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England manager Martin Johnson increased the pressure on his side ahead of the Six Nations Championship by insisting the squad was “the best” he had since taking charge in April 2008.
England had a disappointing November campaign, losing to both Australia and New Zealand, and their record since Johnson became manager is modest, with just six wins from 14 Tests and eight defeats.
However, Johnson has several key players coming back from injury and, having seen England finish runners-up in last year’s Championship, he was in bullish mood at the media launch for this season’s Six Nations in London on Wednesday.
“This is the best squad we have had in my time being in charge and it will only get stronger,” England’s 2003 World Cup-winning captain told reporters.
Johnson, whose side open this season’s Six Nations against Wales at Twickenham a week on Sunday, added: “We have a good leadership group and it’s the strength of any side that you have three, four or five guys who could be captain.
“With guys like (fly-half) Jonny Wilkinson, (flanker) Lewis Moody, (No 8) Nick Easter and (lock) Simon Shaw we are starting to have a core group of leaders.”
Backs Delon Armitage, Riki Flutey and Toby Flood have all recovered from injury and the hope is they can help sharpen an England attack all too easily blunted in November.
Meanwhile Johnson has promoted young players such as Courtney Lawes and the gifted Ben Foden into the squad.
“We are starting to add a bit of depth to our group, more than ever before. There is competition throughout and that is what you need.
“The next World Cup is 18 months away and we are building a good squad,” Johnson insisted.
Meanwhile Johnson said he expected a hard-fought Six Nations, where Ireland are the defending grand slam champions and England are chasing their first title since 2003.
“Anyone who predicts who will win the title is a brave guy,” he said. “Last year we lost to Ireland and Wales by a combined total of nine points,” added the former lock, who saw England finish the 2009 Six Nations with convincing wins over France and Scotland.
Johnson said England’s Six Nations chances could not be dismissed simply because only one English club, Northampton, had qualified for the quarter-finals of this season’s European Cup.
“In an ideal world we’d have three or four teams there (in the quarter-finals) because it is good for the players, but we haven’t,” he said.
“Last year the French clubs didn’t have a particularly good time of it in Europe but the Six Nations games were very close.
“This year they will be very close.”
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