Coach Clive Woodward promised fans they would see the ”real England” when the Six Nations champions faced France in their World Cup semifinal in Sydney at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday.
Tournament favourites England, ranked as the world’s number-one team, have stuttered towards the semifinals and were outscored three tries to one in their last eight clash with Wales before seeing off their Celtic foes 28-17.
”The players are more disappointed than anyone else,” said Woodward who admitted his team had been struggling with their favourites tag.
”I think that in the back of our minds we have all been waiting for this game. Sometimes it is not easy, when you are red-hot favourites to play the underdogs. We have struggled in a few games.”
For all England’s problems they, in common with all the other semifinalists, have yet to lose a match at this World Cup and Woodward said that run of victories had enabled his squad to deal with all the flak that had come their way.
”The time to be ultra critical is when you are being successful,” former England centre Woodward said in an interview with an English radio station.
”It [pressure] is how you handle it and I am very confident and positive for Sunday night.”
Woodward’s mantra throughout this tournament has been that winning is everything — a message he had confirmed by Jack Charlton, a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning soccer team and a former Republic of Ireland manager.
”I keep saying to people it is just about winning. I have had messages of support from all over the place. We got a lovely fax from Jack Charlton, he made it very clear that it was about winning and I listen to him and [England rugby captain] Martin Johnson.
”It doesn’ t matter how you get there — you have just got to get there, that’s all that matters.” — Sapa-AFP