England pack the 'real deal'

England not only have a set of forwards that can compete with the best at the World Cup, but they have some genuine attacking threats.

This is the view retired England international Mark Cueto, who felt there are many reasons why England should rank among the favourites for the global showpiece that gets underway at Twickenham on September 18.

England, who start their campaign against Fiji, are listed in the tournament's 'group of death' alongside Australia and Wales.

Having edged a willing French team 1914 in their first World Cup warm-up match at the weekend, England travel to Paris this week for the return fixture.

However, once the World Cup gets underway they will play all but one of their matches at fortress Twickenham.

Add to that a pack to genuinely compete with anyone and an improved backline and it is understandable why Cueto is so eulogistic about his compatriots.

Cueto, now 35, played in more than 300 first class games for Sale Sharks and represented England on 55 occasions. He also has one British and Irish Lions cap to his credit.

He will probably be best remembered for the try that never was during the 2007 World Cup Final against South Africa, a game won 15-6 by the Springboks.

He was speaking to rugby365 during the Land Rover World Cup 2015 trophy tour – a 100 day tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland – in the build up to global showpiece.

rugby365 Question: World Cup tournaments all have different memories for different people, what is your fondest/favourite World Cup moment?

Mark Cueto Answer: My favourite memory is from World Cup 2007 obviously – the Final and the try that never was given, but also the roller-coaster of the whole Tournament. No one gave us a chance at the start and then we reached the final – the highs and the lows were just incredible.

Question: You spoke about your try that wasn't awarded in 2007. What other BIG moments stand out for from previous tournaments – incidents that had a material effect on big games?

Answer: In terms of World Cups, it's just about the contrast of what you think is going to be a good tournament and what isn't. In 2007, our preparation couldn't have been much worse, we weren't well prepared, we had lots of injuries and we got off to a really bad start. Then suddenly, eight weeks later we were in a World Cup Final and potentially could have won it. In contrast to that, in 2011 we couldn't have had a better 12 months as an England team. We had a fantastic pool, we never lost a game, we scored lots of tries and only conceded one try. Yet we get knocked-out in the quarterfinals against France. The lesson is that you can only take each game as it comes, which may sound cliché but for a World Cup, it's the only thing you can do.

Question: What could make World Cup 2015 better than previous tournaments?

Answer: The fact that it's in England; it's just huge for the game over the here. I'm obviously a northerner and having England play a game in Manchester, it's just huge for the city, for the north and for the country. Hopefully everyone will get behind the boys and they'll do well, and hopefully have another kick-on from 2003 in terms on interest and participation not only at professional level but grassroots as well.

Question: There is always additional pressure on hosts to perform. How do you feel will England cope with the weight of expectation?

Answer: I just hope that they don't see it as pressure but they see it as an advantage being at home. It's so easy when you're playing in the likes of New Zealand to say that 'we're the away team and therefore at a disadvantage'. Surely the flipside of that is being the home team and having the advantage of playing in front of home crowd. They shouldn't see it as an added pressure, just an advantage to be able to play at Twickenham with friends and family on the doorstep as opposed to being on the other side of the world.

Question: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current England team?

Answer: The strengths are that they have a pack to genuinely compete with anyone on the world. Add to that the improvements in the backline, with players like [Jonathan] Joseph – which means we have a real threat in terms of try scoring. We outscored the other team in this year's Six Nations by 20 plus, which is a good sign.

Question: Pool A is referred to as the pool of death, for obvious reasons. Is it really so much worse to be in a tough pool? Or are teams with easy pools – i.e. South Africa and New Zealand, with relatively easier pool games – at a disadvantage in the play-offs?

Answer: As long as you win the Pool you will be in great shape, then they will be battle hardened for the knock out stages and other teams in easier pools won't have had that real intensity so may be at a disadvantage.

Question: Apart from Australia and Wales in their pool games, what other teams stand in England's way of a second World Cup title and why?

Answer: England can't underestimate anyone. Fiji beat Wales in World Cup 2007 for example. I'm sure they won't though. Other teams you have to look at are obviously South Africa and the All Blacks, but also someone like Argentina, who got a great result in beating South Africa [in Durban recently].

Question: In September and October the weather is usually more temperate in England. Do you feel the weather will have less of an influence this year than in previous tournaments?

Answer: The weather may even favour the Southern Hemisphere teams as they are used to playing in milder conditions. But it may help us if the weather isn't so great – a bit of wind and rain or even frost may work in our favour!

Question: Scrums and the breakdowns have been a big focus for referees this year. What aspects do you feel will be key at the World Cup?

Answer: The importance of the set piece goes without saying – it's the backbone of any team if they want to succeed. As mentioned we have a great line-out and scrum so we can compete there. The next thing is the breakdown – a game can be won or lost there. If a dominant set piece team is slow at the breakdown they can't get any speed or tempo into their game and will struggle. Securing your own ball and speed of ball at the breakdown is a key aspect for any team.

Question: Finally, what does the future hold for Mark Cueto?

Answer: I'm really busy at the moment. Lots of work around the World Cup with some great companies like Land Rover which is fantastic, and I will be working for Sale Sharks next season on match days which I'm really looking forward to.

By Jan de Koning

@King365ed

@rugby365com

* This interview was brought to you courtesy of Land Rover, a Worldwide Partner of World Cup 2015. @LandRoverRugby #WeDealInReal