Martin Johnson says England's painful defeats can fuel World Cup bid
Losing hurts. Martin Johnson insists it can also teach.
England's 2003 World Cup-winning captain believes the defeats suffered under head coach Steve Borthwick could help England when the men's World Cup begins in Australia next year, according to The Guardian.
England need a lift. They finished the Six Nations — the annual spring championship between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales — with a solitary win, against Wales. That campaign included a 42-21 loss to Ireland at Twickenham.
Warm-up form has been mixed too. England started their Summer Nations fixtures with an away defeat by South Africa, before responding with victories over Fiji and Argentina.
Johnson speaks from hard experience. He captained England to the 2003 World Cup title, then led the national team as head coach from 2008 to 2011. That second spell ended after a troubled tournament in New Zealand, closed out by a 19-12 quarter-final defeat to France, the last-eight knockout round, after which he resigned, as reported by BBC Sport. At the time, prop Andrew Sheridan backed him to continue despite the exit.
Borthwick has already looked to that 2003 generation for help. During a difficult Six Nations earlier this year, he brought in members of the World Cup-winning squad to address the current players about handling pressure and decline.
Next year's tournament offers a reset. The 2027 men's World Cup will be staged in Australia, featuring 24 nations playing 52 matches, according to Rugby World Cup. The seven host cities are Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney and Townsville. England open on 2 October against Tonga in Brisbane.
Johnson has also warned against writing off the hosts. Australia have endured lean years, but he told Planet Rugby that they should never be discounted, especially at a home World Cup.
Part of England's response may already be in the building. Northampton and England back-rower Henry Pollock — one of the loose forwards who carry hard, tackle all day and link the scrum to the backs — is among the young names pushing for a place in Australia.
For fans, this means patience is the message. Johnson is not pretending recent results were good enough. His argument is simpler. A painful winter and summer now can sharpen decisions, combinations and character in time for the tournament that matters most.
