Plus 2
I expect England to be one of the top 4 teams in world rugby. But I really don't expect the RWC to be the be all of our ambitions. Having been to a WC, even back in 87, it was easy to see just how knife edged wins are, especially in the knock out phase. My only expectation is that given the resource devoted to international rugby by England, that we have a coherent plan and way of playing, year to year. And we play the best we can. This means being competitive in the 6Ns and on tours. The 6Ns is the annual highlight and matters to this fan at least.
I'm no fan of Jones, but finishing 5th, twice, ought to provoke some questions about what our priorities are and how we're going about it. Sure, none of us can know what's going on at England level - but last season in the 6Ns ought to have been a heads up...
Always a Wasp
