Ahead of their breakthrough 2002/03 campaign, Clive Woodward’s side missed out on the Grand Slam because of a single defeat in five successive seasons had beaten Australia three times in autumn Tests and South Africa twice and had been knocked out of a World Cup by a Southern Hemisphere side.
In the past four years Stuart Lancaster’s team has missed out on a Grand Slam as a result of a single defeat in four successive seasons, beaten New Zealand, and Australia, twice, in autumn Tests, drawn with South Africa on tour and has now been knocked out of the World Cup by a Southern Hemisphere side.
Was Woodward more lucky than good, then? Since we are supposed to learn from history this review panel may effectively give us a verdict on that too.
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