England well set for World Cup despite losses, says RFU head

Saturday, 6 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

LONDON (Reuters): Ian Ritchie, the head of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), says England’s results over the last five months have not been good enough but remains confident that they are on course for a credible assault on the World Cup in 2015. “We should be in a position where we go into every game expecting to win and if we lose five in a row, even if it’s to New Zealand and South Africa, that’s not satisfactory,” Ritchie told reporters at a Twickenham briefing on Thursday, five days after Stuart Lancaster’s team ended their November series on a high with victory over Australia having ended their losing streak against Samoa. “It’s good to get a couple of wins but we are extremely committed to making sure that we go into all games expecting to win them. “We have a committed bunch of players and coaches and people at the RFU doing everything we can to support them towards their objectives. “Sometimes it doesn’t work on the pitch, but that’s sport.” Three years into his job as CEO, Ritchie said that, despite four defeats at the hands of the All Blacks and an 11th defeat in 12 games against South Africa, he felt England were edging closer to the sport’s top two. “It’s not an accident when you lose four out of four but we were highly competitive for large parts of those games against New Zealand,” he said. “There is no doubt in my mind that the margin is pretty small. The thing over the next nine months is to make sure that margin diminishes and you catch up. “It’s not some yawning chasm of difference. It’s something very marginal and something we can deal with and that’s the view of the coaching team. “But this idea of this being a development phase, that we are a learning team -- no. We need to beat those sort of teams. “I think next year we will be stronger -- the time that the squad have to train, the availability of players... I absolutely believe fervently that we are in a good position for next season and the World Cup. “I think we have the talent and ability resources and commitment to back up the team and nothing in the autumn has changed my opinion.”