England rugby union players must assume mantle of their predecessors

The now-vernacular wisdom that World Cup-winning teams have an average of

around 600 caps was something that I discussed with Lancaster at length and

it remains the one thing to be achieved if England are to be successful in

2015.

Long-term injuries to key players have not helped and Lancaster has been

forced to try players earlier than planned. That said, it is not the

capability of new caps that is the crucial factor at this stage of England’s

development. What is crucial is whether a number of the players who have

20-plus caps can assume the mantle of their predecessors.

In the front row, does Dylan Hartley have the self-control to follow the

robust but contained aggression of Steve Thompson or, though it may sound

boastful, Brian Moore? At lock, can Courtney Lawes establish the fearsome

reputation of Wade Dooley without regular visits to the sin-bin? Can either

Joe Launchbury or Geoff Parling replicate the quiet mastery of the lineout

like Ben Kay? Is the back row able to mimic the all-round efficiency of

Hill, Dallaglio and Back?

Danny Care has the audacity of Matt Dawson on the pitch but can he learn, as

did Dawson, to temper his enthusiasm with tactical dispassion? And so the

comparisons could go on.

All the former internationals above accepted responsibility for putting

matters right on the field when difficulties arose. Lancaster cannot offer

players a way out and allow them of come off the field and complain about

the referee or what an opponent was got away with. His response has to be

‘Well, what did you do about it?’ In the end, although he cannot advocate

this and it will draw criticism of me, if all else fails you have to have a

tear up so that the referee cannot ignore the issue.

In the scrum, England have been maddeningly inconsistent, swinging from

dominant to dominated.

Dan Cole is now the linchpin of the scrum and he cannot allow himself to get

caught square. He has to demand that his right side of the scum locks

properly.

Now that referees are, rightly, demanding you can no longer hit and power

forward scrummaging is more technical and difficult.

Cole has to vary the angle of his right shoulder to dissipate the opposition

drive; this equalises an otherwise uneven contest.

A different mindset is needed for the scrum. On England’s put-in it is not

about ramping the other pack backwards for a penalty (unless you are near

their line,) it is about stability and winning clean, quick ball.

Owen Farrell’s continuing progress will necessarily be truncated unless

England can find a No  12 to emulate Will Greenwood and Will Carling.

Without an assessor and communicator of options to feed information to

Farrell all the latent promise, of any number of exciting talents outside,

will flounder.

In the back three, Mike Brown has to become the architect of England’s

counter-attacking strategy.

Though a full-back needs constant chatter from his wings, one player has to be

the marshal and define and call the options. Indecision is much worse than a

questionable decision because at least if players commit to the choice they

have a chance of carrying out. Dithering gives nobody the chance to get in

the right place.

Lancaster has to challenge England’s ’semi-experienced’ players to take the

final step that is, perhaps, the hardest. Going from good to great is never

a matter of luck, nor is it a matter of playing more games.

It is an almost intangible step and for that reason it is to be highly prized.

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England rugby union players must assume mantle of their predecessors