Former England head coach Stuart Lancaster says Eddie Joens men are on track to hit their peak at the Rugby World Cup – as he predicted before the last tournament.
“All the lads who are on 50 caps were on zero caps when I started,” said Lancaster. “We said from the start that the reality is this England team should peak in 2019.
“It was always a race against time for 2015 but 2019 you could see the age profile, the quality of the players and the experience they would have by then – it should be their time.
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Lancaster also believes last year’s disastrous fifth-placed finish was merely a hiccup for an ever-improving England team.
“It’s amazing, the motivation of being the hunted or the hunter – how it affects teams,” he said. “Certainly, people were after England last year in the same way that people are after Ireland this year.
“It’s amazing, the motivation of being the hunted or the hunter – how it affects teams,” he added.
“Certainly, people were after England last year in the same way that people are after Ireland this year.