England can win 2015 World Cup, insists Lancaster
ENGLAND coach Stuart Lancaster believes his side can bounce back to win next year’s World Cup, following the disappointment of missing out on the Six Nations crown to Ireland at the weekend.
Lancaster’s men failed to beat Italy by the necessary 51-point margin on Saturday, winning 52-11, meaning that Ireland’s victory in Paris saw them clinch top spot on points difference.
But Lancaster remained upbeat when asked if he thinks England can win the 2015 World Cup on home soil.
“Yes, I do, absolutely. I’ve always believed that and I’ve believed it from minute one,” he said, adding that the team could also be well-placed for the subsequent World Cup four years later.
“I look at other international teams with a lot of over-30s playing for them and think ‘they’re going to have to go through a period of transition at some point.’ We’ve been through that and have got a very young side. This team will be around well beyond the next World Cup and way through to 2019.”
Ireland’s victory over the weekend, a narrow 22-20 win against France, capped an incredible international career for 35-year-old Brian O’Driscoll. The Leinster legend was delighted that his retirement was marked by such a dramatic conclusion.
O’Driscoll said: “It’s great to finish on a high in my last game in this magnificent jersey.”