 and then losing to New Zealand in 1995. Winning gives a huge sense of relief because you don’t want to go out at that stage. You don’t get much time to celebrate because you have to get right back on it. After the game players were rightly congratulating each other but that will soon have calmed down and switched focus to next week.

Losing in 1995 was a vile feeling, especially as you then have to go and play a ridiculous third/fourth play-off that no one wants to play. Thankfully, England don’t have to worry about that and can focus on how to beat the winner of Wales and South Africa.

Ahead of yesterday’s game, the majority of people thought there would only be a score in it, and probably in New Zealand’s favour. I wrote last week that if England were to put in 8/10 performances as a collective it would take something special from New Zealand to match it. They did and the All Blacks had no answer.