England coach Clive Woodward has said that his ambition after guiding the Lions on the tour next summer is to steer England to a second World Cup in 2007. No team has yet retained the trophy but the England coach said his side could and that he still had a burning desire to carry on. "It is going to be difficult but that is the challenge, that's what we are striving to do," said Woodward, coach of next year's British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.
"We now have to improve in almost everything we do," the former England and Lions centre added.
Woodward revealed he had other job offers since Jonny Wilkinson's drop-goal gave England a dramatic extra-time final victory against Australia in Sydney in November.,p> However, he insisted: "I love this job. It would have been easy to go and do motivational talks and maybe move on to another sport but I still think I am a young coach (48) who can give something to improving this England team. When you have the passion for it you have to carry on.
"To see if we can reproduce it and go to another tournament and win it again is something I would like to do."
Woodward was in London to receive funding body Sport England's 2003 Coach of the Year Award and the team of the year award from the AIPS, the international association of sports writers on his side's behalf.
He added that what pleased him most was not so much winning the World Cup as the way his squad geared up for the tournament. "I am probably more proud of arriving as the best-prepared team and the number one team in the world than actually winning it because that reflected what we had built over two, three and four years."
England are set for a gruelling post northern season tour of New Zealand and Australia having lost their Six Nations crown during a tournament where they were beaten by both Ireland and France. "We were disappointed with what happened (in the Six Nations) but it was pretty predictable."
Looking ahead to the southern hemisphere tour, Woodward said: "It will be very tough. It's the end of a long season but we are looking forward to it. The reason we won the World Cup is because we have relished going head to head with southern hemisphere teams.
"We have beaten the southern hemisphere teams 12 games in a row, home and away, and it's my job now to keep that momentum going. We are at our best when we play these sides and I just hope we will have everyone fit."
And Woodward insisted he would not risk ace goalkicker Wilkinson's fitness. The Newcastle stand-off missed the whole Six Nations following shoulder surgery and has still to return to top-flight rugby. "I'm just leaving it up to him," said Woodward. "If he is 100 percent fit I will take him. If he isn't I will not take him and we will look forward to having him back in the side for the autumn.
"Australia and New Zealand are not the places to take anyone who is not fully fit, not even someone who is 99 percent fit."
AFP - 2004.