“We need Olympic formula” – Jonny Wilkinson
England’s record against the southern hemisphere ‘Big Three’ has been abysmal, with just six wins and a draw in 32 matches since 2004 and not a single victory over the All Blacks.
But with a home World Cup in 2015, Wilkinson believes Stuart Lancaster’s side must start cranking through the gears during a demanding November.
He told The Rugby Paper: “England have got the ammunition – that is a given – and the ideal is to turn up at the World Cup with a huge degree of momentum. But there needs to be justified confidence that it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.
“There needs to be a cycle of confidence followed by evidence, followed by even more confidence, followed by more justified evidence which eventually turns into belief. That turns into a degree of expectation – a non-arrogant, non-conceited expectation.
“That cycle started with the tour to South Africa and that gave a very strong foundation of togetherness, mental toughness, skill and team build-up.
“That gets them towards evidence of knowing we can match it with the big guys every time and if we can’t say we won, we can say we should have won. The next evidence is beating the teams above us in the rankings and then doing it over and over again.
“That is what everyone is looking for and why this autumn is so big. On home soil you want to get used to saying, ‘if we get it right then this game will be ours’. That is what New Zealand are doing now. They know if they get things right they will win.
“There is a turning point when you become confident you can do it. The earlier you can do and build the better – we need to set that snowball rolling asap.”
With huge pressure on England to perform in 2015, Wilkinson has urged the RFU to ensure no stone is left unturned in the bid to reach world No.1 status.
England’s 2003 World Cup hero was inspired by the recent London Olympics and impressed by the detail that went into producing so many gold-standard athletes.
“The opportunity to host a RWC is massive for all sorts of reasons, but there will be huge pressure on the guys and that is a crucial factor,” Wilkinson explained.
“The big catalyst for success or disappointment of the host team is pressure, so we have to make sure that pressure doesn’t become a negative factor.
“Form is the most important thing going into a World Cup and what the team does over the next three years leading into it will dictate that form.
“I watched bits of the Olympics and the organisation, attention to detail and sheer effort that went into it, all the people involved, was amazing.
“With the athletes it was the constant drive – not being afraid to say, ‘this is what I want to do and this is how I am going to go after it’ – and the specialist coaches, facilities, advice, time and support that were given to everyone. That is what the England team have to be given – everything.”
Citing England’s preparation ahead of the World Cup in Australia nine years ago, Wilkinson added: “In 2003 we had everything we could possibly need. We tried to make the most of everything we were given and tried not to waste a day.
“Clive Woodward was keen on going beyond No.1; trying to go from being good to great and then even beyond that.
“He was always asking, ‘who is doing it now?’ then looking at teams like Australia and South Africa and saying if we want to be better than them we have either got to do different and better things or we have got to do similar things harder, better and smarter.
“That is the only way and to do that we need the support.”
Wilkinson looks set to retire next summer when his contract at Toulon expires, but he has not ruled out one last ‘hurrah’ with the Lions in Australia.
He said: “There’s no way I could say no. In terms of what that represents, everything about it, it’s enormous. The joy is the fact it doesn’t have to come with [still playing] international rugby. It doesn’t matter where you come from. You have got six weeks, get your boots on and get into it.”
Wilkinson admits he longs for an elusive British and Irish Lions tour triumph after the tours of Australia in 2001 and New Zealand in 2005 ended in defeat.
“It is niggling away at me,” he said.
“All I can do is play and see if I fit into those plans. If I don’t, I’ll make the best of what I’ve got in France which, let’s face it, is good enough.”
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