Monday 23 March 2015 08:45, UK
Stuart Lancaster is convinced England can win the World Cup despite presiding over a fourth successive runners-up finish in the Six Nations.
England ran in seven tries against France to secure a 55-35 victory at Twickenham but fell six points short of the victory target required to depose Ireland as champions.
And as the dust settled on yet another failed Six Nations tournament Lancaster turned his attention to the looming World Cup on home soil which Ireland will enter as masters of Europe.
"We're definitely still capable of winning the World Cup. This season we've beaten Australia, we've beaten Wales and we've put 55 points on France," head coach Lancaster said.
"New Zealand we've beaten before and we pushed them close in the summer series, so absolutely (we can win the World Cup).
"Against France you could see the influence the crowd had on the players. Playing at home is a huge factor.
"And we'll have a good three months inside us after a World Cup camp where we can work on our cohesion."
By toppling France, England have extended their triumphant run at Twickenham to five matches knowing that all but one of their World Cup pool games will be played in an arena where their tenacity is now being matched by enterprise.
It is hard to remember a more electrifying atmosphere at a ground not known for its boisterous support and Lancaster understands the role the 82,000 crowd will play when the global showpiece opens against Fiji on September 18.
"Absolutely Twickenham is a fortress now. I thought the crowd against France were fantastic," Lancaster said.
"They gave us energy from minute one and never lost heart or belief, even when we went behind.
"You literally felt in that driving maul at the end that there were 82,000 people pushing the players over the line."
