Clive Woodward believes England’s looming showdown with the Springboks could define their path to the 2027 World Cup.
In his latest Daily Mail column, Woodward placed the spotlight firmly on England’s Nations Championship trip to face the double world champions in Pretoria, arguing that the Test will reveal far more than rankings ever could.
“Looking further ahead, the Nations Championship game away to double world champions South Africa on 4 July is just an awesome fixture for England,” the former England mentor said.
“Playing the Springboks away a year out from the World Cup is exactly the sort of challenge that will show where England are.
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“Good teams win regularly at home. Great teams can win anywhere in the world. Right now, England are a very good team. They’re not great yet, but they certainly can be.
“England aren’t yet the finished article, even if they are now ranked third in the world behind South Africa and the All Blacks. Whatever the rankings say, I think England are the [Six Nations] Championship’s second-best team behind France.”
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And when it comes to measuring World Cup readiness, Woodward made his stance clear.
“England can’t be considered potential World Cup winners until they have beaten big teams in their own backyard. The next World Cup is in Australia in 18 months – a long way from the comforts of Twickenham.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
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