Back: England have the depth for World Cup challenge
Neil Back believes Eddie Jones’ England have the strength in depth to challenge for a second World Cup title.
Back was part of the England side that defeated an Australia team then led by Jones to claim the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time in the country’s history in 2003.
After crashing out of the competition in the pool stage on home soil in 2015, England have enjoyed a magnificent turnaround under Jones.
They have won two Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2016, and claimed a 3-0 Test series victory over the Wallabies in Australia.
And, as England prepare for a tilt at a third successive Six Nations success, Back is confident England have the squad to dethrone world champions New Zealand in 2019.
“What Eddie and his captain have done over the last couple of years is incredible. They’ve got a huge belief in each other and huge confidence, which is a massive thing,” Back told Omnisport.
“When they are the tunnel they will be thinking ‘play to our best and we will win this game’, which is huge for any squad.
“We have got tremendous strength in depth and you need that to capture the ultimate prize of the World Cup. You need two or three, or in some positions four-deep in terms of options for each position.
“One thing England have got to learn as a group is if so-called key players – I’m thinking such as Billy Vunipola – if they are out of the side you have got to have that complete faith in whoever comes into the side to replace them.
Round One predictions… #NatWest6Nations pic.twitter.com/ubzHrW70fc
— NatWest 6 Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 28, 2018
“I know England squads I have been involved with you have your recognised starters, but if they were not available we would have complete faith in the player coming in. Every player must have that belief and confidence in the player coming in.”
There have been questions as to whether Jones is right to stick with hooker Dylan Hartley as captain.
Hartley has found form difficult to come by with a struggling Northampton Saints team, however, Back has faith in Jones’ judgement.
“The most important thing is Eddie thinks he is the right man. What you have got to remember is it is difficult to shine when your team is not performing consistently well,” added Back.
“The fact is, if you have the ability and belief, it is actually easier to play at international level because you only have to concentrate on your job.
“You look at Dylan’s performances under Eddie, he has performed consistently well and that is all Eddie is concerned about.
“Not everyone can play for the top four clubs in the Premiership and if they play elsewhere, they may not shine as much as teams that are winning week in, week out.
“But as long as they are good enough and perform at international level – which Dylan has – then you stay in the side. Eddie recognises his leadership skills and his mental toughness and I think the players recognise that as well.”
Join World Cup 2003 heroes Neil Back, Mike Tindall and Will Greenwood at the award winning Wolf Run obstacle challenge in East Sussex on 28th April. Get your pack together with the buy four get one FREE offer – www.thewolfrun.com
Great to be back with the boys again after far too long. Sick-note Greenwood was moaning about his sore achilles, so the team had to carry him as usual. We’ll need to do a bit more training to drag him around the course again on 28th April @TheWolfRun #ad pic.twitter.com/SCh3ld6oAy
— Neil Back MBE (@NeilBack) January 29, 2018
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments