MIKE BROWN: Make Ellis Genge captain and England can WIN the Rugby World Cup in 2027… there is so much talent, they just need the right systems and playing style

• England clinched third place at the Rugby World Cup after beating Argentina 
• Former England XX Mike Brown says there is plenty of talent coming up ranks
• He says that with the right systems, England can challenge for the world title  
• Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results

England can be serious challengers for the World Cup in 2027. 100 per cent. The talent is there. I see it in the Premiership every week. They just need to put the right systems and playing style in place to step up.

I’ve loved the backs-to-the-wall fight the team have shown but I think it’s time for a bit of a refresh. The quick-fix pragmatism that Steve Borthwick introduced for this World Cup served them well but now the coaches have a four-year cycle to really build.

It’s time to adapt style, appoint a captain who will be a definite starter and introduce a few new players.

I’d love to see Ellis Genge take over as skipper. He’s the right age, the players like him and he speaks openly and honestly. Maybe Ben Earl could be his back-up because he also speaks well and he’s been the breakthrough player with the potential to become world class.

The English supporters want to see the players and head coach speak with passion and personality. I’ve seen some of the press conferences with Borthwick and Owen Farrell through the World Cup and they haven’t shown much of it. That’s not to say Farrell won’t continue until 2027. Just look at what Johnny Sexton did with Ireland.

England have an excellent opportunity to rebuild ahead of the 2027 World Cup after scooping bronze in Paris

England skipper Owen Farrell expressed his pride in his team after they claimed the bronze

Ben Youngs (left) announced retirement from international rugby after England’s win, but Ellis Genge (right) could make a great captain for 2027

Right now, there’s a big gulf between the top-four teams (South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, France) — and the rest. The Springboks were off their game in the semi-final and England still didn’t manage to beat them. They really need to start scoring tries.

That pragmatic style isn’t going to win the hearts and minds of supporters, and I don’t think it will push England into the top four. It’s a good base but they can’t be happy with being gallant losers.

Their play has been too predictable. I’m not saying they start playing like Fiji and running it from everywhere but the supply of tries has really dried up. You can’t rely on kicks all the time. They need to play with style to get the public behind them because, watching this World Cup back home in England, it felt like that didn’t happen.

The appointment of Felix Jones as assistant coach is a good move. He’ll offer a lot. By all accounts he’s a brilliant coach and I think he will have learnt a lot working for South Africa under Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus.

Who is going to take this team forward over the next four years? That’s what the RFU need to decide and the new coach will need to show consistency in selection. You can’t build a style by swapping Marcus Smith and Freddie Steward around at full back every week because they’re so different.

Marcus Smith is Sir Clive Woodward’s longterm bet at No 10 – current captain Owen Farrell will be the 36 by the time the next Rugby World Cup comes around

Freddie Steward could be an option for the future at inside centre for coach Steve Borthwick

I don’t think Smith is the long-term full back. He has not played in any really testing games. Fiji tested him a little bit and he didn’t pass the test for me. His decision-making at the back was exposed a few times and you can’t get away with that against the top teams.

I’d love to see Cadan Murley and Tommy Freeman come in on the wings. Manu Tuilagi won’t be around forever and Joe Marchant is going to France, so do you bring back Henry Slade? They desperately need to start building some depth there. Freeman could be even be an option at 13, alongside Will Joseph and Dan Kelly. There are some great tries being scored in the Premiership and these guys have the ability to develop another dimension to the attack.

I’d like to see the national team work more closely with the clubs: sharing fitness data, communicating regularly, being transparent about game-time so workloads can be managed. Central contracts are something to look at. That happens in New Zealand and Ireland.

The potential is there if they get it right.

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