The Rugby Football Union’s new chief executive will feel less like the latest headmaster of St Trinian’s when he sees the projected team in place for the 2015 World Cup in these lands, according to the Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward.
"Studying the last four World Cup winners the RFU calculated average team ages of 27, 28, 27 and 28. The number of caps held by Australia (1999), England (2003), South Africa (2007) and New Zealand (2011) was 622, 638, 668 and 709 for Graham Henry’s All Blacks, the most experienced of the quartet.
"These studies nail down the kind of elements England will need in their quest to win a second world title 12 years after their first. The names mentioned are theoretical — and subject to change — but the new head coach can already draw on a core of the players who flopped in New Zealand.
"Wilkinson’s place at No 10 is now fully open to Toby Flood, who will be 30 in 2015 and could have 79 caps by then.
"Ben Youngs, Chris Ashton, Ben Foden and the ferry-jumping Manu Tuilagi are other likely regulars in the next four-year cycle. They could be joined in the backs by the exciting Gloucester wing Charlie Sharples and Owen Farrell, son of Andy, who is part of Lancaster’s temporary coaching team.
"In the pack, Tom Croft, Tom Wood and James Haskell are the projected back row with Courtney Lawes and Dave Attwood at lock and Joe Marler joining Dylan Hartley and Dan Cole at the shoving end.
"This is not RFU propaganda. These projections were drawn up long before the slew of leaks and are not evidence of Andrew’s department trying to pick the England team."
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