Next time - 2011

Interesting to read Clive Woodward's comments at the end of this piece about how important Wilkinson is, when he talks about the preparations for this tournament. Of course, he would say that they were better prepared in 2003, but I don't think many people could argue differently. His comments were:

"We arrived at the tournament in poor shape compared to 2003 and whatever happens on Saturday, I hope England's preparation over the next four years is far, far better than the last four years," he added.

"It's not fair on the players because as an England player you may only get one chance at winning a World Cup and you want your union and your coach to deliver the best possible programme that gives you every chance of winning."

I hope that, whatever the result on Saturday, England do get back to a similar approach to the 2003 World Cup. That means consistency of selection and a really professional approach - the feeling I get is that the players have pulled together against all odds to get to this final, but have been horribly let down by all that has gone on around them. In 2003 there was a genuine confidence that England could win even if they didn't play well. The problem with the 2007 squad is that they have to play at their absolute best (perhaps with the exception of Wilkinson's kicking) to beat the best - their lies the diffence.

If England win on Saturday (a very large if), they will have been lucky, although no-one would be able to take away from the immense guts and effort the players have put in. In 2011, we need to get back to where we were in 2003 - winning even when the luck was against us, and a lot of that comes from outside of the players on the pitch.