A few months ago, the question was asked: which of England’s players is the most impressive?
But when the question came to me this week, it came with a different tone.
It was not just about who had been England’s most impressive in 2018.
It had to do with how many games they had played in a row, and how many of those matches they had lost.
A quick look at the England squad and the players who have played in the last three matches (and the last four) shows just how little time England have had to prepare for these games.
There are a few things to look at here, and it is easy to see why this is.
First, the last few weeks of the year have been difficult.
England have been knocked out of the World Cup and the World Championship, and they were eliminated from the Rugby Championship, which is a much more competitive tournament than the World Rugby Championship.
England have also been knocked-out of the 2019 World Cup by the host nation.
Then there are the World Rankings.
They have been a massive success in the UK, with England finishing third in 2019 and third in 2020.
Finally, there are a number of other factors that affect the quality of the team that is assembled.
For instance, the amount of money that is spent on player training.
But most importantly, England have only played three matches this summer, and none of them have been on the road.
They had one test match against Wales in October, and another in November against Italy.
It is possible that England could be looking at a few more games before their 2019 World Championships.
But the fact that they are in a situation where they cannot prepare for their first overseas match, against Samoa on June 22, 2020, is a huge blow.
For now, though, England can take comfort in the fact they have done their job.
They are doing the right things to get their squad ready for the 2019 Rugby Championship and the 2019 Six Nations, and the only thing that is really lacking is the players.
So what can they do to prepare?
It’s not just preparation.
England are playing a much better rugby than they were last summer.
They should be able to beat Samoa, and if they do, they could end up being the hosts of the Rugby World Cup.
The fact that England’s Rugby Championship opponents, the All Blacks, are the favourites to win the tournament is a big plus, too.
And the fact is that England have to take on Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, with the two sides battling for the World and European crowns.
What they need is the right players to step up.
They need players to do the right thing.
And the players need to step in to help out.