World Ranking: 4.

COACH: Clive Woodward. Exceedingly bright, emotional and articulate espouser of running game, if regarded as a bit quirky. Essentially a backs' coach at heart, the former English and Lions' centre cut his coaching teeth with London Irish, and with undoubted attention to detail has assembled a wide-ranging back-up team. TACTICAL TURN: However facile the warm-up games, England have undoubtedly developed more of a running game and hence a two-fold strategy under Woodward. Juggernaut pack and heavy if not domineering scrum is a platform for brilliant back-row, and the Wilkinson-Greenwood, 10-12 axis has undoubtedly made them more potent. The pressure applied on Richard Cockerill (and ensuing loss of self-confidence) seemed unnecessary and they may not have the best outside three in the world, especially compared to the Kiwis and Aussies.

STAR TURN: Jonny Wilkinson. Phenomenal talent. Still six months shy of his 21st birthday, Wilkinson must run the show, direct his back-line, and take the place-kicking. Huge tackler, too. You sense older heads could do more for him for it's a big ask, but seems to have the temperament for it.

VERDICT: Much depends on pivotal pool game against New Zealand for which warm-up matches and initial game against Italy may not be ideal preparation. Topping pool would mean them having to beat Scots in Edinburgh and Ireland or France in Dublin, whereas losing to NZ would mean additional play-off against Pool C runners-up, a quarter-final in Paris against South Africa as first of possibly three successive knock-out games against Tri-Nations heavies. Either way though, could well make another final.

FINAL THOUGHTS: "We can win it. We will have to be at our best with our top players available because, on our day, we are capable of beating any side in the world. The northern hemisphere sides are playing on home soil and that makes a big difference."

- Clive Woodward (England coach).