Ella: England backs as good as Aussie legends
However, the Wallaby legend insists the signs are already good for this young Red Rose squad.
In fact he likened the current England backline to the Australian sides of the 1990s and 2000s that featured legends such as George Gregan and Stephen Larkham.
"They're similar to the Gregans and Larkhams, who were coming through that system," Ella said at a media scrum, ahead of the first Test – in a three-match series – in Brisbane this week.
"I was with Rod Macqueen in 2000 and 2001 and then with Eddie [Jones] 2003.
"You had the likes of [Matt] Giteau was coming into the system, so they're similar because they're young, they want to learn and they want to be successful."
Ella – a former teammate of both Eddie Jones and Michael Cheika at Randwick – will work with the England backs during this three-Test series against the Wallabies.
The former Australia fullback, who has dovetailed with Jones at both Japan and the Wallabies in his coaching career, only linked up with the Grand Slam-winning squad when they arrived Down Under last week.
And with the first Test in Brisbane this Saturday fast approaching, Ella is not looking to rip up the script and start again – but rather make a couple of incremental changes.
"The impact is minimal at this stage, it's something that we have just got to work on and come that third Test we will hope that they have switched on," he said.
"Talking with the guys – I equate it to golf when you are just adjusting different parts of your game and it feels awkward.
"It's just those little things – moving players a bit closer, or a bit forward – just fiddling and that will be a bit uncomfortable – but that's just a time thing."
And ahead of the three-Test series, he added: "The skill levels are really good, I have been impressed with the squad in general. Their work ethic is fantastic.
"We are not going to have a backline [this series] that is capable of playing the way Australia does, that's just not the way it is.
"We want to make this a pretty good series and we want to win this series – we don't do this for practice, we want to win."
Ella, one of three brothers to play for Australia, has a long association with Jones going back to their school days together at La Perouse Primary School and Matraville High School.
A text from his old schoolmate asking him to come on board for the tour was all it took to convince Ella.
And the 57-year-old insists the duo have the same outlook when it comes to getting England competing on a level footing with the best sides in the Southern Hemisphere.
"We have known each other since we were five years old," he added.
"Eddie wants to play an expansive game at the end of the day, we talk about the differences between the southern and northern hemispheres. That takes time – it will not happen overnight.
"At the end of the day we want to be able to play different ways – if we are on a soaked field we want to play field position and if there is space we want to take that space on as well – it's playing what's in front of you.
"Eddie has mentioned they want to be the best team in the world in the next couple of years, if they want to do that you have to beat the Southern Hemisphere sides."
Sources: @EnglandRugby & @qantaswallabies
