British and Irish Lions legend Ian McGeechan has praised England after their memorable win over Australia in June, and believes that Martin Johnson's side could be surprise contenders for the World Cup next year.
Bath's new performance director hailed England's 21-20 triumph over a southern hemisphere power as a "major step forward" and said he thought that they were best placed of all the Northern Hemisphere contingent to mount a serious challenge for the William Webb Ellis trophy in a year's time.
"England, of all the sides at the moment, have probably got the best mix of established, experienced players and enthusiastic, quality younger players," McGeechan told the Daily Telegraph.
"If that continues to evolve over the next 12 months then they will probably be in pretty good shape for the World Cup.
'Geech', who selected Johnson to captain the Lions' triumphant tour of South Africa in 1997, said that the England manager knows what it took to win on the big stage and hoped that England would kick on from the Wallaby triumph.
"Johnno knows what he wants and he knows what it takes to create a winning environment.
"The key is for him to see that what they achieved in that last Test against Australia is just a staging point rather than the finishing line.
"England need to say, 'Right, that is what we have to hold on to now. Where do we want to go next?' "
England's resurgence has come on the back of the introduction of young and exciting new players such as Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Chris Ashton, and McGeechan believes the emergence of 20 year-old Youngs, in particular, has had a massive influence in the side's turnaround.
"Sometimes making just one change affects the way others play and I think Johnson's decision to play Ben Youngs was critical for England," McGeechan said.
"The way Youngs played had an impact on what happened around him and that drew slightly different games out of other players. He has really impressed me and if the Lions tour was this year I probably would have brought him.
"Youngs is one of a number of younger players that have come through and got the experience of winning in the southern hemisphere, while England Saxons also did well in the Churchill Cup.
"When a World Cup comes around, you just have to be there or thereabout as a team, with the right players fit, and then you get momentum in a tournament.
"England definitely suffered last November with injuries. But most of those players are fit again now and that gives Johnno a core group to develop, while I think Lewis Moody has also done well as captain. They look in good shape."
[Article taken from Rugby365]
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