The 2020 Six Nations Championship is set to resume in October, and it is England which tops the standings after four games. A victory over Italy in the final round of fixtures may be enough for Eddie Jones' men to win seal the championship.
Planning will already be taking place for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. England will be bidding to win the Webb Ellis Trophy for the first time since 2003. Have they shown enough over the last 12 months to merit being strong contenders for the trophy in France?
Ben Youngs in the form Of His Career
Scrum-half Ben Youngs will earn his 100th cap for England if he starts against Italy in their final fixture of the 2020 Six Nations Championship. You can make a strong case for saying Youngs is in the form of his career at the moment.
The Leicester Tigers player was at his very best during England's 33-30 victory over Wales at Twickenham earlier this year. The 30-year-old ensured England were on the front foot in that match with his running game and he was rewarded with the Man of the Match award for his performance.
England's scrum-half has also been impressive this year with the boot. He recorded 13 kicks in that game against Wales. Young will play a big role at the World Cup against England's leading rivals as he will be able to pin them back on the field.
Owen Farrell Continues to Lead By Example
Some pundits questioned Eddie Jones' decision to make Owen Farrell the captain of England on a permanent basis, replacing Dylan Hartley. Since taking the position, Farrell has grown into the role and has proved he was the right man for the job.
Farrell, who recently committed his future to Saracens, deserves a lot of credit for the way he has led the team. His performances on the field have been exemplary and by the time the 2023 World Cup comes around, he is going to have much more experience on his side as the captain.
England's skipper has scored 39 points at this year's Six Nations Championship. He is just eight points behind the leading scorer, Wales' Dan Biggar.
Farrell's record over the last couple of years for England speaks for itself. The 28-year-old should still be at his peak in 2023 so as long as he is fit and healthy, he will be integral to England's chances of success.
Eddie Jones Will Be Desperate to Go One Better Than In 2019
Not many people gave England a chance at the 2019 World Cup, particularly in their semi-final tie against the All Blacks. Jones' men were excellent though, and it was quite clear they executed the plan set out by their head coach. Fast forward to now, and England are 7/2 second-favourites in the rugby betting for the 2023 tournament after their recent wins. They have only New Zealand ahead of them at 7/4 in the ante-post market, therefore, the bookmakers rate their chances quite highly. England will be looking to build upon the momentum they achieved this year.
Jones will not have been satisfied with finishing runners up behind South Africa last year so he will want to get his hands on the trophy in 2023. The Australian will highlight where England went wrong in that final against the Springboks. Expect to see England improve on the areas they failed in at the next World Cup where they have to be considered as one of the favourites to come out on top.
