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ENGLAND

Colours: White shirt, white shorts.

World ranking: 5.

Manager: Martin Johnson.

Understandably found it difficult to translate the success he enjoyed as England captain when given his first team management job in 2008, but he is now clearly on the right path after England’s Six Nations title win this year. However, it is possibly too early for Johnson to repeat his 2003 World Cup triumph as captain.

Squad:

BACKS Born Caps Tries Cons Pens DGs Pts

Delon Armitage 15/12/83 22 6 0 2 1 39

Chris Ashton 29/3/87 13 9 0 0 0 45

Matt Banahan 30/12/86 13 4 0 0 0 20

Mark Cueto 26/12/79 53 16 0 0 0 80

Toby Flood 8/8/85 42 3 23 46 1 202

Ben Foden 22/7/85 17 3 0 0 0 15

Shontayne Hape 30/1/81 12 0 0 0 0 0

Joe Simpson 5/7/88 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mike Tindall 18/10/78 72 14 2 0 0 74

Manu Tuilagi 18/5/91 2 2 0 0 0 10

Richard Wigglesworth 9/6/83 8 1 0 0 0 5

Jonny Wilkinson 25/5/79 87 6 157 234 35 1151

Ben Youngs 5/9/89 12 1 0 0 0 5

FORWARDS

Dan Cole 9/5/87 18 1 0 0 0 5

Alex Corbisiero 30/8/88 6 0 0 0 0 0

Tom Croft 7/11/85 26 2 0 0 0 10

Louis Deacon 7/10/80 25 0 0 0 0 0

Nick Easter 15/8/78 44 5 0 0 0 25

Dylan Hartley 24/3/86 30 1 0 0 0 5

James Haskell 2/4/85 37 4 0 0 0 20

Courtney Lawes 23/2/89 10 0 0 0 0 0

Lee Mears 5/3/79 37 1 0 0 0 5

Lewis Moody 12/6/78 67 9 0 0 0 45

Tom Palmer 27/3/79 28 0 0 0 0 0

Simon Shaw 1/9/73 68 2 0 0 0 10

Andrew Sheridan 1/11/79 39 0 0 0 0 0

Matt Stevens 1/10/82 35 0 0 0 0 0

Steve Thompson 15/7/78 68 4 0 0 0 20

David Wilson 9/4/85 18 0 0 0 0 0

Tom Wood 3/11/86 7 0 0 0 0 0

Key player: Ben Youngs

His speed round the base of the scrum and eye for a break were missed during the warm-up games, for which he was injured, and England need those qualities to spark their backs.

2010-11 form:

6/11/10 v New Zealand (Twickenham) L 16-26

13/11/10 v Australia (Twickenham) W 35-18

20/11/10 v Samoa (Twickenham) W 26-13

27/11/10 v South Africa (Twickenham) L 11-21

4/2/11 v Wales (Cardiff) W 26-19

12/2/11 v Italy (Twickenham) W 59-13

26/2/11 v France (Twickenham) W 17-9

13/3/11 v Scotland (Twickenham) W 22-16

19/3/11 v Ireland (Dublin) L 8-24

6/8/11 v Wales (Twickenham) W 23-19

13/8/11 v Wales (Cardiff) L 9-19

27/8/11 v Ireland (Dublin) W 20-9

World Cup pedigree:

Winners: 2003.

Runners-up: 1991, 2007.

Fourth: 1995.

Quarter-finals: 1987, 1999.

Record: P35, W25, D0, L10.

Most appearances: Jason Leonard 22.

Most points: Jonny Wilkinson 249.

Most tries: Rory Underwood 11.

Hero: Jonny Wilkinson.

When Wilkinson landed an extra-time drop-goal with his unfavoured right foot against Australia in Sydney in 2003 to earn England their first World Cup, he was assured of a place in English rugby folklore for ever more. As if that was not enough, he has since become the tournament’s highest points-scorer.

Villain: 2007 final video referee.

For disallowing Mark Cueto’s try at the start of the second half, which would have cut South Africa’s lead to 9-8. The video ref needed to look at the incident many times, but eventually judged – correctly it has to be said – that Cueto had brushed the touchline before diving over in the corner. The Boks won 15-6.

High:

It has to be 2003. No England follower will ever forget the jubilation and relief they felt after Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal clinched their one and only World Cup so far. They had entered the tournament as overwhelming favourites, but there were several narrow escapes prior to the nailbiting finale.

Low:

The 1991 final. Will Carling’s side had largely relied on their forwards to take them to a match-up against Australia at Twickenham for the Webb Ellis Trophy, but then allowed themselves to be talked into playing a running game against the experts of that art and paid the penalty.

2011 prospects:

England’s Dublin drubbing in March, which wrecked their Six Nations Grand Slam hopes, was a reality check as their followers started to talk up hopes of a second World Cup success. Much depends on how much Martin Johnson’s young squad have learnt from that debacle and their autumn defeats by New Zealand and South Africa.

Group matches:

10/9/11 v Argentina (Dunedin)

18/9/11 v Georgia (Dunedin)

24/9/11 v Romania (Dunedin)

1/10/11 v Scotland (Auckland)

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