State of the Nation: England

As we do after every major tournament, we've taken a look at the state of affairs in each of the competing nations. Next up, England!

As we do after a major tournament, we look at the state of affairs in each of the competing nations. Next, England!

What a difference a couple of months make?

Remember the glum faces of Martin Johnson and Lewis Moody in Auckland after crashing out of the Rugby World Cup against rivals France? It had seemed the English were at rock bottom. But as the saying goes, “the night is darkest before the dawn”, and so it has proved as the Red Rose is blooming following Six Nations 2012 thanks to four victories from five, which was particularly impressive due to the side being largely new-look, young and lacking in Test experience.

So what happened to buck the trend? In came ex-Saxons coach Stuart Lancaster on an interim basis alongside Andy Farrell and the sole remaining survivor from New Zealand, Graham Rowntree. What was apparent from the outset was that the Cumbrian wanted England to re-establish some of rugby's core values – more so off-the-field after such fiascoes as dwarf-throwing in Queenstown and the ferry jump in Auckland – while re-injecting a sense of pride in the international shirt.

Cue training camps in Leeds and Loughborough where guest speakers such as Kevin Sinfield and Gary Neville chatted about what it means to represent your country. The group, which included such fresh faces as Owen Farrell, Geoff Parling and Ben Morgan, clearly bought into the new ethos and despite a scrappy win over Scotland first up, things just got better and better throughout the campaign as wins over Italy, France and Ireland proved.

It could have been them claiming a Grand Slam. Yes, I am going to risk the “should 'a, would 'a, could 'a” jibes but the Wales game was the marker of how far England had progressed as they pushed the eventual champions all the way at Twickenham. Had David Strettle been given a green light for his try or Courtney Lawes not been pinched of the ball to allow Scott Williams in for a score then this State of the Nation piece will have been different.

But such was the progress made by this side that no one in the camp has felt such what-ifs warranted a mention as nothing but positives have been taken from the Championship, with the demolition on Ireland's front-row and before that outscored France by three tries to one.

At the time of writing this, we are waiting to find out whether Lancaster will be rewarded for his efforts and subsequently continue in the job alongside Rowntree. Farrell has already said he's tied to Sarries but as Rowntree put it so plainly, “I don't want anything to change.”

Whether things will remains to be seen as Nick Mallett prepares his case but even with a City headhunting firm having been employed in January in order to find the right candidate and advise a five-man Rugby Football Union selection panel, surely that money has been wasted. The future has been seen and it is surely Lancaster.

By Adam Kyriacou