Lancaster reassured England heading right way

Lancaster described the 2-0 Test series victory over Argentina as a “critical” staging post in England’s development towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup on home soil.

Not only did Lancaster’s young England side deliver the results but he has also developed the strength in depth he was after, with Matt Kvesic, Christian Wade, Marland Yarde and Kyle Eastmond all proving they are ready for Test rugby.

When Lancaster boarded his flight to Australia yesterday, he will have sat comfortably in the belief that England are on the right track to mount a successful World Cup challenge.

He said: “It’s a pleasing step forward. This tour was always going to be critical in our development towards 2015 because it gave the opportunity to bring other players through.

“It gives me confidence and also reassurance that the direction we are going in is the right one.

“I was always confident that we had quality players coming through the pipeline. They have played in big games in the Premiership and in Europe and now they are making the step from club to country.

“I want to create an England team where everyone feels comfortable in coming into and playing whether it is your first cap or your 31st cap.

“It was really pleasing to see people come into the team, slot in straight away and look like they had been part of the team for a long time.

“One of our goals was to win all four games on tour, including the Barbarians game. Objective one achieved.

“Objective two was to develop other options and look at increasing our selection decisions, which has also been achieved.”

This time next year, Lancaster wants England, currently fourth, to go on their three-Test tour of New Zealand ranked as one of the top two nations in the world.

His next task is to select the senior and Saxons elite squads for the forthcoming season, a task that is considerably tougher now than it was in January.

Some of those who shone in Argentina will most likely find themselves in the Saxons.

Eastmond, for example, is still listed behind Brad Barritt and Billy Twelvetrees.

Lancaster continued: “I sell it to them as a 66-man squad.

“I don’t think there’s been a situation yet where a player who has been playing well enough for the Saxons has not had the opportunity to be promoted.”

Kvesic delivered a 29-tackle performance on his debut in Salta that was described by the England management as “staggering” and he backed that up on Saturday.

As a genuine openside flanker, Kvesic will provide genuine competition to Chris Robshaw for the No 7 jersey when England head into the autumn series against New Zealand, Argentina and Australia.

Yarde indicated with his two-try debut that he could well be the answer to England’s problem position on the left wing. Christian Wade received his British and Irish Lions call-up ahead of Chris Ashton.

“Marland has done brilliantly,” Lancaster said.

“He has an unbelievable balance and power that makes him very hard to tackle. Christian has got a fantastic opportunity with the Lions.

“Kyle has got an exciting future in the game. Joe Marler has gone really well. He deserved his man of the match award (on Saturday). Rob Webber has come back from a difficult injury and made an impact.

“In the back row, Matt Kvesic has come in and done extremely well. You have got the likes of Will Fraser and Luke Wallace.

“It will be an important start to the season for a lot of players.”

Marler will head to Glastonbury Festival this summer on a high after ending a turbulent 12 months with his man-of-the-match performance.

The Harlequins prop is ready to let his bleached blond hair down after a year in which he made his England debut, lost his place and his confidence and then regained both with a bang.

Marler would have been on the bench for the two-Test series in Argentina had Alex Corbisiero not been called up to join fellow England loosehead prop Mako Vunipola with the British and Irish Lions.

With his chief rivals away, Marler took his opportunity as England wrapped up the Test series 2-0 and he played a key role at the Velez Sarsfield stadium.

England were 12-6 down but they had weathered the worst of the Puma storm and hit back with Marler and his scrum cohorts earning two penaltry tries before the interval.

“That was a huge turning point,” Marler said.

“We knew there was going to be a backlash particularly from them at set-piece after last week and we got that. It was a real intense environment out there at set-piece, ruck time.

“To turn the screw then at that point of the game was important to us.”

Freddie Burns touched down in between the pack’s two strong-arm efforts and England went on to score seven tries, with Yarde bagging two on his debut.

Eastmond, making his first Test start, scored a dazzling solo effort and Rob Webber touched in the corner, but all of that was possible because of those two scrums.

Having already been awarded one penalty try, England captain Tom Wood opted for a five metre scrum instead of kicking three points and it paid off handsomely.

“When he (the captain) makes the initial decision it is like ‘Okay then you are backing us’ and once we get the try there is no better feeling for a prop or a front row forward,” Marler said.

“It is almost like scoring it ourselves because we don’t get many of them. Yes (he has put it on his tally).”

Marler also tackled like a rabid dog, he carried well and feels back to his old self again after some tough times through the season, particularly the Six Nations defeat to Wales.

The England scrum was heavily penalised that day and Marler was hauled off after just 44 minutes, so there was a sense of redemption in being named man of the match and playing such a key role in a Test victory.

Marler said: “It was just about getting back on the horse, coming here and enjoying it and I have enjoyed every minute.

“The last time I was named man of the match was probably at Esher in National One.”

Argentina: Bustos, Agulla, Tiesi, Ascarate, Montero, Contepomi, Vergallo, Roan, Garcia Veiga, Bustos Moyano, Farias Cabello, Galarza, Baez, Macome, Leonardi. Replacements: Guidone, Henn, Gomez Kodela, Lozada, De la Vega, Cubelli, Madero, Orlando.

England: Brown, Wade, Joseph, Eastmond, Yarde, Burns, Dickson, Marler, Webber, Wilson, Launchbury, Attwood, Wood, Kvesic, Morgan. Replacements: Paice, Doran-Jones, Thomas, Lawes, Vunipola, Wigglesworth, Myler, Foden.